In part 1 of my report from Liverpool Comic Con, we looked at the event overall and I shared some Cosplay photos. This time around, let’s take a look at the vehicles and props that were on display in the huge arena.
I’ll keep the words brief, as it’s the photos that tell the story. All I need to point out is the huge arena housed numerous vehicles, including some very cool cars from TV and Film (the Starsky & Hutch Gran Torino was probably my favourite).
There were also various props and sets for photo opportunities, including some great Star Wars items. The absolute highlight for me was the full scale AT-ST – otherwise known as a Scout Walker – towering over everything, including a mock up of the Imperial bunker on Endor.
Of course there were still plenty of attendees in costume wandering about, lots more stalls and even live bands on stage. Overall great entertainment and an action packed day out. Liverpool Comic Con must be the biggest convention in the country now? It certainly offers a fun filled event for all.
All aboard! Take your seats please, ladies and gentlemen, for a ride of the Horror Express! This early seventies sci-fi horror features a familiar plot and a fine cast, so jump onboard and have your tickets ready…
It’s 1906, and British anthropologist/explorer Professor Saxton (Christopher Lee) is making his way back to Europe via the Trans Siberian Express from Shanghai to Moscow. Saxton has discovered the remains of an ancient missing link, frozen in the snow. A rival, Dr Wells (Peter Cushing) is also on the journey – and he’s curious just what Saxton has locked up in a huge wooden crate.
The humanoid begins to defrost and returns to life, escapes, and starts a murderous campaign aboard the train. The creature is a host for an extra-terrestrial intelligence, frozen for millions of years, but now keen to return to the stars. To accomplish this, the creature kills and absorbs the knowledge of it’s victims, taking on their appearance as well.
Wells, Saxton and other passengers deduce the nature of the creature’s plans, but can they destroy something that can assume the identity of its victims?
Horror Express is based on the novella Who Goes There? by John W Campbell, as was The Thing from Another World and of course, John Carpenter’s The Thing. Though not a patch on the later Carpenter film, Horror Express is a fascinating variation on the story, and manages to raise the tension capably. Telly Savalas is seen only fleetingly as a brutal Cossack, sadly, but the two leads are as dependable as ever.
A great film in it’s own right, and recommended for any fan who can’t get enough of Carpenter’s masterpiece.
What’s For the Love of Horror all about, then? Well readers, it’s basically a Horror themed convention that takes in all manner of frightful pop culture, be it movies, television, comic books and everything else you can imagine. If you’ve been to a Comic Con – or read one of my previous blogs about the ones I’ve visited – then you’ll know what to expect.
Except of course, that For the Love of Horror really is concentrated on all things horrific!
As you’d expect, there are numerous actors to meet, have photos with or autographs from. And you can listen to their Q&A sessions, ask questions, and gain insight into the real world behind the fantasy.
There are dozens of stalls with traders selling wondrous merchandise, for all your spooky needs (whether for you or someone else). There are also props and set displays for cleverly placed photo ops.
Not forgetting the guests themselves, a large number of whom dress as their favourite genre characters (or clever interpretations of). Yes, the Cosplayers here at For the Love of Horror are truly amazing – check out the pics on this blog for evidence! Halloween outfits never go out of style here!
It was a family day out for us, and we arrived early at the exhibition centre to get straight in and crack on. After getting an idea of our surroundings, we were happy to explore and wander round the trade stalls for a start.
At the very first stall I visited on the day, I picked up a Vampira Reaction figure that I’d been hoping to find. Only just recently released in the USA, this was the first one I’d ever seen for sale in this country. Needless to say, I snapped Vampira up immediately. Not a bad start to the day, first stop and an item for the collection!
Mrs Platinum Al had booked to meet the one and only Chris Sarandon, alias Jack Skellington (amongst many other credits) and have a signed photo taken. Daughtertron accompanied her to meet Mr Sarandon, leaving me to take a few photos elsewhere.
