Glasgow Comic Con 2015 announces week-long festivities!

Glasgow Comic Con have released some more details about the expansion of this year’s event, which will now run from the 30^th of June all the way until the 5^th of July, featuring film, performance and engagements strands!

This announcement follows the previous release of the guest list for the Convention itself on the 4^th and 5^th of July, including the likes of Mark Millar, Cameron Stewart, David Lloyd, John Higgins, Sean Phillips and industry legends John Wagner and Alan Grant.

With the event rapidly growing over its five year history, it was only a matter of time before it decided to spread its wings even further. Festival Director Sha Nazir said “It’s great to see the event flourish from our humble beginnings of a one day, 500 attendee convention to over 5000 participants across a city-wide festival. Glasgow comic con is the home comics, graphic novels, comic art and writing and is a fantastic platform for the 100 plus creators who will visit our city and opens its pages to the world.”

In addition to the main Comic Con weekend the festival will now include an exclusive exhibition ‘The Comic Art of Millarworld and Beyond’ hosted at Glasgow Print Studio, as well as a bevy of events at the CCA, including a screening of Tim Burton’s game-changing interpretation of the Batman, ‘Batman’ (CCA Cinema), stand up performance ‘Hero Worship’ (CCA Cinema) and an interactive comics class/exhibition featuring comic creators in residence ‘The Big Comic Draw’ (CCA Intermedia Gallery).

Here’s the full lineup:

Tue 30 (7 pm) Cinema (Screening)
Ghost World

The sweet agonies and hormonal ecstasies of late adolescence are dealt with through deadpan humour and indelible performances from teenagers Thora Birch and Scarlett Johannson as well as Steve Buscemi in Ghost World, adapted by Daniel Clowes from his own graphic novel. A far cry from the sugar-sweet ‘coming-of-age’ films of the 1990s and 2000s, Terry Zwigoff’s subtle, sharp comedy was a critical darling on release and remains a cult favourite today.

Wed (1 pm) Cinema (Screening)
Where the Wild Things Are

Heartfelt direction meets a cherished graphic novel in Spike Jonze’s Where the Wild Things Are. A children’s picture book met with negativity on release, Maurice Sendak’s sharp and sweet story of a boy’s appointment as king in a strange land of ‘wild things’ has become a cultural totem, loved equally by young and old. Crafted with co-writer Dave Eggers, Jonze’s film is a gorgeous representation of the intense energies – physical, emotional, imaginative – of childhood, and a heart-string botherer for parents, rebellious spirits and wild things of all ages.

Wed 1 (7 pm) Cinema (Screening)
American Splendor

Winner of the Cannes Critics Prize in 2003 along with a clutch of other awards and nominations, American Splendor is perhaps the most decorated comic book movie of them all. Co-written by – and featuring – series creator Harvey Pekar, the life of an average joe with a talent for capturing the minutiae of everyday existence is sketched, sometimes literally, across the screen in this poignantly funny but sombre film. Splicing fiction and reality, live-action and drawings, and with a powerhouse performance from Paul Giamatti, this is an adaptation the iconic comic deserves: inventive, honest and affecting.

Wed 1 (9.30pm) Cinema (Performance)
Hero Worship

A play about finding out who you truly are… by becoming a super hero. To the untrained eye Anachronism is just a mild-mannered supermarket worker who likes to take his puppy for walks in the park. But secretly – he’s a superhero. What’s his power? He’s still trying to figure that out. A captivating series of monologues by acclaimed writer-performer Kenny Boyle.

Thu 2 (7 pm) Cinema (Screening)
Batman (1989 Tim Burton Movie)

Tim Burton’s game changing interpretation of the Batman, led us down a more gothic route then ever before and opened the world to a much darker work of comic book movies. Great design, a great score and great performances ensure the calibre of this film with all round good performances, but Nicholson is especially not to be missed.

Thu 2 (9.30pm) Cinema (Performance)
Des O’Gorman: Still Ready To Believe You

An hour of geeky humour in tribute to Ghostbusters. It’s a chance to meet a real life Egon Spengler impersonator as he explores all things Ghostbusters from the movies and the merchandise to the cartoons and the comic books – and, of course, the forthcoming all- female remake.

Fri 3 (1 pm) Cinema (Screening)
The Incredibles

Arguably the greatest superhero film ever made, and Disney/Pixar’s first foray into the genre before purchasing Marvel Studios, Brad Bird’s The Incredibles plays with genre tropes and familiar comic plotlines in a joyous, visually luscious and hilarious animated adventure. A vital entry in the Pixar golden-era.

Wed 1 – Sun 5 July (10am – 5pm) Intermedia Gallery (Exhibition / Participation Event)
The Big Comic Draw

Join Illustrator Clare Forrest and guests artists in residence in a 5 day long drawing event, where she’ll be drawing her way through the alphabet, as many times as possible! Over the course of the week you will have the opportunity to participate at this themed, sociable drawing session for all abilities, and help to create what we hope will be the BIGGEST alphabet comic book ever made.

For more information and tickets please visit http://www.glasgowcomiccon.com or visit Box Office at CCA: Glasgow!