Oswestry to get its own Comic Con
A new convention for comic book and film lovers is coming to Shropshire next year.
Businessman Martin Portlock has set a date for Oswestry's very own Comic Con festival.
The event will take place on August 4 and 5, 2018, at the Oswestry Leisure Centre, and Mr Portlock is hoping a celebrity will launch the convention.
"As someone who is passionate about the town and has lived here for quite a few years now, I thought what can I bring to Oswestry?" Mr Portlock said.
"We have Comic Con Wales which is very, very successful, and Llangollen and Telford have similar events which people love going to, so why not have one of our own here in Oswestry.
"I want to do something that everyone can look forward to and that will be an attraction to the town for outsiders. There's something from all generations at these events."
Hundreds of thousands of people attend Comic Cons around the world every year to celebrate pop culture, science fiction, movies, sports, comic books and more.
The highlight of the event is usually the cosplay competitions which sees festival-goers dress up as their favourite fictional characters.
Mr Portlock added: "In addition to all the traders, comic books and memorabilia, there will also be a cosplay competition with a cash prize so I'm hoping people from all over the country will get involved.
"I'm hoping in the future we will be able to attract celebrities and start to bring in thousands of people. We've already had a lot of interest though and tickets will be going on sale in January."
The event is still in the early stages of planning but Mr Portlock hopes to bring some fan favourites to Oswestry including a Dr Who Tardis and Daleks.
For more information visit oz-comiccon.com or search Oswestry Comic Con on Facebook.
