Comic Conventions, known as Comic Con, began back in1970 when a group of enthusiasts gathered in San Diego, California to exchange comics. Since then, international festivals promoting comics, pop culture, sci-fi, video games, anime and related films and TV series have soared in popularity, attracting thousands of fans to venues across the globe.

Now an annual event, Kazakhstan’s Comic Con was first staged in 2019, and Comic Con Astana ’24, running from 25-28 July at the city’s Expo International Exhibition Center, was one of the most eagerly anticipated events in the world of pop culture. Tickets were available online from 15 April as well as at the door. Quick to sell out, the four-day festival attracted over 53,000 visitors from 30 countries.

photo TCA : Center stage

Comprising a comprehensive program representing all aspects of the international comics industry, Astana’s festival included appearances by numerous superstars such as Russian actors Ruzil Minekaev and Anton Lapenko, and Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen renowned for his leading role in the TV series ‘Hannibal’ and as Cliff Unger in Hideo Kojima’s video game ‘Death Standing.’ Representing the home front, presentations were made by over 100 Kazakh authors of graphic novels.

In addition to having a unique opportunity to meet their heroes, actors and authors, visitors were able to actively participate in various themed events, masterclasses, autograph sessions, and exhibitions. Professionals and attendees alike, injected great flair to the event by dressing as their favorite heroes to compete for prizes totaling US$ 27,000 in a Cosplay contest.

photo: TCA: Cosplay participants

Response to the organizers’ delivery of a dynamic, wide-spanning program was generally positive, with visitors reporting that the event had met their expectations. Many however, commented that their overall impression was significantly marred by the considerable discomfort caused by lengthy, bottleneck queues of up to three hours to either enter the building or access popular events.

“The program was great, especially meeting our favorite actors,” a guest named Altair, told TCA. “But the queues were simply unbearable. We spent almost half of the day just waiting, and it greatly affected our enjoyment.”

Nastya, another guest, also expressed her dissatisfaction over the control of the flow of visitors: “The festival was cool, but the crush, which led to some visitors fainting, made our stay not as comfortable as we would have liked. I hope that in the future, Comic Con will take this into account and improve the organization.”

Aruzhan, the third visitor interviewed by TCA, added, “I liked everything, it was especially cool to see stars from all over the world, but I think they should have sold fewer tickets so that everyone was comfortable in the building.”

On the other side of the fence, blogger Anastasiz and a guest headliner of the Comic Con, was similarly upset by administrative oversights and in a video post, condemned the fact that because the queues were not closed, hundreds of people, standing in tight groups for up to three hours, suffered fainting spells and panic attacks. She was also particularly unhappy that because the organizers had failed to announce that she would not be accepting gifts, many of her fans were left disappointed and even in tears.

photo: TCA Mads Mikkelsen

Whilst acknowledging that an element of disorganization had resulted in him spending over double his allocated time signing photographs and autographs at Comic Con, Mads Mikkelsen waxed lyrical about his visit to Kazakhstan. In a recorded Q&A session, he praised Kazakh hospitality and referencing his role in the film ‘King Arthur’ in which he rode a horse with bird and bow in hand, announced that next time, he would like to explore the country on horseback.

Unfortunately, complaints about overcrowding at Kazakhstan’s Comic Con are not new. In an article published by The Astana Times on 6 August 2019, a visitor commented, “My only wish is for next year’s convention to feature free cold water and limit the number of guests that are allowed into the building at once.”

Given the fact that Comic Con is a global phenomenon which continues grow to grow from strength to strength, it can only be hoped that the organizers of next year’s event in Kazakhstan will heed visitors’ comments and take action to better ensure their comfort and safety.