The south coast of England is set for one of the best conventions of the year when the first-ever Portsmouth Comic Con kicks off this Bank Holiday weekend.

Taking place over several floors in the Guildhall in the heart of the port city over two days, Saturday, May 5th (which also happens to be Free Comic Book Day!) and Sunday, May 6th, the convention already has considerable buzz surrounding it. The event is set to welcome visitors from all over England and beyond, with exhibitions, traders, small press dealers and an amazing selection of the finest talents in the comic book industry.

With artists like Rafael Albuquerque, Declan Shalvey Frank Quitely, and Rob Williams, along with Editors Shelly Bond, Dirk Wood and Randy Stradley the focus of Portsmouth Comic Con seems to be comics first and that will go a long way to endear fans and prove that this is an event not to be missed. Dirk Wood, Creative Director and co-editor of Full Bleed: The Comics And Culture Quarterly is also offering three artists the chance to be part of Full Bleed.

Other parts of the convention include cosplay and competitions, a live FX demonstration from Gary Pollard, a 30-year industry veteran, who has worked on Game of Thrones, Star Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, and Doctor Who. There is also plenty of opportunities for photos and autographs with actors Ian McElhinney, Josh Herdman, Mark Silk, Norman Lovett, Tom Clarke Hill (the voice of Tony the Tiger! That’s G-r-r-reat!), and cosplay guests Onyxeia and Tiny Tigress.

Tickets can be ordered here and if you’re a fan of pop culture then Portsmouth Comic Con is the best way to spend your Bank Holiday weekend.