Comic Barcelona fair welcomes 110,000 attendees, reaching pre-pandemic levels
Show celebrates 40th anniversary after two years of online exhibits greeting new audiences
The Comic Barcelona fair welcomed 110,000 attendees over the weekend in the first in-person edition since 2019. The literary show took the chance to celebrate its 40th anniversary, despite postponing the celebration by one year.
During the weekend, organizers prepared a huge exhibition explaining the 40 years of the fair, as well as the history of the comic in those four decades.
"The outcome is really good as the great comic celebration has returned," Meritxell Puig, the fair director, said to the Catalan News Agency (ACN). "We are really happy," she added.
One of the most interesting outcomes of the show was the new and different attendees compared to the usual. “We have seen a lot of young people, but also families, and new people wanting to discover the comic world," Puig said.
"At the show, we have options for everyone, comic fans of both genders, diversity… There are lots of topics, and we have managed to offer a selection, and everything has been a success: meetings with authors, signatures, expositions, conferences," the fair director explained.
Despite not disclosing any other plans, organizers already have some ideas for the 2023 edition. "This year, we focused on two national authors that have been working for over 40 years, but we are already planning international writers for next year," Meritxell Puig told ACN.
The comic fair has also offered a plan for kids, with several activities focused on them, which have been quite successful. A similar initiative was seen in the Fantasy comic area.