Recommended Comic Conventions in Canada
Here is a list of recommended comic conventions in Canada. Most of these were attended in 2022, and I look forward to attending conventions internationally in the future. It is a dream of mine to be invited as a guest or panelist to a convention.
Capital City Comic Con: https://www.capitalcitycomiccon.ca/
I attended this in 2022, and due to travel and ferries, it was a relatively expensive convention to participate in. However, because they are non-profit, the attendees were not gouged for entry fees. I had three very successful sales days, and all attendees were happy to chat and wander the artist alley.
Vernon Comic Con: https://www.facebook.com/VernonComicCon/
I attended this in 2022, and since I'm based in the Kootenays, I only had to drive 4.5 hours to get there. Tables were reasonably priced, but they announced a price increase by almost 50% for 2023, which is unfortunate. This convention happens during "Free Comic Book Day" and only charge $1 for entry, so I highly recommend attending for fun.
Kelowna Fan Experience: https://kelownafx.com/
I have attended this convention three times: in 2016, 2019 and 2022. The 2022 year had many issues, related in part to the convention happening in the middle of summer instead of their original Spring dates. The artist alley was also split between buildings, one half with the commercial guests, and the other half in a building with no air conditioning. Accommodation was very expensive close to the venue, and I had my license plate stolen when parked outside of my hostel. I am not completely bitter to the convention, but will probably skip 2023 in order to gauge how it goes next time.
Kelowna Comic Con: https://www.kelownacomicon.com/
I was accepted for this in 2022, but had to back out due to rising gas costs and expensive hotels. This would benefit from a June or September time slot in order to reduce travel costs.
Penti-Con: https://www.thepenti-con.org/
A smaller convention, but was able to keep costs low since I stayed with a friend. Could probably be shortened to a single day, or have higher profile guests to encourage attendance. It seemed like a lot of people in the community weren't aware of the convention, so a focus on advertising could potentially improve this in 2023.
Otafest: https://otafest.com/
I haven't attended this one, but it is a treasure trove of anime merchandise. The convention almost always sells out, and in 2022, they weren't allowed to sell door tickets because they were already beyond capacity limits.
VanCaf: https://www.vancaf.org/
More of a zine and comic festival, with free entry. I attended in 2016, and it was packed both days. The table fees were very reasonable, and free entry for the public.
TCAF: https://www.torontocomics.com/
A bigger version of VanCaf. They rejected my 2023 application so I am a bit salty, but I have heard that it is a fun and ENORMOUS comic festival, with amazing guests, and community engagement. To attend, this is probably my highest of recommended comic conventions in Canada just due to the sheer size and talent exhibited.
CCAF: https://camosun.ca/events/camosun-comic-arts-festival-ccaf
A tiny, lesser known comic convention hosted by Camosun College in Victoria, BC. This convention serves as practice for graduates of the Comic Certificate Program, where they exhibit their capstone zine projects. Guests from the local comic community are invited to talk, and workshops have been run in the past. I taught in the program from 2021-2022 and did a significant amount of the planning, so it was incredible to see such a turnout from the community.