Oz Comic Con

Highlights From The 2023 Oz Comic-Con Xmas Edition

December 12, 2023 By ausretrogamer

As another year comes to pass, it was awesome to have one last pop culture event in Melbourne!

The 2023 Oz Comic-Con Xmas Edition was a welcome and fun event that surprised many, one – due to the time of year (December is frenetic with last minute Chrissy shopping), and two – the big turnout with attendees having as much fun they could squeeze into this two day event.

We are gonna call it now, we hope the Oz Comic-Con Xmas Edition remains as an ongoing annual event! The reason for this is that this time of year we find that people are more relaxed (perhaps due to the impending festive season) and it is also awesome to be able to pickup a few geeky items as Christmas gifts for yourself (or perhaps family and friends).

Our fellow Ausretrogamer team member, Dr Brant Raven and I had a thoroughly good time and we’ll be back in 2024! Without further ado, here are some pictorial highlights from this year’s event.

Melbourne’s weather was predictably miserable, but that didn’t stop us having fun and getting a bite to refuel!

Oz Comic-Con is back with OCC Pop Up Shows!

February 4, 2021 By ausretrogamer

Oz Comic-Con gets back to the grassroots of pop culture with the launch of community-based OCC POP UP shows

In a year that relegated fans to virtual conventions, the team behind Oz Comic-Con are thrilled to announce the launch of their first LIVE event of 2021. OCC POP UP is a community-based event
showcasing the local pop-culture scene and is set to hit Sydney Showground on March 6th and 7th. We can assure you that masking up has never felt this good.

Since its Australian launch back in 2012, Oz Comic-Con has secured a permanent place within the hearts of fans across the country through its ongoing support of the local community. Although things may seem a little different this time around, OCC POP UP will encompass everything we have come to love and know over the years.

With a jam-packed schedule full of workshops and activities, attendees can expect appearances from local creators, comic artists, gaming and freeplay opportunities, industry talks and panels and exclusive merchandise that can’t be found anywhere else. Some of the highlights include:

Creators Live – an area dedicated to promoting Australian digital content creators such as YouTubers, streamers, podcasters, bloggers, and influencers. Whilst it’s a great chance to sell merch and network with each other, Creators Live provides a new platform amongst an ever growing community and a chance for Creators to interact with their fans;
Cosplay Active – a cosplay competition for mainstream competitors that find themselves a step above the Cosplay Parade but not quite ready for the Championships of Cosplay. Open to both solo and group performances, Cosplay Active is an opportunity to showcase crafting talents, perform a skit, and bring along the PLAY component of cosplay. And, even your pets can get involved, with the finalists of the OCC Pet Cosplay being invited to attend the Con;

Confirmed guests for the OCC POP UP include Queenie Chan (The Dreaming, Fabled Kingdom), Christopher Sequeria (Sherlock Holmes: The Australian Casebook, The SuperAustralians ), Louie Joyce (Haphaven, Past the Last Mountain ), and JusZ Cosplay, with more announcements yet to come.

A first-of-its-kind event in Australia, OCC POP UP is truly an event for the whole family no matter what fandom you belong to. For more information about the event, guest announcements, and to purchase tickets, please go here.

EVENT DETAILS:

OCC POP UP Sydney
WHEN: March 6 – 7, 2021
WHERE: Sydney Showground, 1 Showground Road, Sydney Olympic Park

TICKET INFO:

Tickets to OCC POP UP will be sold in sessions with a limited amount of full day tickets available for each day. In full compliance with government guidelines and regulations, session times will allow for crowd management in a controlled environment. For more information about ticketing and general information regarding OCC’s COVID guidelines, please visit the Oz Comic-Con site.

Oz Comic-Con Sydney 2019 Highlights

October 1, 2019 By Mat Panek

We were lucky enough to attend Oz Comic Con 2019 in Sydney and take in all the amazing sights and sounds! There were plenty of regular favourites and a few newcomers that shows just how much conventions are growing in popularity. Another very welcome addition we noticed was the increasingly family friendly nature these cons are becoming, with a scribble wall and colouring corners for kids!

There was a strong presence from the ESL (eSports League Australia) which is always good to see and they had live competitions running all weekend. The Southern Cross Garrison of the 501st Imperial Legion was also out in force, bringing some impressive cosplay from both sides of the force including Stormtroopers, Wookiees and Tauntauns!

The artists corner was buzzing with activity, allowing upcoming artists to show off their skills and sell some of their merchandise. Lots of booths filled to the brim with pop culture goodies spread themselves throughout both the halls. We were also lucky enough to stumble onto some retro goodies that included figures, vehicles and playsets from Star Wars, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters and Masters of the Universe.

Just in case you missed out on all the fun we brought you some highlights!

