Tomorrow sees the launch of the Paisley Comic Festival, a week-long celebration of comic book art and culture, culminating in the second annual Paisley Comic Con on Saturday the 14^th of April.

The Festival is designed to get people reading, creating, and enjoying books all year round, and features everything from story-telling for three to eight year olds, Pokemon and Manga meet-ups, and even a Pub Quiz in Paisley’s Burger and Keg!

The highlight of the week will undoubtedly be the double-feature screening of comicbook movie classics Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Ghostbusters (1984) on a big screen in St Matthew’s church.  The event will be introduced by BCP favourite John Lees, a lifelong Turtles fan, horror film enthusiast, and writer who includes in his credits Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe for IDW Comics.

Here’s the full lineup of events this coming week:

Campfire Club – Story Telling A fusion of traditional storytelling, drama and role play for ages 3 – 8. Join us around our special indoor campfire for a truly unique experience. FREE	TBC	Sat, 7th April, 12pm & 1pm
Marshmallow Dream Japanese Maid Cafe Welcome to a world of cuteness and cake! Experience the atmosphere of the maid cafes in Japan, with games, drinks, sweet treats, and Pokemon fun! £3	Comicrazy Cafe	Sun, 8th April, 2pm.
Monday Manga Meet-up Come along to Monday Manga Madness and get a 10% discount on all Manga!  There will be other Manga fans there that you can chat with as well as our very knowledgeable staff. FREE	Comicrazy Cafe	Mon, 9th April, 12pm
Drink & Draw A chance to meet up with others interested in drawing and writing, and bash out some fun comic ideas and drawing games. FREE	Burger & Keg	Mon, 9th April, 7pm
Quiz Night Put your geeky knowledge to the test, as the Burger and Keg pub quiz is taken over by Paisley Comics Festival! FREE	Burger & Keg	Tues, 10th April, 8.30pm
Inspired by Stories – Writing Club A drop in writers club for ages 8-16. Get a taste of what goes on at Oak Tree Arts writing clubs by joining in with our special taster session. FREE	Abbey Books	Weds 11th April, 12-4pm (drop-in)
Retro Gaming Afternoon An afternoon of vintage videogaming, with a selection of retro consoles and classic games. Play with friends, make new friends, and take part in mini-tournaments. FREE	St Matthews Church	Thurs, 12th April, 12pm
Dungeons & Dragons for Dummies During this friendly and relaxed night of gaming, beginners will get an introduction to character creation and rules from other young people, who happen to be more experienced adventurers! FREE	St Matthews Church	Thurs, 12th April, 5pm
Movie Night – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Ghostbusters (1984) On the BIG screen will be showing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, introduced by Comics writer John Lees, who includes in his credits TMNT Universe for IDW Comics. After darkness falls, we’ll be dimming the lights and settling in for the Ivan Reitman classic Ghostbusters (1984), with the “Ghostbusters of Scotland” group on hand all night.	St Matthews Church	Fri, 13th April, 5pm & 8pm
Paisley Comic Con  A whole day in Paisley’s stunning Town Hall dedicated to exploring and discovering new and exciting comic creations, showcasing a range of local Scottish creative talent, and having loads of family fun!	Paisley Town Hall	Saturday 14th April, 11am-5pm

It all leads up to the day-long Comic Con on Saturday the 14^th, an event which is looking to expand on an impressively well received debut last week with year, and which includes a Market Hall selling back issues, books, art, and merch, as well as a Creators Hub which will house dozens of Scottish comic creators, including John Lees (SINK, And Then Emily Was Gone, TMNT Universe) and Tanya Roberts (Star Wars, TMNT, Plagued: the Miranda Chronicles).

This is Paisley’s chance to discover lots of new and exciting comic creations, from a broad range of local Scottish creative talent. It’s also a great opportunity to make new friends and have a fun day out with the family. Fundraising for Les Hoey Dream Makers Foundation will be taking place throughout the Con.

Tickets are priced just £4 (under 12s £2, under 5s FREE), and are available from www.PaisleyComicCon.com.

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The writer of this piece was: Craig Neilson-Adams (aka Ceej)
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