The comics industry is currently calling itself into account - again. Multiple reports of predatory behaviour are being brought to light and with it the opportunity for voices in the comic book community to be heard about a range of issues - including the topic of diversity. While strides have been made in terms of representation in the industry, there is still a great deal that can be done.In 2018, I was fortunate enough to moderate a panel at Fan Con Comic Convention in Cape Town about diversity in comics, and it's a great time to revisit the discussion. On stage were convention guests Cape Town based artist Danelle Malan, and comic book industry veterans Loyiso Mkize and Declan Shalvey who were gracious enough to share their feelings and insights on the topic.

Declan was a guest at Fan Con in 2018 and was kind enough to chat to take time out and chat to us about many things including his path to geekdom, going to his first comic book convention, the importance of diversity in the comic industry and who his favourite Trek captain is. And an apology - we spend some time nerding out about 80's X-men comics.