For an island nation still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico’s passionate pop culture fanbase will not be stopped. Case in point – Puerto Rico Comic Con!
The three-day festival celebrating all things comic book titles, artists, writers, content creators, film adaptations and more is set to drop this weekend.
Not Business As Usual
Started in 2002, Puerto Rico Comic Con is now in its 17th year. Yes, the island is no rookie when it comes to comic con conventions. In fact, its not just locals that will be in attendance, Puerto Rico Comic Con is the premiere comic con in the Caribbean region. Tens of thousands of geeks and pop culture enthusiasts from all over will descend on la isla del encanto this weekend to enjoy next-level entertainment and engage in and celebrate all things comic books, animation, science fiction and fantasy.
Past guests of the festival have included Jason Momoa of Aquaman and Game of Thrones and Once Upon a Time’s Lana Parrilla, Finn Jones aka Danny Rand of Marvel’s Iron Fist, David Ramsey aka John Diggle of the CW’s Arrow and the creator of La Borinquena, Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez.
In the post Hurricane Maria world which the island finds itself in, the festival has taken on even greater importance. Aside from healing emotional wounds, the convention provides a boost to the local economy. Historically, the economic impact has been of about $3.5 to $4 million in economic activity created by retailers, exhibitors, advertising, concession sales and hotel bookings.
Who To See & What To Do
This year’s festival looks like it will raise the bar. Special guests in attendance will be actress Zazie Beetz of Deadpool 2 and the upcoming stand-alone Joker film. Also, in the house will be Robin Lord Taylor, who plays Penguin on Fox’s Gotham and WWE Superstar Bray Wyatt. In addition to the special guests, the three-day festival is scheduled to include an Artists Alley that is rolling deep and will feature the works of and meet and greets with comic book and graphic novel artists from established titles, to indies and grass root start ups. Check out the roster here. There are also events throughout the weekend for the attendees, such as are cosplay contests, artists conferences, live music, panels, film screenings, gaming tournaments and competitions.
When & Where
This year’s festival takes place this Friday, May 17th through Sunday, May 19th at the Puerto Rico Convention Center in San Juan, PR.
While tickets are limited. Some are still available at: https://www.ticketpop.com/en/events/detail/puerto-rico-comic-con-2019