When it comes to the South African comic book scene, there are simply not enough avenues available for local talent to showcase their artform. One event hoping to change all that is the Open Book Comics Fest, set to take place this weekend from 20-21 of September at the District 6 Homecoming Centre in Cape Town.

Now in its fourth year, and supported by our very own comic book aficionado Moray Rhoda, the free to attend Open Book Comics Fest is a combination marketplace and artists alley, where the public can view and purchase comic book titles from more than 40 local artists and writers. Furthermore, it acts as a means for up and coming comic book designers to display their works to a wider audience. It also provides the opportunity for attendees to engage with illustrators, who will be doing live drawings.   

Not just designed for selling local comics, the Open Book Comics Fest will be holding a series of workshops to educate the public on the local comic book scene, as well as what goes into creating a comic book of your own. These free workshops will be held on 18 and 19 September at the Central Library in Cape Town, and are definitely worth attending for those wanting to know about the industry behind comic books and graphic novels.

One of the other purposes of this two day long festival, is to provide youngsters with a dynamic medium to develop their literacy. The mix of both images and words, provides a great way of introducing those who are otherwise hesitant to read, literature that is both engaging and easy to pick up. Given the vast genres and varieties of comic books and graphic novels, it also gives readers the opportunity to pick up works that are slightly more challenging, thus aiding in the development of their reading ability.

If you do find yourself in the Cape Town area this weekend, we'd urge you to go check out the Open Book Comics Fest. Not only is it free, but the quality of work on display is certainly on a relative par with those of foreign and overseas works. For more info on the Open Book Comics Fest, check out the website here.