The Chief is Here! Stranger Things Star David Harbour Joins this Year’s MEFCC

Will Chief Jim Hopper face off with Vecna in this year’s Comic Con? RAFO

Abu Dhabi, UAE February 2023: Is an epic clash between good and evil in the cards?The Middle East Film and Comic Con (MEFCC) happening in Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from March 3 to 5, reveals the next star, David Harbour, known as Chief Jim Hopper in the popular sci-fi horror drama Stranger Things. For the first time, fans get a chance to meet the hero/villain duo as David is joined by Jamie Campbell Bower who plays Vecna in Stranger Things.

Meet the Stars: Stranger Things’ David Harbour and Jamie Campbell Bower

David Harbour plays the lovable Hawkins Chief of Police Jim Hopper in Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things, which has garnered him worldwide recognition, being nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in the Golden Globe Awards and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the Emmys.  He also starred in multiple major productions, such as Steven Soderbergh’s neo-noir drama No Sudden Move, and Marvel’s Black Widow as “The Red Guardian”.

David Harbour is also set to star in some exciting future projects. MCU fans can look forward to seeing David reprise his role as The Red Guardian in the upcoming Marvel film, The Thunderbolts, starring alongside Florence Pugh, Harrison Ford, and Julia Louis Dreyfus.  Another movie to catch David Harbour in is Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions’ new release, Gran Turismo.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner: Gaming Arena powered by Zawaya Gaming

MEFCC will also be home to an epic e-sports tournament this year through the newly established Gaming Arena, in partnership with Zawaya Gaming. Get ready for an awesome, action-packed weekend of intense gaming with the best of the best. Duke it out in CS:GO and other games such as Valorant,  Fortnite, Rocket League, FIFA 2023, and more! Gamers can sign up for the online tournament at https://mefcc.zemmz.com/en. The finalists will battle it out at the Gaming Arena at MEFFC for the chance to win some truly incredible prizes.

I Smell Adventure: LUSH X One Piece Partnership

LUSH has teamed up with one of the longest-running manga and anime series of all time, One Piece, to launch a set of six bath bombs, inspired by the famous words of Monkey D. Luffy “I smell adventure!” Celebrating One Piece’s 25^th anniversary, the collaboration features five bath bombs inspired by the “Devil Fruit”: Gum-Gum Fruit Bath Bomb, Flame-Flame Fruit Bath Bomb, Flower-Flower Fruit Bath Bomb, Human-Human Fruit Bath Bomb, and the Straw Hat Reusable Bubble Bar. Included is a One Piece flag knot wrap. Products from the LUSH x One Piece collaboration will now be available in LUSH stores and in this year’s MEFCC.

The Artist Alley is sponsored by Manga Arabia which will feature local creators and International Artists. Three new artists making their way to MEFCC this year include Long Vo, comic creator, illustrator and art director. Long Vo is most known for his art direction and illustration on many Capcom projects from the Street Fighter Comics to Tatsunoko VS Capcom (Nintendo Wii), Ultra Street Fighter 2 (Nintendo Switch), Super Street Fighter 4 (PS3/Xbox 360) and Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition (PS4).  

Jeffrey ‘CHAMBA’ Cruz, Melbourne-based comic artist and illustrator will also be joining the line up at MEFCC this year. He is best known for his work on Mega Man and Street Fighter. And lastly, Hirokatsu Kihara of Studio Ghibli will also be at MEFCC from March 3 to 5.

Ziina is the Payment Partner for MEFCC and will enable visitors to make cashless transactions at the Artist Alley, setup only takes a minute and fans are encouraged to use the platform as they can make easy payments and also split costs with friends. The Festival Stage Sponsor, LikeCard has lots of excitement for visitors with PUBG and exciting prizes each day.

Keeping the WiFi game strong, Sneaker District, the WiFi Sponsor will keep fans online and social to share the excitement.

Making the team stand out to help visitors have the best experience is Kirakuya as the T-shirt Sponsor. This has been a fan favourite keepsake and this year, bringing the nostalgia to life is Laban Up the lanyard sponsor and Geekay the Wristband Sponsor.  

MEFCC is also excited to introduce TOD as the Cosplay Competition sponsor and an exciting activation by MINI, the official Automotive Sponsor. With so much to do at MEFCC, Oasis Water is going to keep fans hydrated throughout the three days of an action-packed weekend.

This year’s con will be full of epic showdowns as heroes and villains and the kings of gaming face off on March 3 – 5.  The Ultimate VIP and VIP Ticket may be sold out but it’s not too late to purchase the Super VIP including the standard single day pass at AED 135 (single-day access) or the three day pass at AED 299. Tickets are available on Platinumlist and Virgin Tickets via www.mefcc.com/home/ticket-info.

For more information and updates, visit www.mefcc.com.