Wild North Comic Con 2024: Darwin braces for geek takeover

Boating, camping, and fishing has added competition this weekend, with a massive geek event featuring cosplay, animation and virtual reality set to take over the Darwin CBD.

This week, the 2024 Wild North Comic Con kicks off in the Darwin-CBD, where everything from anime, CGI and virtual reality will be enjoyed.

Territorians are being encouraged embrace their inner geek, with an event promising cosplay, animation, and comics set to descend on Darwin.

From Saturday the 2024 Wild North Comic Con will kick off in the Darwin-CBD, where everything from anime, CGI and virtual reality will be enjoyed.

Featuring local, national and international award-winning animations, the event will include the Darwin Animation Festival, which starts on Thursday evening.

The Bustard Town Cinema will host the artistically-themed Darwin Animation Festival, which will run for three days and screen three nights of films.

Local writer Phillip Tarl Denson with his biggest fan. Picture: Supplied.

On Saturday, Darwin man Phillip Tarl Denson will launch his book Future Tales – a cyberpunk re-imagining of classic fairy tales set in a post-apocalyptic world.

For Mr Denson, the book launch was a long time in the making.

“It was devised when I was a kid but I never did anything with it until now,” he said.

“I ended up creating eight chapters and put it all together as a graphic novel and here we are now.”

Wild North Comic Con kicks off in the Darwin-CBD, where everything from anime, CGI and virtual reality will be enjoyed.

Mr Denson said was proud the Top End’s nerdy side was being celebrated.

“When I was a kid it was not cool to collect comics, and superhero movies weren’t really a thing,” he said.

“But now, geek stuff has gone from being not cool to being the main cool – it’s all about geek culture now.”

Wild North Comic Con’s main event will take place on Saturday afternoon and resemble something of a bustling street market, with cosplay competitions, animation screenings, flash mobs and virtual reality set take over the entirety of Bustard Town Cinema and Nutall Pl.

Local artist Dan Hartney previously featured on the cover of Wild North Comics. Picture: Supplied.

Mr Denson said “everyone” was invited.

“There’s a lot of things for young and old, and particularly the opportunity to meet creators, international guests and local stars will be very special.”

Only its third year, Wild North Comic Con creative director Timothy Parish said the interactive event had been a platform for local talent.

“It’s amazing to see how quickly this has led to an explosion of young artists that we have been inspired to create their own comics, and the way it embraces such a wide range of mediums from anime to computes games,” he said.

“Unlike most art festivals, comic con is about getting involved, whether its cosplay up as your favourite pop culture character, making a Lego sculpture, experiencing virtual reality or being a part of our art exhibition – comic con is about getting creative and having fun.”