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Mat Panek, Chief Games Reviewer
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

Oz Comic-Con Melbourne 2019 Highlights

June 18, 2019 By ausretrogamer

Oz Comic Con Melbourne (2019) has come and gone. It is always a blast attending this event.

If you missed out on being there, don’t fret, our awesome photography team from REE Photography captured some awesome pics from Melbourne on the Queen’s Birthday weekend for you to enjoy and feel like you were there!

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REE Photography
The new and awesome photography service that captures all of your special moments from pop culture and gaming events.

Like REE Photography on Facebook

OZ COMIC-CON: Australia’s Greatest Pop Culture event launches tickets and plans for 2019

March 19, 2019 By ausretrogamer

Oz Comic-Con is returning to Melbourne on June 8th – 9th, and Brisbane and Sydney in September, giving fans across all fandoms the ultimate event for all things pop culture. Assemble your super squad and get ready for a jam-packed weekend of entertainment.

Oz Comic-Con was introduced to Australian shores in 2012 and has since cemented itself with pop culture fans, offering a little bit of everything for everyone interested in film, television, comics, anime, cosplay and much more. Convention goers can expect appearances from film and television stars, comic book artists and voice actors, gaming tournaments and freeplay along with out-of-this-world activations, industry talks and panels, and exclusive merchandise that can’t be bought anywhere else.

An event for all ages, kids can leave their mark on MARVEL’s colouring wall, spark their creative desires in a range of kids comic artist workshops and walk tall in the Kids Cosplay Parade.

Comic enthusiasts can immerse themselves in the Comic District with opportunities to meet comic guests from major publications and enjoy the Comics Library. Gamers can head on over to the Gaming Zone and feed their competitive spirit or simply relax in the freeplay gaming area.

Oz Comic-Con also plays host to the Australian Championships Of Cosplay, the most prestigious costume contest in Australia, presented by Spotlight and Brother. It is the first stop in the ‘Quest For The Crown’, a global competition that will see the overall Australian winner representing Australia at the 2020 C2E2 Championships of Cosplay in Chicago.

Confirmed guests for Melbourne so far include film and TV actor Alexander Calvert, Shadowhunters actors Dominic Sherwood and Alberto Rosende, also welcoming local and international comic book artists Dean Rankine (The Simpsons , Rick And Morty , Futurama ), Nicola Scott (Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman ) and Carla Wyzgala (Hidden Door Comics ).

Whether it’s appearances by film and television stars, comic book artists, gaming tournaments, cosplay, creative workshops or hard-to-find merchandise, Oz Comic-Con is the perfect one-of-a-kind experience for the whole family! With new announcements made every week, Oz Comic-Con Melbourne 2019 is set to be the most exciting show to
date.

MELBOURNE
WHEN: June 8 th (Saturday) – 9 th (Sunday) from 9am – 6pm, daily.
WHERE: Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre | Convention Centre Pl, South
Wharf, VIC 3006
TICKETS

BRISBANE
WHEN: September 21 st (Saturday) – 22 nd (Sunday) from 9am – 6pm, daily.
WHERE: Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre | Merivale St & Glenelg Street, South
Brisbane QLD 4101

SYDNEY
WHEN: September 28 th (Saturday) – 29 th (Sunday) from 9am – 6pm, daily.
WHERE: Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park.

TICKET INFO: Tickets are ON SALE now – save up to 33% with early bird prices. Also available is a range of exclusive tickets, including the Collectors Pass and Shadowhunters Experience.

For tickets and additional information visit www.ozcomiccon.com

image source: Oz Comic-Con

Oz Comic-Con Melbourne 2018 Highlights

June 14, 2018 By ausretrogamer

If you missed out on attending Oz Comic-Con 2018 in Melbourne, we have you covered!

With our trusty cameras in tow (thanks Alan Ly!), we snapped quite a few photos (over 60 photos actually) to make you feel like you were there, from awesome cosplay, comic book creators, artists, vendors with tempting gear, to a Star Wars X-Wing waiting for you to enter its cockpit and some Doom shenanigans at Bethesda’s booth.

Scroll through and enjoy what was a pretty epic Oz Comic-Con 2018!

If you made it this far, please consider supporting us by shouting us a coffee so we can keep bringing you heaps more awesome content! Thank you.

Oz Comic-Con Melbourne 2018 Ticket Giveaway!

May 7, 2018 By ausretrogamer

*** THIS TICKET GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED **

Hey peeps, Oz Comic-Con is coming to Melbourne on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, June 9 and 10!

Thanks to the awesome folks at Oz Comic-Con, we are thrilled to be giving away two double passes to the Melbourne event. So what do you need to do to win this fantastic giveaway?

