Expo, comic convention and all-round celebration of the medium that brought us everything from a small village of Gauls to an arachnidan teenager: join the fun at Vienna COMIX.
- Comic fandom brought to life
- Numerous guests from the creative world
- Plenty to browse and buy
- Comics and (lots of) merchandise
- Cosplayer heaven
- Special bonus for Star Wars fans
- 2024 dates: TBA (was April 22/23 in 2023)
- See also:
From Asterix to X-Men
(View of part of the expo; press photo © Vienna COMIX / Joanna Pianka)
The comic genre has long become an artistic and literary medium in its own right, spreading its wings to encompass everything from home-printed stories to high-art graphic novels.
And comic characters have escaped the printed page to become some of the world’s biggest screen draws and a focus point for giant fandoms.
Think of Vienna COMIX as a fan-driven expo and comic convention that does justice to the popularity of this genre…but without the overt commercialism of some of the more corporate event colleagues.
Which is not to say you can’t buy anything there. Quite the contrary.
A quick trip around the stalls on my last visit revealed row after row of (surprise) comics for sale, but also swathes of art, accessories, figures, models and other merchandise: Manga, Anime, Star Wars, Marvel, DC, game franchises and more all featured heavily.
Want a Luke Skywalker Lego mini-figure? No problem. A bust of Geralt the Witcher? Yep. A graphic novel signed by the artist? Step this way.
Talking artists…numerous special guests attend the event.
These guests include stars of illustration from around the world. Among the attendees in 2023, for example, were James O’Barr (creator of The Crow) and Esad Ribic (who has worked on Thor, Loki and similar titles).
And the Artists Alley booths mean you can pick up a print or other artistic piece and chat techniques and inspiration with the creator.
Many visitors cosplay their way through the event, drawing inspiration from the same worlds covered by the booths.
The overall result is an open and friendly atmosphere. No pushing, plenty of tolerance.
(Guess my fandom)
The force is with us
Comix has a bonus treat for those of us whose minds regularly escape into a galaxy that lies far (far) away…a special Star Wars component.
Get your smartphones out, because this might be your chance to take a photo with the man, machine, myth and legend that is Darth Vader. Or any number of other characters. All thanks to the participation of fan groups.
I’ve come across the 501st Legion Austrian Garrison group several times, for example. They’re lovely people, who make the photo experience joyous and raise money for an excellent cause (a local children’s hospital).
Be prepared for Star Wars models, perhaps a reconstructed set, and lightsaber shows, too.
Just remember:
This is the way
Dates, tickets & tips
I don’t have dates yet for the 2024 Vienna COMIX. The previous event took place across the weekend of April 22nd and 23rd. Times were midday to 6pm on Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday. You bought your tickets on the door.
In terms of gastronomy, an open-air area in front of the event hall has plenty of street food trucks: burgers, rice bowls, organic fries and Ottakringer beer, to name just some of the options I spotted on my visit.
Should you go near the start of a day, prepare for a possible long queue, though it progressed rapidly on my visit. Wandering ticket sellers also fast tracked people with young kids, for example: another demonstration of the congeniality of the event.
(For a similar positive vibe to COMIX and some matching content, consider the massive Vienna Comic Con event or the smaller Fantasy Con.)
How to get to Vienna COMIX
You need to find your way to the METAHall location of the wider METAStadt event complex. They have on-site parking, but for public transport aim for the Erzherzog-Karl-Straße station.
The S80 S-Bahn city train stops there, which you can catch, for example, from Vienna’s main railway station (Hauptbahnhof).
The 25 tram also goes there, which you best pick up from two subway stations: Kagran on the U1 or Hardeggasse on the U2 being your best bets. Both subway lines depart from the city centre.
Address: Dr. Otto-Neurath-Gasse 3, 1220 Vienna | Website