At right, a comic con cartoon by famed Cuban MAD (no relation) magazine artist Sergio Aragones
After the easing of travel restrictions for U.S. travel to Cuba, event organizer MAD Event Management has announced that in 2017, it will launch the country’s first comic expo. Scheduled for May 19-21 in Havana, the event, named simply Cuba Comic Expo, will be loosely modeled after the company’s New Jersey and Long Beach Comic Expos where an assortment of creators and exhibitors share their work with attendees. In an interview with Trade Show Executive, MAD CEO Marty Glynn said the event has been in the works for a year as officials navigated the requirements for an exhibition in Cuba.
He said the event will bring creators of comic, animation, prose, and other pop-culture products to Havana for a one-day meeting with similar professionals living in Cuba, and then it will open its doors to the public for two days of traditional comic expo fan activities. Glynn told TSE that the event will be free and include a limited number of sponsors and exhibitors.
MAD has joined with a tour company to provide a package tour for attendees that includes lodging and sightseeing opportunities as well as ground transportation and passes to the expo.
