Preparations have started for Melksham’s third annual Comic Convention, with a new online appeal to help fund the two-day event.

Comic book fans and artists from across the south west will descend on the town to share ideas and inspiration at the convention at the Assembly Hall on August 30 and 31.

This year’s event will be spread across two days for the first time, and costs £25,000 to host. Most of the funding is from donations and sponsors.

Organiser Hayley Spencer said: “We are constantly having to find new ways to fund it.

“The demand is there, but it doesn’t always pay for it.”

An online Kickstarter appeal has begun which wants to raise £5,000 towards the cost of the convention, with rewards on offer including tickets and art prints to supporters Miss Spencer said: “We’ve filmed an appeal video which is online and we’re hoping it will make some waves as it’s a different type of appeal this time.

“We wanted to inject some humour.

“This year it’s a two-day event, and we have taken over a second venue, which is the Town Hall.

“Last year all of our Q+A panels were in the lounge of the Assembly Hall which I know holds 30 people, and we were turning people away, so now we’re going to have the meeting room which holds over 100.

“We’ll also have the downstairs committee room, which we will be using for workshops.

“The rewards are all set up online covering everything from people who have just got a bit of change in their pocket up to businesses which can sponsor us.”

The appeal closes on April 5. For details, see www.kickstarter.com/projects/komix/melksham-comic-con-2014-the-expansion