Tokyo Comic Convention 2024″ (hereinafter referred to as “Tokyo Comic Con 2024”) will be held for three days from December 6th to 8th, 2024 at Makuhari Messe in Mihama Ward, Chiba City. The main visual has now been decided. Furthermore, it was also announced that a new project, “Cosplay Collection,” will be held, in which the “Cosplay Fashion Show” and “Cosplay Championship” will be reborn in an upgraded form.
Comic-Con” originated from the Golden State Comic Book Convention by the founder Shel Dorf in 1970. It is an American pop culture event centered around comics. Held annually in early July in San Diego, California, its content has expanded to include manga, anime, games, and movies, evolving into a major event attracting over 130,000 attendees. It has gained worldwide attention with events held in countries such as France, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan.
“Tokyo Comic Con,” a counterpart to “Silicon Valley Comic Con,” began with the meeting of “Father of Pop Culture” Stan Lee and “King of Technology” Steve Wozniak. It was first held in December 2016 as “Tokyo Comic Con 2016.” While based on the American style, it aims to create a space that shares innovation and enjoyment as a festival of technology and pop culture, differentiating itself from existing comic, film, animation, or game shows. It is an event that stimulates intellectual curiosity and can be enjoyed by all generations.
The main visual contest, which began with the 4th Tokyo Comic Con in 2019, has reached its 6th year for this year’s Tokyo Comic Con 2024. Held over approximately three months from June 2024, the contest received numerous impressive entries from around the world, regardless of whether the participants were professionals, amateurs, general public, or students. As a result, the work of Taiwanese street artist VASTAR has been selected as the grand prize winner and will be the main visual for Tokyo Comic Con 2024.
VASTAR specializes in street art using recycled materials such as spray cans, scrap iron, wood, and bricks. They have collaborated with numerous brands including SWATCH, GOGORO, SEGA, and NIKE, and have been invited to various international art exhibitions. VASTAR is an artist with great potential for future success.
The grand prize-winning main visual created by VASTAR will be used on the official Tokyo Comic Con 2024 website, the cover of the event’s pamphlet, and various comic con merchandise. As an additional prize, VASTAR will be awarded a booth in the artist alley corner at Tokyo Comic Con 2024, where they can exhibit and sell their works.
Furthermore, it has been announced that the “Cosplay Fashion Show” and “Championship,” which have been highly popular among cosplayers at “Tokyo Comic Con 2024,” will merge and be reborn as the even more upgraded “Tokyo Comic Con Cosplay Collection” stage.
This year, in addition to participants in cosplay costumes, participants in various costumes and styles, such as bounded coordinates (refers to a fashion coordination that is reminiscent of characters from manga, anime, or games), American comic book inspired, and their own proud fashion, are being sought. Applications are welcome for individuals, families, friends, or even children alone. With the participation of secret guests and many celebrities, the cosplay collection promises to be a unique and unforgettable experience. Details on how to apply will be released sequentially on the official website and SNS.
“Tokyo Comic Con 2024” (also known as “Tokyo Comic Convention 2024”) will be held for three days from December 6th to 8th, 2024, at Makuhari Messe in Mihama Ward, Chiba City.
In addition to the grand prize-winning work, all submitted works, including the runner-up prize, will be exhibited at the Tokyo Comic Con 2024 venue. Visitors are encouraged to come and enjoy the many wonderful illustrations in person.
VASTA’s comment:
“I can’t express my joy and gratitude enough. I still can’t believe that my work will be seen by the world. But I think that anything is possible, just like the great culture of manga. As a child, I dreamed of becoming anyone I wanted while turning the pages of fantasy worlds in books. I’m so happy to be a part of that creative path. In the world of imagination, “you” are the protagonist who opens a new chapter!”