New West Comic Fest was launched in 2024 by John Anderson of Weirdspace. The motivation was to hold a one-day comic event outside of Vancouver, as late in the year as reasonably possible (but before the weather became unbearable).
John chose the Sapperton Community Hall because the staff were welcoming, the price was acceptable and the space itself was… nice. The first three events held there – Autumn 2024, Spring 2025 and Autumn 2025 – used only the upper floor. However, John would like to expand to use both floors, to make New West Comic Fest a truly amazing experience.
Each show has had a $5 entry fee, in part to keep the table costs down for the exhibitors. Children thirteen and under were offered free entry.
In Autumn 2025, John introduced a coupon booklet that offered discounts for various shops and services in Sapperton, as well as a $1 coupon usable at any of the exhibitor’s tables.
In 2026, John decided that having New West Comic Fest annually worked better. While the Spring show was enjoyable, it didn’t really support the ethos of New West Comic Fest: to give independent comic creators one last opportunity to present their work before the long Winter break.