{"id":17942,"date":"2021-03-25T16:07:12","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T14:07:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cosplayers.gr\/?p=17942"},"modified":"2021-03-25T16:47:23","modified_gmt":"2021-03-25T14:47:23","slug":"the-comic-con","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cosplayers.gr\/en\/main\/the-comic-con\/","title":{"rendered":"The Comic Con! The top Greek Comics Convention of Thessaloniki talks with us about everything!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Comic Con, Thessaloniki’s extraordinary huge comics & pop culture convention, talks to us about Cosplay, the event and its work!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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THE EPICENTER OF COMICS & POP CULTURE<\/span><\/strong> !<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n
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Thousands of people every year count the days until it takes place! The highlight of northern Greece, gathers every May for 3 days under its roof all fans of comics and modern pop culture! Comics, series, movies, anime, manga, games, videogames, books, collectibles<\/span><\/strong>, and more are there!<\/p>\n

Among them being our beloved Cosplay<\/span><\/strong>, with The Comic Con<\/span><\/strong> of Thessaloniki gathering the largest number of Cosplays in Thessaloniki<\/span><\/strong> and the 3rd largest number of Cosplays in Greece<\/span><\/strong> during its three-day run every year, reaching 351 Cosplays<\/span><\/strong> during its last event, The Comic Con 5<\/a><\/strong>!<\/p>\n

Starting on May 8, 2015<\/span><\/strong> at Warehouce C’ at Thessaloniki’s Port<\/a><\/strong>, it moves in 2018<\/span><\/strong> t\u03bf Ioannis Vellidis Convention Center<\/a><\/strong> growing dramatically at the same time! It now counts 5 annual 3-day events<\/span><\/strong>, with the exception of 2020 and 2021, due to the pandemic! Every year thousands of visitors<\/span><\/strong> flood the event , filling the corridors between 140+ exhibitors and artists<\/span><\/strong>!<\/p>\n

More than 10 famous international guests<\/span><\/strong> related to the pop culture scene are present at every event, giving people the unique opportunity to meet them up close for the first time ( find them at the end of the article )! Among them, well known Cosplayers from abroad<\/span><\/strong>!<\/p>\n

Multiple panels, presentations, exhibitions, signings and much more<\/span><\/strong>, provide an extensive schedule, not giving the audience a chance to get bored even for a moment, and bringing to life an experience similar to huge comics & pop culture conventions abroad! The Cosplay Alley<\/span><\/strong> provides people the opportunity to check out the work of various cosplayers, while at the same time, Cosplayers\/\/GR<\/strong><\/a> was present until its last event with its own booth, providing a Cosplay Photo \/ Video Booth, Cosplay Photo Albums \/ Galleries & Videos, Cosplay Repair Station, Cosplay Materials Presentation, Giveaways, Freebies and Cosplayer Luggage Storage<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The huge Outdoor Mass Cosplay Photoshoot<\/span><\/strong> in HANTH Park<\/strong><\/a> up until The Comic Con 4<\/a><\/strong>, and the large seaside Cosplay Parade<\/span><\/strong> up until The Comic Con 3<\/a><\/strong>, both by Cosplayers\/\/GR<\/strong><\/a>, were the largest of their kind in Greece , and not only, with up to 109 Cosplays<\/span><\/strong> present! AnimeHouse<\/strong><\/a>‘s gift draws for all Cosplayers that participated in those two, sealed the deal!<\/p>\n

Its repertoire, of course, includes some “firsts”<\/span><\/strong> related to Cosplay in Greece!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>   <\/strong>The 1st Comics Convention with Cosplayers in Thessaloniki<\/span><\/strong>, The Comic Con<\/strong><\/a>!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>   The<\/strong> 1st international guest Cosplayer in Thessaloniki and Greece<\/a><\/strong> at The Comic Con<\/strong><\/a>!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>   The<\/strong> 1st Cosplay Workshop in a Convention in Thessaloniki and Greece<\/a><\/strong> at The Comic Con<\/strong><\/a>!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>   <\/strong>The 1st outdoor Cosplay Parade in a Convention in Thessaloniki and Greece<\/a>,<\/strong> by Cosplayers\/\/GR<\/a>, <\/strong>at The Comic Con<\/strong><\/a>!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>   <\/strong>The 1st Cosplay Repair Station in Thessaloniki and Greece<\/span><\/strong>, by Cosplayers\/\/GR<\/a>,<\/strong> at The Comic Con 3<\/strong><\/a>!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>  <\/strong>The 1st time with more than 100 Cosplays at an outdoor Cosplay photoshoot in Greece<\/strong><\/a>, by Cosplayers\/\/GR<\/a><\/strong> at The Comic Con 3<\/strong><\/a>!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>  <\/strong>The 1st commercial music video with Cosplays in Greece<\/a>, <\/strong>by Dimitris Mentzelos<\/strong><\/a> for The Comic Con 5<\/strong><\/a>!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>  <\/strong>The 1st opportunity to get acquainted with Cosplay creation materials in Thessaloniki and Greece<\/span><\/strong>, by Cosplayers\/\/GR<\/a><\/strong> at The Comic Con 5<\/strong><\/a>!<\/p>\n

Let’s talk about everything with The Comic Con<\/span><\/strong>‘s organizers, Anastasios Lazaridis<\/span><\/strong> and Leontios Papadopoulos<\/span><\/strong>!<\/p>\n

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Find The Comic Con on the following media!\r\nPage<\/a> - Facebook<\/a> - Youtube<\/a> - Twitter<\/a> - Instagram<\/a>\r\n\r\nCheck out the organizer's profile and events, with all their info and thousands of photos & videos, on our website, HERE<\/a>!\r\n<\/strong><\/pre>\n

