It is already a tradition that one of the largest conventions in our country takes place in Łódź at the turn of September and October. The event attracts more and more people every year, offering a lot of attractions. It was not different this time. Not only fantasy fans came to Atlas Arena, but also numerous cosplayers, publishers, lecturers and special guests. There was also a computer game zone (both retro and the newest), as well as board games. Among the numerous exhibitors, everyone has certainly found a souvenir for themselves. Would you like to know more details? We invite you to our virtual walk around the event.
From the beginning
We start our trip from the upper part of the Atlas Arena. It was mainly occupied by numerous publishers and shops, where you could buy comics, but also mascots, books, films, posters and games. There were also gadgets straight from Japan, especially for manga and anime fans. Marvel readers were also not disappointed, who could admire the fantastic gallery of covers from the most famous comic books of the House of Ideas. It was also here that there was a gaming zone without electricity, i.e. a paradise for all board game players who could test new products and play games in the most popular titles. Two tournaments were also played – the MFKiG Championships in Pokemon TCG and in Mitrys . It was also at this level that the competition organized byProvincial Public Library in Łódź , where you could win a few interesting notebooks. The knowledge test was divided into three levels – for children, amateurs and professionals. In the latter, the questions were really difficult, but also the prizes were extremely attractive. In a short conversation with the lecturers, we established that on Saturday only one person coped with the expert mode! By the way, we received an invitation to the Comic Book Collection exhibition, which we intend to use soon!
Main stage
After descending to the lower level, no less attractions awaited the visitors. You could also buy a lot of things here, including hand-made accessories for Vikings. The most important comic book publishers in Poland, headed by Egmont, had their stands here. However, it wasn’t just shopping that attracted fans. Lovers of computer games have found something for themselves. They could test VR technology, play League of Legends , go back in time and try their hand at Super Mario on Pegasus, or see how they are doing on a Pac-Man slot machine . There was also a mini-tournament in Virtual Dancer . There was also another part of the Paneuropa comic. The title, created on the initiative of the European Commission, this time focused on the problem of migrants, online disinformation and homophobic behavior. You can read about the details soon in our review. The highlight of this zone, however, was the main stage where amazing things were happening all the time. It was there that a cosplay competition was held, during which the most talented artists presented their ideas for recreating popular characters. It was thanks to them that Łódź was visited by, among others Iron Man, Arwen, Balrog or Olgierd von Everec. We could also watch the screenings of the series Mr. Wiedźma and compete in the comic edition of Familiada i Kalambury. There were also interviews with extraordinary guests who, apart from talking about their activities, were eager to draw live, trying to instill a passion for creating drawings in the next generations. Then you could talk to the artists and get their autographs. Among Polish artists we could meet, for example, Berenika Kołomycka, Maciej Kur, Jacek Skrzydlewski, Zvyrke and Anna Krzto. Miguel Valderrama, Simon Spruyt, Ingo Romling and Tiiu Takalo came to Łódź from foreign guests. The biggest star, however, was the winner of the Eisner Award, creator of the adventures of such heroes as Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man or Wolverine, Greg Rucka. At this point, however, it is necessary to mention and pay tribute to the South Korean graphic artist Kim Jung Gi, for whom it was the last convention. The cartoonist died unexpectedly a week after the Łódź festival.
Lectures
This year’s edition of the International Festival of Comics and Games was full of lectures. They were held not only on the main stage, but also in five special halls. Let us mention a few of them. Well, there was a discussion panel about The Batman and the comic book saga Thor , a conversation about the translation of the manga by Rumiko Takahashi, an announcement of comic books published by Egmont for 2023, memories of games on Commodore 64, workshops on creating historical comics, proposals for board games for children, talks about it How to become a TikToker, an interview with the creator of RPG games, Jan Sielicki, or a meeting with Bartosz Sztybor – screenwriter of the Netflix Cyberpunk: Edgerunners series . These are just a few examples. So you have to admit that there was a lot to choose from.
See you next year!
The Łódź convention is certainly a great event that every fan of comics, games, but also broadly understood fantasy should know and take part in it. It is organized wisely and tempts with numerous attractions, competitions and stars. Everything we need is here – from lectures to gadgets for our shelves. I hope that next year nothing will stand in the way and the organizers will invite us to the center of Poland again. Anyway, the announcements have already appeared on the web. So we assure you that the Last Tavern will be back on the spot. We also cordially invite you!