Simply subscribe to our newsletter, then email us at [email protected] to confirm your entry. We’ll be choosing the two lucky winners at random on Monday, May 21 (entries close at midday on that day)! Oh yeah, one final bit of info, you will need to find your own way (and accommodation) to Melbourne.

CLAIMING TICKETS
At the conclusion of the giveaway, the winners details will be provided to Oz Comic-Con. The winners names will then be placed on the door list at the Media Check-In Desk where they will be able to collect their wristbands for entry. If the winners are outside of Melbourne, then they are responsible for their own transport and accommodation.

If you need any convincing of how awesome this event is, check out the highlights from Oz Comic-Con Melbourne 2017.

image source: Oz Comic-Con

Oz Comic-Con Melbourne 2017: Unleashing Our Inner Geek

July 2, 2017 By ausretrogamer

If you missed out on Oz Comic-Con Melbourne 2017, then don’t fret, we are here to unleash your inner geek with these very cool photos!

To say we can’t wait for Oz Comic-Con 2018 would be a great understatement.

Let’s do this!

The new old order

Another great turnout!

Where to begin? That is the million dollar question…

The Dude abides

The Force is strong with this lot

Go Go Gadget Cosplay!

The detail is amazing!

The Doctor may be regenerating!

Ms ausretrogamer finds the Tardis!

We knew it wouldn’t take long to find Pikachu *wink*

Do you want to build a snowman?

Lego Spyro!

Chomp, chomp, chomp – Lego Pac-Man (photo source: Sean Tagg)

Melbourne Lego User Group (MUGs) represent!

Lego science!

Lego Super Mario Bros.

The legendary couple!

Guardians Of Oz Comic-Con

He has been upgraded

Glide to the PAX Challenge

In space no one can hear you scream

MOTU Classics!

Bumped into some cool peeps from Retro Domination (Matt and Tim)!

Perfect welcome mat for our Fun Factory

It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this.

Found the retro gaming loot!

Why is Nintendo loot always behind glass? *wink*

Whoa!

Winter has come!

Choose your weapon!

The great wall of Pop!

Whoa, Halo!

BB-8 made a friend

Who you gonna call?

Where is Han?

Wow, Wonder Woman!

Walkers everywhere!

Sanic and Josh (photo source: Sean Tagg)

Henry and the Fallout crew (photo source: Sean Tagg)

Marvel Star Wars!

Snootchie Bootchies

Another great wall – the scribble wall

A smiling (awesome) Hellboy

And the Oz Comic-Con Melbourne Cosplay winner is, Kayla Jean… (photo source: Guy ‘Yug’ Blomberg)

Till next year…

Oz Comic-Con Melbourne 2017 Ticket Giveaway!

June 21, 2017 By ausretrogamer

*** THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED ***

Hey peeps, Oz Comic-Con is coming to Melbourne on July 1 and 2!

Thanks to the awesome folks at Oz Comic-Con, we are thrilled to be giving away two double 2-day passes. So what do you need to do to win this fantastic prize?

Simply subscribe to our newsletter, then email us at [email protected] to confirm your entry. We’ll be choosing the two lucky winners at random on Monday, June 26 (entries close at midday)! Oh yeah, one final bit of info, you will need to find your own way (and accommodation) to Melbourne.

CLAIMING TICKETS
At the conclusion of the giveaway, the winners details will be provided to Oz Comic-Con. The winners names will then be placed on the door list at the Media Check-In Desk, where they will be able to collect their wristbands for entry. If the winners are outside of Melbourne, then they are responsible for their own transport and accommodation.

If you need any convincing, just check out the highlights from Oz Comic-Con Melbourne 2016.

image source: Oz Comic-Con

Highlights: Oz Comic-Con Melbourne 2016

June 13, 2016 By ausretrogamer

Oz Comic-Con commanded us to ‘unleash your inner geek’ – and we were very happy to oblige. We came, we saw, we played, and we conquered Oz Comic-Con Melbourne 2016.

From the awesome cosplay (which never ceases to amaze us!), freeplay gaming areas, fantastic artists, comics and pop culture gear, to the TV/movie superstar celebrities (like Lucy Lawless, John ‘Captain Jack Harkness’ Barrowman, Robert Patrick, David Anders and Rose McIver) – Oz Comic-Con 2016 had something for everyone.

Of course we spent a considerable amount of time in the gaming zone – the Spider-Man Vault Edition pinball machine in particular – but we were also sure to check out the rest of the con. We walked the floor and were thoroughly impressed with the range and quality of cosplay as well as the stunning artwork on show.

Rather than waffle on, we thought we would let our photos give you a glimpse into what was an awesome Oz Comic-Con!

We hope Mulder and Scully have their Oz Comic-Con tix!

What should we do first?