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The evolution of Comic Con in the Middle East

There’s no doubt about it – Comic Con in the Middle East is here to stay.

The 2014 edition of the Middle East Film and Comic Con (MEFCC) has just wrapped up in Dubai, attracting approximately 35,000 attendees in two days at the Dubai World Trade Centre – that’s an increase of 60 per cent compared to last year’s 21,000 guests.

And organisers are barely scratching the surface.

Considered the largest festival of its kind in the region, MEFCC focuses on gaming, comics, manga, animation, collectibles and pop art. If you have visited, you’ll already know that it attracts everyone from adult video game enthusiasts to tween cartoon fans. That’s the beauty of it all; it’s a space where everyone is welcome, no matter what age or nationality. Just ask Chronicle screenwriter Max Landis.

“When you go back to how it was – the change is remarkable. [Three years ago] none of the people here knew anyone else around them that liked comics. We created this community,” he says. “I get very excited about it, because I have watched a community build here that is so sincere.”

Watch the interview snippet below:


This year also attracted a number of Hollywood heavyweights, including Sylvester McCoy from the Dr. Who series and The Hobbit, as well as Seth Green. Dads star Seth – who goes by the name of 53th_6r33n on Instagram – didn’t waste any time singing Dubai’s praises and posting a bunch of images of his trip on the social site. Here are our faves below:



But it’s not just the foreign names that have been making waves. MEFCC is also nurturing a plethora of homegrown and UAE-based talent, including the likes of Qais Sedki and Melanie Pickup (catch them both in the first video above). Plus, the very talented individuals of Emirati-based agency, ThinkUpGCC.

All in all, MEFCC 2014 was a fantastic event for the Middle Eastern community… we met people from all over the region, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Egypt, who flew in especially for the two-day event. We look forward to next year’s one, which will no doubt attract even more pop culture fans.

Before we sign off, these outtakes of our interview with Max were too funny not to share. Enjoy!

Max Landis gets camera bombed at MEFCC 2014:

Fans can't get enough of Max Landis:

Did Max land our cameraman Oliver in trouble?