\n<\/span><\/strong>TURNING MANY WORLDS INTO ONE !<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n
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1) <\/strong>Tell us a few words about , its history and contents! When and how did it start? What themes is it about? Are those themes based on the organizers’ personal interests, and if so, when did you start taking an interest in each of them, before your first event?<\/strong><\/h5>\n
The Thessaloniki Comic Convention “The Comic Con”<\/span><\/strong> acts as a dynamic institution for the whole country. It’s the top event for comics, animation, roleplay and card games and of course cosplay. During it’s 3-day run, it presents famous creators and cosplayers from all over the world, many surprises, unique events, workshops & masterclasses, contests, happenings and gives away incredible gifts. In short, we could say that this is the Greek version of the biggest comic conventions that are organized today in the USA and other countries abroad, such as the famous Comic-Con<\/a><\/strong> in San Diego or the corresponding<\/strong><\/a> one in New York.<\/p>\n
As you can easily conclude, we couldn’t have achieved any of what you saw taking place during the first five events if we didn’t love the subjects. We all got our hands on comics before we even learned how to read. We loved them just by looking at the frames. We experienced video games since their inception when entire games were the size of a small text file, on Atari consoles but also on primitive Spectrum, Commodore and Amstrad computers. I won’t even mention Amiga which came much later. And of course we spent endless hours playing board games and watching cartoons. So, yes, we got into those subject decades before The Comic Con was created.<\/p>\n
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International Guest Cosplayers of The Comic Con<\/a>
\nCyehra Cosplay<\/a> – Erza Cosplay<\/a> – Shappi Workshop<\/a> – Mowky Cosplay<\/a> – Narga-Chan<\/a><\/p>\n
2) <\/strong>How long and what exactly did it take until the first event was possible? \u0397ow do you think <\/strong>The Comic Con <\/strong>differs from other similar events of corresponding theme?<\/strong><\/h5>\n
A key principle of all The Comic Con contributors is the emphasis on quality. We’ll never do anything unless it follows the very strict standards we have set. And we follow this philosophy faithfully starting from the first event. You can’t even imagine how many months of hard preparation it took for our first event to take place, in May 2015, at Warehouse C of Thessaloniki’s port<\/strong><\/a>. This hard work was appreciated by artists such as Giorgio Cavazzano<\/strong><\/a>. Do you think a Disney stories legend would come to a sketchy event? Or even William Simpson<\/strong><\/a> at a time when Game of Thrones was the hottest TV series on the planet?<\/p>\n
We don’t like to comparing our event with the corresponding very important efforts made in various areas of Greece. We love and support all events because they serve the same purpose. But we are more than just a event about comics. I have to remind you that The Comic Con may start at the “Ioannis Vellidis” conference center<\/strong><\/a> but it doesn’t stop there. It spreads throughout Thessaloniki, through a series of activities and synergies, which make “The Comic Con” one of the largest, most participatory and most influential cultural events of spring in Thessaloniki and in Southeastern Europe in general. Is there anyone who doesn’t remember the illustration exhibition of costume designer Christian Cordella<\/strong><\/a> taking place in a glass kiosk of Nea Paralia, the two parallel animation festivals in Warehouse 1 at the port, in collaboration with Thessaloniki’s Film Festival<\/strong><\/a>, the Game of Thrones storyboard exhibition at Thessaloniki’s International Book Fair<\/strong><\/a> or the “Star Wars” concert in collaboration with the Concert Hall<\/strong><\/a> and the award-winning Youth Symphony Orchestra “MOYSA”<\/strong><\/a>? And all this without taking the huge costs into account. It’s no coincidence that The Comic Con is the top event of its kind.<\/p>\n
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The Comic Con 4<\/a> – Photos by Cosplayers\/\/GR<\/a><\/p>\n
3) <\/strong>What was the biggest, but also the most difficult <\/strong>The Comic Con <\/strong>you have done so far? What defines them as such?<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Each event has its own difficulties. The first one, for example, was difficult, because we hadn’t done it before and therefore didn’t know what problems we would face in practice even though we had done excellent planning. The fourth event was difficult because we had set the goal of bringing Frank Miller<\/strong><\/a> to Greece, whatever the cost. And as you can see, we did it. Nevertheless, I ‘ll tell you that bringing a full symphony orchestra of 70 people to play inside “Ioannis Vellidis” was not an easy task. Just think of the instruments that had to be transferred or get the rights for such a big production as “Star Wars”.<\/p>\n
As for the biggest The Comic Con this was definitely the last one, that took place in 2019. And if there was no pandemic, with everything we had announced for the 6th one, rest assured it would have been that one. We always make sure keep the event growing.<\/p>\n
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Cosplays at The Comic Con 4<\/a> – Photo by Cosplayers\/\/GR<\/a><\/p>\n
4) <\/strong>How much effort, time and money does it usually take to set up <\/strong>The Comic Con<\/strong>? What is the usual preparation plan that you follow?<\/strong><\/h5>\n
It takes countless man-hours of work by a very large team to get each event going. In terms of finances, I will tell you only one thing: do a simple internet search ( under normal circumstances and not during a pandemic ) to see what it costs to bring an actor, say from New Zealand, such as Manu Bennett<\/strong><\/a> as we did. Then add his accommodation, his food, his salary, etc. And then do it for another fifteen guests to find just the amount needed for guests.<\/p>\n
The preparation plan is as follows: An event ends. We rest for a week. We start organizing the next one.<\/p>\n