Israeli comics geeks to assemble for post-COVID in-person convention

And this time, a new one, Comics-Con, will arrive in Israel for the first time ever, taking place on July 9 at the Petah Tikva Museum of Art.

“I’ve always dreamt of visiting a comics and pop culture convention in Israel and am very excited to finally have this dream come true,” event manager Daniel Salov said.

“The support we’re receiving from the community is amazing and proving that I wasn’t the only one.”

Israel does have a few geek conventions already, such as I-Con, Olamot and Harucon. However, they are few in number, and Comics-Con is a bit different.

“I-Con is very fantasy- and role playing-focused, Harucon is anime- and Japanese culture-focused, Olamot is a fantasy- and science fiction-focused event,” Salov explained.

“Comics-Con is a comics and pop culture convention. It includes all aspects of geek culture but focuses on mainstream Western culture.”

The convention will feature a wide variety of unique exhibits and lectures, including a large display of 50 sculptures of various characters from comics, films and other aspects of geekdom.

A series of lectures will be held on topics ranging from sculpture, film and comics, and several workshops will also be held fit for geeks of all ages.

Numerous stalls and vendors will line the venue, selling a variety of books, comics, art and geek paraphernalia. These vendors are always a highlight of any Israeli geek convention, as many of the things on sale are normally hard to find in Israel, especially at an affordable price.

Gaming will have a place at the convention, too, with multiple gaming activities set up throughout the venue. In addition, a panel will be held featuring the creators of Piposh, the iconic Israeli point-and-click adventure gaming franchise that has long been heralded as a milestone achievement in Israeli gaming.

And it wouldn’t be a geek convention without cosplay, with a red carpet event scheduled to show off costumes of the many famous characters embedded in geek culture.

Also present at the event will be Israeli outpost of the 501st Legion, the dedicated fans of the Star Wars franchise that dress up in meticulously created movie-accurate costumes of the iconic imperial storm troopers.

The 501st is a staple at geek conventions worldwide, but with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing many conventions to close for the year, it’s been harder for the storm troopers to come out in force.

“We are excited that this will be our first convention since coronavirus seems to be receding,” 501st Israel outpost founder Adam Nahoum explained. “We are honored to have been requested to attend and feel that the Israeli public – especially the geek community – is becoming more aware of the 501st Legion and what we do.”

The group is well-known for partaking in charity events and visiting hospitals. But the pandemic had forced them to cut back on their activities.

It is for this reason that events like comic conventions are so important, as they raise awareness for groups like the 501st and geek culture as a whole, and gives geek culture aficionados a place to mingle and socialize.

“Perhaps more than any other event, conventions give us an opportunity to come out in full force to show off our costuming handiwork and provide photo opportunities for a multitude of fans, and it also provides an excellent opportunity to promote interest in Star Wars and recruit new members,” Nahoum added.

“We wish the organizers luck with Comics-Con and hope it will encourage more events like it here in Israel.”