For local comic books fans, Free Comic Book Day is often the one time when they can fully immerse themselves in geek culture, and his year is shaping up as the biggest yet. Particularly as it coincides with the Mother City holding its inaugural FanCon, which is set to be the largest event of its kind in South Africa. 

The two-day long event is happening this weekend, 7-8 May, at The Lookout at the V&A Waterfront, with a number of guests from the comic book industry in attendance. To that end, FanCon has confirmed three international comic book writers who will be there to engage with fans and share some pearls of wisdom. The three international guests are Jason Aaron, Jamie McKelvie and Ian Churchill.  

In attendance

Aaron, a favourite here in the TS office ever since the amazing Scalped, has been writing comic books since 2001, and currently works on some high-profile titles such as Mighty Thor and Doctor Strange, not to mention Star Wars: Skywalker Strikes. He has also developed his own original work for publishers, Image, titled Southern Bastards and The Goddamned.  

McKelvie is a British artist and illustrator whose work can be seen most recently on Image series such as The Wicked + The Divine. He has also worked as an illustrator for music artists like CHVRCHES and Tegan and Sara. 

Churchill, like McKelvie, is an illustrator who has amassed over 20 years of experience within the comic book industry. His CV is long and extensive, seeing him work on popular titles like Cable, Deadpool and Uncanny X-Men. 

It's not simply the international guests that need to taken note of, as FanCon also has a number of local authors and illustrators set to join the festivities in Cape Town this weekend. Acclaimed Sci-Fi/Fantasy author Lauren Beukes (Moxyland, Zoo City) will be in attendance, with her work ranging from full-length comic books, short stories and novels. Joining Beukes is one of our favourites, Sean Izaakse, whose Pathfinder series has certainly impressed.   

Click here for more info on FanCon: Cape Town Comic Con.