Photo op with Finn Wolfhard at German Comic Con Spring Edition 2023. Dortmund, Germany (Kat Nickola)
German Comic Con began in 2015 as a Europe-based alternative to the famous Comic-Con International in San Diego. The original vision for German Comic Con found the convention taking place in Dortmund, Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich. Following its cancellation during the COVID pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the convention started up again in 2022 in Dortmund. It is organized by the We Love Conventions GmbH company which also hosts various other small and niche conventions throughout the year at other locations.
A big part of the convention is given over to personal interactions with the actors and personalities. These cost extra.
Click here to read “What happens at a Comic Con?” to find out what else there is to do.
The stars attending the convention were listed on the German Comic Con website, with the list growing over the months leading into the event as new actors confirmed their attendance.
For any interaction, you sign up and pay for a time slot. At the convention, there is a list detailing which photo booth or meet & greet station is assigned to which actor during that time slot. You go to the correct booth during your purchased time slot. There, your ticket is scanned, and you get in line. There can be lots of other people with the same time slot, but the line goes quickly.
Autograph and Selfie lines at German Comic Con Spring Edition 2023. Dortmund, Germany (Kat Nickola)
There were three options to meet with them personally, albeit for very short times.
1. Photo Op. Photo booths are setup behind partition walls. When it is your turn, you walk around a corner to see your favorite actor standing in a tiny photography studio. You then have a few brief seconds to say something before the photographer will draw your attention to the camera and snap the shot (yep, just the one, so a bit of practice in a mirror may be in order). You then exit the photo booth and pick up a printout of your picture. Digital copies are also available to purchase on the website afterward, so it’s helpful to keep your entry ticket.
2. Autograph. For this meet and greet, you have the opportunity to briefly chat with your favorite star while they are standing or sitting at a desk. They will sign whatever you have brought for them to sign. A picture is not included. These take place in the large convention space where other stars are also lined up signing things and taking selfies.
3. Selfies. Much like autographs, these take place in the open hall of the convention. When you reach the end of the line, it is your turn to briefly chat with the star before heading to the side of their counter and taking a selfie with them using your own camera or phone.
One thing that fascinated me were the various costs per interaction. Each actor has a different rate for their interactions, giving an interesting glimpse into how ‘famous’ each person is on a financial level. Prices ranged from 35 euro for the now-grown cast members of Harry Potter to over 300 euro for extremely popular Star Trek and Game of Thrones actors.
Photo Booth lines at German Comic Con Spring Edition 2023. Dortmund, Germany (Kat Nickola)
You can attend, too!
Interested in going to a comic con? There are lots of options throughout Europe. Look for our monthly article “CON together” listing future pop culture events and conventions.
Visit GermanComicCon.com for details on the next large event in Dortmund. The German Comic Con Dortmund Winter Edition is December 2-3, 2023, and I’m already excited to go.
It is held at the Messe Dortmund conference center and there is plenty of parking right out front. Google maps is confused about where the parking entry is. I’m here to clarify that you can turn right easily from eastbound route 1. Use the “Westfalenhallen U” bus stop for your navigation since it shares an entry lane into parkplatz A2.
Beginning in 2024, German Comic Con will be rebranded with the expanded name “German Film & Comic Con.” The spring event takes place May 4-5, 2024, and the winter event will be December 7-8, 2024.
