What: Supanova
Where: Gold Coast Convention Centre
When: April 20-21.
Interested?: Tickets on sale soon contact the centre for details
Some might think that boxers and geeks are a strange combination, but champion boxer Kostya Tszyu and Supanova’s Event Director, Daniel Zachariou, don’t agree!
Tszyu is scheduled to appear at Australia’s leading pop culture expos in Melbourne and the Gold Coast, and Supanova is delighted to participate in his anti-bullying project.
Since Tszyu’s semi-retirement from boxing, the internationally-renowned four-time World Light-Welterweight Champion has nurtured a new career: children’s book author.
With co-writer Dustin Warburton, who is also part of the April tour and whose SPIDERS 3D film has just been released, and illustrator Dan Monroe, Tszyu has released ‘Bullies Aren’t Scary’, a storybook intended to empower children who experience bullying.
As a child of mixed Russian, Mongol and Korean descent growing up in the former Soviet Union, Tszyu both witnessed other children being bullied and had to evade those bullies himself.
The book features young Kostya, who – by facing his fears and developing his charisma and strength of character – defeats a bully and teaches other kids to do the same.
With positive messages about self-confidence and self-esteem, ‘Bullies Aren’t Scary’ encourages children to overcome intimidation. Supanova, Australia’s national pop-culture expo, attracts a broad demographic, with over 120,000 patrons annually attending its six expos.
Event Director, Daniel Zachariou says, “Supanova is pleased to share Kostya’s empowering anti-bullying message. The geek community is all too familiar with the upsetting results of bullying. By supporting each other and finding strategies to avoid being bullied or becoming a bully, we can all help make life easier for each other.”
To date, other celebrity guests already announced for the second annual Gold Coast Supanova to be held at the Gold Coast Convention Centre include:
Eliza Dushku [Dollhouse, Angel, Tru Calling, Bring It On, True Lies]
Barbara Eden [I Dream of Jeannie, Harper Valley PTA]
Laurie Holden [The Walking Dead, The X-Files]
Natalia Tena [Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, ‘Molotov Jukebox’ band]
Sam Jones [Flash Gordon, Ted]
Noah Hathaway [The Neverending Story, Battlestar Galactica, Sushi Girl]
Ryan Robbins [Sanctuary, Falling Skies, Blade, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate: Atlantis]
Greg Cipes [actor from cartoons TMNT, Ben-10, Ben-10 Alien Force, plus Roseanne’s Nuts, Bones, ‘Cipes and the People’ band]
Vic Mignogna [anime actor from Fullmetal Alchemist, Bleach and dozens more]
Garry Chalk [voice actor, Optimus Prime from Transformers]
Dave Gibbons [artist of the seminal comic book, Watchmen, and many more]
Joe Jusko [painter and illustrator, Marvel Masterpieces, Conan the Barbarian, Marvel and DC comics].
