Warriors for good at Oz Comic Con

Arts & Entertainment Events Scene

Staff Writer
September 21, 2022

Image: The Seasonal Warriors performing live. Image: supplied

By DALE BARRETT

Oz Comic Con welcomes and connects fans of all ages with their interests, passions and obsessions for all things pop culture over two fun filled days on September 24 and 25. The event, located at the Sydney Showground in Sydney Olympic Park, will host various film, TV, illustrator, comic, authors, and other guests, covering various fandoms and franchises. From comics to gaming to cosplay, Oz Comic Con is a platform for all fans to celebrate what they love.

The Seasonal Warriors by author, Anne Roze. Image: supplied

Oz Comic Con offers safe, fun and friendly entertainment for the whole family. Numerous programs have been added to the show targeting a younger audience in the hope of exciting and inspiring the dreams and beliefs of the younger generation.

Seasonal Warriors: Discover the Magic is an interactive live edutainment show that combines education and entertainment to deliver a fun and fantastical story filled with laughs for pre-school to primary school-aged children and their families.

This show brings the beloved characters from the Seasonal Warriors graphic novels to life on stage. Using the art of song, dance, mime and magic, it encourages children to have an active role in addressing issues across wellbeing and sustainability.

Seasonal WARRIORS with creator, Anne Roze. Image: supplied

“In the way we’re offering to educate kids, it’s so much easier to get the participation,” says Anne Roze, the author of the Seasonal Warriors Series and Founder of the Yummy Times Group.

The show brings ecological issues to the forefront and tells the story of a struggling farmer who meets four girls seeking knowledge to fight the global issues affecting their town. Newly empowered by Yummie, the Guardian of Seedarious, the girls require assistance in fighting off the evil Ecorrosion, who seeks to unravel the very fabric of reality!

It’s “Charlies Angels but for kids,” according to Roze.

The aim of the show is to teach children and their families how to balance eating seasonally, healthily and sustainably.

“[Oz Comic Con offers a stage that is] empowering kids to become heroes and be ambassadors to other kids and other families,” says Roze. “You’re flagging something important that people need to discuss, and this is the way to empower kids and families to gain this information in a more fun way than just telling them what to do.”

Roze believes it’s incredibly important for the whole family to be there because making a change in eating habits requires a whole family approach.

When the shows were run in December 2021 they were met with great success. A study was conducted with 80 families who attended, and the results showed 100% of respondents said they’d tell their friends and family about the show, whilst 94% said they learned about seasonal eating, sustainability and felt they knew a lot more now than ever before.

“I couldn’t believe it because who gets 100%!” says Roze.

Trina, one of the past attendees, stated: “I took my four kids along who range in age from 4 – 19 years. Two of my children have autism with one of my sons having significant functional impacts. Despite these difficulties all of my children, myself and my mother who is in her mid-60s all had a blast and learnt heaps.”