Cyprus Comic Con: From Pioneer to Painful

I've always had enormous respect for the dedication, consistency and sheer stubbornness it takes for someone living out here on the fringes, in Cyprus (and not in London, Tokyo or New York), to keep up with the news, the props, the access and the gadgets of this fascinating world.

And sure, 5G, smartphones, low-cost airlines and, of course, the arrival and settling in Cyprus of so many non-Cypriots (thankfully) have changed the conditions, the access and the flow of information. Still, let's be honest: you have to put in the work, invest the time and build up the stamina to stay loyal and up to date. Even more so when, before Cyprus Comic Con stepped up and showcased this magical world, turning it into a mainstream event, being part of this culture made you a pariah, and that's the best-case scenario. There are other adjectives I could use, but I'd like to keep this piece politically correct and emotion-free.

So, after this lengthy preamble, I'd like, as a fan of the festival, to express my disappointment following this year's visit.

The State Fair grounds were beyond crowded. Cars were everywhere, scattered across dirt lots, pavements and back alleys, and yet the VIP parking sat empty. Beyond the absurdity and the sheer swagger of it, the thinking behind that decision shows a complete lack of awareness of what was going on outside the Fair's fence.

Inside the Fair, a different story. Let me say it once again, and add my voice to all those before me who have pointed out how unsuitable the State Fair grounds are (and by now, dangerous too) for any kind of event.

The fibre-cement roofing turns the halls and pavilions into a greenhouse, as if the climate crisis hasn't already done a stellar job of turning Cyprus into a Norwegian sauna!

October may officially be an autumn month, but for the cosplayers at Cyprus Comic Con it's a month of torture. Under the blazing Cypriot heat and the structural unsuitability of the Fair, hundreds of cosplayers turn up and bring the vibe, making this festival special and unique. Most of them aren't even Cypriot, which means they're not quite as hardened to the island's temperatures and humidity! If moving the dates isn't an option, even though some adjustment to the climate really should happen, then we need to have a serious conversation about the venue. All these thousands of people deserve better. They deserve air con, come on, mate. They deserve a food court with proper hygiene standards, they deserve toilets (I know, such a radical idea!).

It genuinely saddens me to watch a group with vision, drive and plenty of daring, who built a festival for an audience that was marginalised for so many years, an audience that never had the chance to express itself or celebrate what makes it different, now settling for less, going commercial and lowering the standards it sets, first and foremost, for itself.

What was the upgraded experience this year's edition offered over last year? Who were the guests that topped last year's line-up? Which conditions were better than last year's?

Comic Con started out as something pioneering and fell into the same rut as everyone in Cyprus who does something with no competition: they exploit their monopoly and, worse still, the lack of choice of the very people who made them.

Without competition, there's no reason for the event to improve, to level up, to innovate, to get better, to offer a decent, wholehearted experience, first and foremost to the existing fans who made them, and then to everyone else who looks to them to learn, to find the confidence that will allow them to claim their own identity.

A group with vision that sees its idea has caught on, yet sees no reason to take it further. A group of seriously creative people who have lost the drive that once pushed them to innovate and bring their dreams to life. A group that has tasted so much success that it now believes it has the right to grant itself not only excuses but a free pass for committing the great "sin" of milking dry the sacred cow it once worshipped.