For comic book fans living in Cape Town, there is only one place to be this weekend: The Open Book Comics Fest. As part of the Open Book Cape Town festival, the Open Book Comics Fest takes place from 12-13 September, at the District 6 Homecoming Centre (next to the Fugard Theatre), Cape Town. It’s free to attend and is a must visit, since not only will you be able to rub shoulders with some of the best comic book creators in SA, but also purchase their wares.

If that is not enough reason to visit (or to get super jealous that the Slaapstad scene is so much more vibrant than in Jozi), then have a look at the amazing line-up of workshops, discussions and master classes right here.

Some of the events that piqued our interests are:

• Comics Fest: Comics and Collaboration featuring the fabulous Lauren Beukes and Joey Hifi talking about their new projects.
• Comics OMICS Fest: Illustrating the Point, that has cartoonists Zapiro and Chris Riddell discussing their response to world events.
• Pappa in Doubt, where Bitterkomix’s Anton Kannemeyer (Joe Dog), explores his “ongoing exploration of life in the postcolony”.
• Comic Fest Masterclass, featuring the amazing French illustrator, Marc Boutavant (see image below), in a two hour teaching session.

The fact that all of these sessions (and entrance to the marketplace) are mahala, gratis, verniet and free, should serve as further motivation to get yourself ready for a comic-filled weekend.

Find out more about the event here, while you can also join the Facebook page here.

One of Marc Boutavant's amazing works