Ottawa Comiccon
The Ottawa Comiccon is a fan convention with a focus on comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, and games. It is a spin-off of the Montreal Comiccon. It was launched in 2012. The event features comic books, toys, games, science-fiction, horror, anime, non-sport cards, and collectibles. It is held at the EY Centre convention center in Ottawa, taking place in May and lasting three days. The organizers of the Ottawa Comiccon primarily come from the Montreal Comiccon organization.
The event features special guests, artists, exhibitors and special contests. The audience includes people of all ages. The first edition, in 2012, featured guests such as William Shatner, and other special guests.
The fan convention contains multi-genre content. While sharing common traits with San Diego's Comic-Con International and Toronto's Fan Expo Canada, the Ottawa Comiccon differentiates itself by being a much smaller venue.
Programming
As with most other comics conventions, the Ottawa Comiccon offers a select range of activities, exhibits, and other attractions. Comiccon's programming consists of a large dealers' area, an Artists' Alley, a costume contest, a trading-card games area and guest panels. Guest photo sessions, Masquerade, and structured autograph line-up barriers have been in place since the first edition.History
The Ottawa Comiccon held its first edition in 2012 at the EY Centre. The event lasted 2 days and attracted 22,000 people.The second edition in May 2013 saw the addition of a day to the schedule, extending the event from Friday to Sunday. The May 2013 edition attracted more than 30,000 fans.
The third edition, in May 2014, attracted 38,000 people over a three-day period. The floor setup was changed to better accommodate the autograph and photo ops line-up.
The sixth edition, in May 2017, moved the food court outside under a tent to free space within the conference centre for booths and exhibits. A new event, "All Roads Lead to Rome" was added, also under a tent outside. The event added gladiatorial combat, gladiator training for ComicCon attendees, and candle making.
As with the Montreal Comiccon, the organizers also run a smaller two-day convention in November–December called the "Ottawa Pop Expo". The first edition of the Expo was held on the December 7th weekend at the EY Centre. It offered a smaller selection of guests, dealers and artists. The organizational structure remained the same as the May edition, but with slightly fewer staff and volunteers. In 2016 the Ottawa Pop Expo event was renamed the "Ottawa Comiccon: Holiday Edition", with free entry, and was described as "two-day geeky shopping celebration." The event focused exclusively on purchasable content, with no media guests.
Dates and locations
Note: Only May editions are shown here.| Dates | Location | Attendance | Notable guests | Notes |
| May 12–13, 2012 | EY Centre Ottawa, Ontario | 22,000 | Marie-Claude Bourbonnais, Jeremy Bulloch, John de Lancie, Lar DeSouza, Lee Ann Farruga, Lou Ferrigno, Brent Spiner, Vic Mignogna, Cassandra Peterson, Ryan Sohmer, Patrick Stewart , William Shatner | First edition. |
| May 10 to 12, 2013 | EY Centre Ottawa, Ontario | 30, 000 | Adam West , Burt Ward, Julie Newmar. Manu Bennet, Billy Dee Williams, David Prowse, Summer Glau , Nathan Fillion, Jewel Staite, James Marsters, Gillian Anderson, Will Weaton, Levar Burton | ... |
| May 9 to 11, 2014 | EY Centre Ottawa, Ontario | 38,000 | Christopher Lloyd, Robert Englund, Bruce Campbell, Amanda Tapping, Edward James Olmos, Eliza Dushku, Giancarlo Esposito, Karl Urban, Pat Mastroianni, Summer Glau, Charisma Carpenter, Ray Park, Sean Astin, Christopher Judge, Kane Hodder, Amanda Wyss | Leonard Nimoy made a rare appearance via Skype on May 10. |
| May 8 to 10, 2015 | EY Centre Ottawa, Ontario | 42,000 | Wil Wheaton, Peter Mayhew, Jason Mewes, Billy Boyd, Jonathan Frakes, Lance Henrikson, Malcolm McDowell, Marina Sirtis, Nichell Nichols, Sean Maher, Robbie Amell, Paul Wesley, Richard Dean Anderson, Mira Furlan, Billie Piper, Allison Mack, Liam McIntyre, Austin St. John | ... |
| May 13 to 15, 2016 | EY Centre Ottawa, Ontario | 42,000 | Guests of Honor: Karen Gillan, Ming-Na Wen Featured Guests: Alan Tudyk, Arthur Darvill, Billy Dee Williams, Caity Lotz, Carl Weathers, Eliza Dushku, James O'Barr, John de Lancie, John-Rhys Davies, Kevin Eastman, Lou Ferrigno, Mike Grell, Rene Auberjonois, Sean Astin, Tia Carrere, Whilce Portacio, Will Friedle Other Guests: Dan Parent, Dave Ross, Eric Talbot, Fernando Ruiz, Janet Hetherington, Kristen Hughey, Monika Lee, Riki "Riddle" LeCotey, Robert Bailey, Ronn Sutton, Tom Fowler | First Edition not on Mother's Day weekend |
| May 12 to 14, 2017 | EY Centre Ottawa, Ontario | 42,000+ | Guests of Honor: Adam West, John Barrowman, Peter Capaldi Featured Guests: Alex Kingston, Arryn Zech, Bob Layton, Bob Morley, Brent Spiner, Brian Froud, Clare Kramer, Dan Parent, Gates McFadden, George A. Romero, Indra Rojas, Jenna Coleman, John Tench, Johnathan Dubsky, Ken Lashley, Kirsten Bourne, Laura Vandervoort, Madelaine Petsch, Matthew Lewis, Michael Golden, Mike Zeck, Nick Bradshaw, Pat Mastroianni, Phil LaMarr, Robin Lord Taylor, Shawn Baichoo, Stacie Mistysyn, Stefan Brogren, Traci Lords Other Guests: '67 Impala, Capital City Garrison, Doctor Who Society of Canada, Double Experience, Fernando Ruiz, Greg Hyland, Ireland Reid, Jack Brigilo, Jamie Tyndall, Janet Hetherington, Jason Rockman, Jeep 12, John Torres, K.I.T.T., Karibu, Marco Rudy, Renee Witterstaetter, Richard Pace, Ronn Sutton, The 1966 Batmobile, Tom Fowler, Troy Little, Ty Templeton | |
| May 11 to 13, 2018 | EY Centre Ottawa, Ontario | 40,000+ | Guests of Honor: Jason Momoa, Matt Smith Featured Guests: Billy Boyd, Doug Jones , Joonas Suotamo, Laurie Holden, Megan Follows. Other Guests: To be announced | |
| May 10 to 12, 2019 | EY Centre Ottawa, Ontario |