21st of November 2020- The 10th edition of Heroes Dutch Comic Con would have taken place today. For this reason, we would like to look back on all the past editions of Dutch Comic Con. We are so grateful to be able to look back on this beautiful adventure with you.
In 2015 the HDCC-adventure started with two halls and 25.000 visitors. Nowadays, we have grown to 40.000 visitors per edition with six halls. However, we could not have grown so much over the years without the help of our more than 100 volunteers. As an organisation, it is great to see that so many people are here for us to make HDCC every year the party that it should be. The organisation of HDCC wants to thank you all for your enthusiasm and loyalty towards the event.
In this article, we would like to look back on five years and nine editions of Heroes Dutch Comic Con. The first event took place on the 28th and 29th of March in 2015. Were you already present at that edition? The edition was with its 25.000 visitors already a great first success.
In 2016 the event was taken over by the current organisers Easyfairs. We as an organization have the luck to be able to organise this wonderful event two times a year. This 2016 edition could be remembered as the year Billy Dee Williams (Star Wars) said: ‘’ Dutch Comic Con is thrilling and wonderful and you better be here!’’ Other big moments at this edition were the two-and-a-half-meter tall hulk statue at the entrance, or that a part of the cast of Game of Thrones were there, namely: Ian Beattie, Ian McElhinney, and Eugene Simon.
2016 was also the year that the first Christmas edition was held. It was an edition with 10.000 visitors, but it was packed with great activities, such as the entrance created by ‘House of Wax’ in the Grinch style. Furthermore, the special guest that year were of course also immaculate with visits from Jason Isaac (Harry Potter) and Lee Arenberg (Pirates of the Caribbean and Once Upon a Time).
And when you think that we are not possible to grow any more than something happens as at the spring edition in 2017. This was the edition where we created a long traffic jam on the A12 because there were no less than 32.000 visitors who got in their car to see Dirk Benedict (The A team) and Lennie James (the walking dead). Also, they came for the silent disco which Marvel organised, or to see the Bad mobile and try out for the first time the Nintendo Switch.
In 2018 Dutch Comic Con officially got to be a part of the Heroes Family. That is why the official name from that year forward became Heroes Dutch Comic Con. However, it was also the year that in a partnership with Comedy Central we created our own Taskashi’s Castle. Where you were the soldier and you needed to beat the monsters to earn eternal glory.
That same year at the winter edition we invited the actresses Lana Parilla and Rebecca Madder of the popular tv show Once Upon a Time. We never saw our fans that excited as at that moment.
Also 2019 was a year which we look back on with pride. We look back on the Special guests who were present such as Jennifer Morrison (Once Upon a Time) and at the winter edition Gaten Matarazzo (Stranger Things), Evanna Lynch (Harry Potter) and Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf). Moreover, 2019 was as well the first year where our visitors could get the most amazing tattoos set by Studio 44.
Then the year 2020 came. The year where we planned our anniversary edition on the 28th and 29th of March. An edition which would have been full of special guests and fun activities. Sadly, we never got the opportunity to welcome all of you and let you experience it yourself. Even though we did not celebrate it, we hope to see you all in June 2021, and we wish you all a healthy year!
