With special events inspired by the worlds of sci-fi, anime and fantasy, you won’t want to miss out on all the family-friendly fun that Montreal Comiccon has to offer this year. Held on three floors of the Palais des congrès, this year’s event takes place from July 7-9 and will feature special celebrity guests, panels and workshops.
Parents and children will want to stop by the 5th floor, where there will be 18 rooms filled with fun activities for all ages. In the Retro Game Zone, kids can play classic video games like Super Mario World and Zelda or teach their parents how to play Minecraft. In the Indie Gaming Zone, professional video game developers will teach guests of all ages how to create their own video games and let them test out their latest projects.
The 5th floor will also feature 15-minute nerf gun battles, various table-top and board games, movie screenings, and light saber training to learn how to fight the dark side.
Autograph sessions with comic book artists will be held in the Exhibition Hall on the second floor. Guests can also visit the Artist Alley to meet artists, buy comic books and get them signed. Kids will be able to meet and take photos with popular superhero characters like Batman and Spiderman who will be walking around the Exhibition Hall all weekend.
Older kids can head up to the 7th floor to check out the All Roads Lead to Rome event, where adult participants will dress up as Roman gladiators and battle each other.
All ages are invited to attend the comic book and voice actor panels during the event, which will include live drawing and Q&A sessions. Featured guests include the original voice of the Batman animated series, the creators of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Archie comics, as well as frequent contributors to Star Wars comics.
Big guests this year include Montreal native, actor/screenwriter/director Jay Baruchel, to talk about his latest writing project Captain Canuck, a superhero comic book series on July 9, as well as actor John Cusack who will be signing autographs and taking photos with fans on July 8
Harry Potter fans will be happy to know that Jason Isaacs, best known for portraying the evil Lucius Malfoy in the franchise, will have his own panel at the event. Other big names include Doctor Who’s David Tennant and original Star Wars Trilogy actor Jeremy Bulloch.
The weekend’s big event, the annual Masquerade Costume Contest, will take place on Saturday, July 8 at 8 p.m. Participants can dress up as their favourite characters and will be judged based on their costumes and stage presence. Children under the age of 13 will compete in a junior contest. To register, participants must sign up on a first-come, first-served basis at the Cosplay Lounge on Saturday morning.
Admission for children up to the age of 5 is free and there is a new $5 child pass for kids aged 6-12. This year, a Family Package (two adults, two children) is being introduced for Sunday admission, costing $62.
While strollers are permitted at the event, they are not recommended for the second floor Exhibition Hall, as it can get crowded.
For more information, visit montrealcomiccon.com.