We took some pics at the various set displays, including a Chucky box which I stood in – a kind couple let me borrow their life size Chucky doll for the photo!
The best display, however was The Lost Frog Comics – a replica of the Frog Brothers comic shop in The Lost Boys. The owner has meticulously curated a collection of comic books that appeared in the film, from stills and reference shots, utilising some amazing detective work. As a comic book collector I was fully geeked out, admiring all the titles on display. It’s an incredibly impressive labour of love that recreates one of my favourite scenes in the film.
Speaking of The Lost Boys, several of the cast were in attendance on the day, including Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patric, Billy Wirth and Alex Winter. Did you hear me???! I said Alex Winter!!! Bill S Preston himself! Sorry, I know Bill isn’t a horror character, but come on. All three of us went up to get a signed photo from Alex, because you just have to do these things sometimes.
We also caught some Q&As where we could, including Brad and Fiona Dourif and Lou Diamond Phillips. All entertaining speakers, showing another side to their screen personas (often with hilarious results!).
There was plenty more shopping to be had – I picked up a Geeki Tiki mug in the shape of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark which I’d wanted forever. The family managed to go slightly crazy and blow the Christmas money on a range of freaky merch!
Of course the fantastic Cosplayers were the real stars of the show. My thanks to all the wonderful costumed people who let me take their photo for this blog – you’re all awesome! I’m not a professional photographer by any means, so my pics aren’t perfect – I’m just a fan who loves to see the creativity on display.
There was a quick visit to the outdoor fairground (in the spirit of the Santa Clara fair in The Lost Boys), and I had a cheeky pint in the bar upstairs, that’s themed after the Mos Eisley cantina in Star Wars. That was very cool. Eventually, it was time to make our way home, ull of the love of horror.
We were on a family day trip, somewhere on the east coast of England. Scarborough or Skegness, I forget which. There was a toy shop kiosk near the beach, as I remember. That was the first time I was aware of a new wave of Star Wars figures from Return of the Jedi.
I can’t remember if I was able to buy one of the new figures that day, in my mind it was late and the shop may have been shut. Instead I have a vague memory of trying to memorise all of the new characters I’d seen on a cardback. With no internet, this was the only way to create a checklist of what was coming down the line.
Which figure was my first purchase from this second wave, I don’t recall. But it’s a great wave filled with classic characters and further evidence of how Kenner (or Palitoy) were creating more and more detailed toys with great accessories.
Princess Leia Organa in Combat Poncho is a really great figure. The helmet and poncho can be removed, meaning that this version of Leia can be used for several scenes. My version of this figure was again purchased at the very end of the line around 1985, to replace the first one that my sister had bought. As such, Leia is complete and in very good condition.
Han Solo in Trench Coat is another cool figure. The trench coat is removable, so again he can be used for a number of scenes from the film.
Although I never owned a B-Wing Fighter at the time, I did own the pilot. I actually have a handful of these pilots I’ve acquired over the years, with the aim of one day recreating the briefing on Home One scene. Maybe it’ll happen.
Prune Face was a great looking but strange figure. An instant favourite, for years I thought he was another character from Jabba’s Palace. It was well into the 1990’s that I found out he was actually a member of the Rebel Alliance. Soft goods cloak is removable and he has a Wild West looking rifle.
Finally we this wave, we got the main Ewok – the one and only Wicket. Or Wicket W. Warrick, to give him his full title. This figure is tiny, but still a good, accurate representation. Teebo helps build out the Ewok tribe, and again looks pretty detailed. Though he’s not keen on holding his ax.
If I remember correctly, I acquired The Emperor as a special mail away offer, so never had the card (he arrived in a little white box). Not too bad detail wise for the time, at last the fans had the big bad guy to re-enact the film with. Can’t believe I’ve still got his walking stick.
The AT-ST Driver is a fairly simple looking figure, but an absolute must-have. I needed one to drive my Scout Walker (though I bought that later) and the more you have, the more enemy troops there are to fight.
