Oz Comic-Con Back in Town
Melbourne, Get Set To Go Geeks Galore

Oz Comic-Con is back in Melbourne June 9-10, at the Convention & Exhibition Centre, providing Victoria's yearly, ultimate celebration of pop-culture.

Oz Comic-Con Melbourne is an exciting culmination of multi-genre content, from across the spectrum, with a lot of everything, for everyone – appearances by film and television stars, comic book artists and voice actors; gaming demonstrations and cosplay competitions; creative workshops and master classes; and hard-to-find, exclusive merchandise from vendors that'll leave convention goers totally geeking out.

 

Kids can try their hand at comic art, at the kids' comic artists workshops, or even get into cosplay for the Kids Cosplay Parade. Comic collectors can head over to the comic grading area, and to the main stage for guest panel discussions. Anime fans will have their knowledge tested with trivia, and die-hard cosplayers can kick off their journey to take home the international title, in Melbourne's Championship of Cosplay heat. Gamers will be getting a work-out too, with Couch Warriors, putting their skills to the test in daily tournaments of new and classic titles. And this is only a preview of what's on offer!

 

Jono Whyman, Event Manager of ReedPOP says: "This is the biggest Oz Comic-Con to hit Melbourne. We're proud to be supporting great, local Victorian businesses and talent at this year's expo and in Artist Alley. It's going to be an awesome showcase of all things pop-culture, from original and fan art, to comic books, art prints, novels, jewellery, clothing and homewares. If you're looking to buy the next closest thing to Thor's mighty hammer, this is where you'll find it!"

 

WHEN: June 9th (Saturday) - 10th (Sunday) from 9am - 6pm, daily.
WHERE: The Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, 1 Convention Centre Pl, South Wharf VIC 3006.
TICKET INFO: General Admission tickets will be $42.50 at the door, children under 12 are free. There's also a variety of online exclusive tickets on-sale, while allocations last.

For tickets and additional information visit www.ozcomiccon.com
Follow Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @OzComicCon for guest announcements and show updates.

Interview with JusZ (Justine)

Question: What are you most looking forward to at the upcoming Oz Comic Con?

Jusz: I'm most looking forward to the event itself. I love the atmosphere of a conventions and Oz Comic-Con always brings great entertainment and excellent guests, and organises interesting events and panels. And, of course, I love seeing all the different cosplays!


Question: Will you have a variety of costumes, at this year's Oz Comic Con?

Jusz: I will be showing off two very different cosplays at Melbourne this year. I will be wearing Black Widow from the Marvel movies - lots of black spandex and leather - and a Steampunk Wonder Woman design, which is all bright colours and shiny gold. One of the things I love about cosplay is how much diversity I can show in just two days.


Question: Will you be involved in the Oz Comic Con cosplay competitions?

Jusz: I am the national host of the Championships of Cosplay, the craftsmanship-based contest, and will be hosting the Melbourne heat on Day 2. It's incredible to see the costumes people have spent months creating for the chance to represent Australia on the global stage. I will also be hosting the Cosplay Parade on Day 1, which is the entry level cosplay showcase. I love getting to be part of both ends of the cosplay scale.


Question: How did you get involved in cosplay?

Jusz: I cosplayed for the first time in 2011 because my husband and I were going to be attended my first convention and I had seen on the internet that some people dressed up and that really appealed to me and my love of costumes. I managed to put together a costume by buying and renting some pieces and I just loved the experience. I ended up getting a sewing machine for Christmas later that year and decided that I was going to try to make my own next time. Seven years and nearly fifty costumes later, here we are!

Question: What originally inspired your passion for cosplay?

Jusz: I have a theatre background and I've always had the passion to be the characters I loved. Cosplay lets me embody the characters and also stretch myself creatively when it comes to constructing the costumes.


Question: Who are you excited to see at Oz Comic Con?

Jusz: The guests I'm the most excited for are Keiynan Lonsdale from The Flash and Jes McCallan from Legends of Tomorrow, as well as Miss Sinister, the cosplay guest from the US.


Question: What are the cosplay rules?

Jusz: Cosplay doesn't have a lot of hard and fast rules, which is part of why it's so accessible for people of all ages and skill sets. I think the biggest guideline would be to never take credit for anyone else's work, whether it's who made a costume or prop or took a photo.


Question: What's a typical day like, for you?

Jusz: A typical convention day starts with a lot of coffee. Then makeup, hair or wig, and costume and accessories; I'm lucky that my husband is very good at lacing corsets and helping me get into the complicated parts. When I arrive at the con, I check in and make sure my schedule hasn't changed and if it's a competition day I make sure I have my notes and get ready for prejudging. Then I'll walk around, try to find my friends, take photos with con-goers and try to squeeze in as many photo shoots with photographers as possible. I usually have obligations with appearing on panels and on the stand doing demos with Spotlight, who I'm a Brand Ambassador for. Then, I prepare for and host the cosplay events, which are such a highlight for me. The day does tend to get a bit packed, but I love it! At the end of the day there's the joy of peeling your costume and fake eyelashes off and usually ordering an enormous dinner.


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Interview by Brooke Hunter