The more of Jabba’s goons there are, the better. NIkto was a nice addition to the gang: a brilliantly designed alien with a cool action figure version. Klaatu (Skiff Guard Outfit) was a little less welcome in my opinion, we already had another one of these aliens in the previous wave, and there were lots of others that could’ve been made. I warmed to him though, he’s a classic.
I was also a bit underwhelmed by the Rancor Keeper, as his screen time was minimal and he wasn’t active in any action scenes. That changed when I added the Rancor to my collection! A classic figure that’s easily found but a necessity, I’m sure this guy was another mail away offer.
Finally from this wave, another character with minimal screen time, 8D8 from Jabba’s droid torture chamber. I always liked this figure because he’s a great design: the legs are just so different from other droids.
dav
Just to round off this wave of figures, I’ll add the wonderful Max Rebo Band. Sold as a set of three, sadly I didn’t keep the box, but the set is complete with microphones etc. Max is somewhat faded on the arms (a common issue) and Sy Snootles’s legs are a bit warped, but good old Droopy McCool still rocks. The cool thing about these guys, was unlike Episode IV, we actually got a band to add to the alien menagerie.
That’s it for Wave 2. Not the rarest figures, this wave. Stick with me, next time I’ll be sharing details of the legendary Last 17 Star Wars figures. Boba Fett? Not very rare at all. Wait till you see Return of the Jedi Wave 3…
Please note: all figures are original 1980s Kenner versions. All accessories are original.
May 2023 saw the 40th anniversary of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. I went to see the film again in the cinema, with my family. As always, there was a tear in my eye watching several scenes in that magnificent movie, particularly at the end. I shouldn’t need to worry about spoilers, surely, but we’ll leave the detail obscure. Jedi may not be considered the best of the Original Trilogy, but it’s a fabulous film that concludes the storyline brilliantly.
I was ten years old in 1983. I’d seen both previous Star Wars episodes in the cinema, but this time I was a little older, and the excitement of a new instalment was building. I can remember much more about that build up, as I ravenously absorbed every picture I could find in any magazine, newspaper or television show for clues about the new movie.
The Marvel UK Star Wars comic had kept me intrigued, but I recall catching tantalising sights of new characters that excited me. Brief glimpses of Bib Fortuna, Admiral Ackbar and Biker Scouts. I couldn’t wait to find out more about them.
Of course the real anticipation was with regard to the action figures. Star Wars fans everywhere could not wait to see what new characters – and old favourites in new guises – we would get.
Some characters began to show up on promotional literature, but the first ROTJ figure I ever had (I think) was Admiral Ackbar. I won Ackbar in a Palitoy drawing competition: third prize (there were probably hundreds of third prize places). He turned up without a card and became an instant favourite.
The first character I bought off a toy shop shelf was General Madine, if I remember correctly. He looked like a cool new character who must have a big role in the new movie, being amongst the first releases. How wrong I was! Never mind, I always was a sucker for troops.
The main heroes now had cool new outfits. Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight) came equipped with a blaster and green lightsaber. Green?! All would be revealed… Luke also had a cool removable cloak. But the big news really, as revealed by the name lozenge, was that Luke was a Jedi. At last! A cool figure which I still have complete.
Princes Leia was in “Boushh Disguise”, including a removable helmet which was all very intriguing and looked great. Originally my sister bought all the Leia figures, I finally bought my own right at the end of the line in 1985. This meant that my own Leia Boushh is still in excellent condition.
Lando Calrissian (Skiff Guard Disguise) is an absolute classic action figure. Great design, another removable helmet – he was an early purchase in this wave. I still have mine complete.
Nien Nunb, Lando’s co-pilot on the Millenium Falcon, is a great looking figure. The character design for the movie is fabulous, and it carries over well to the toy version. Another lifelong favourite!
Again, I loved the Rebel Commando figure, because I love to build up troops! Over the years I managed to add a few duplicates to my collection, as you can see here in my Ewok Village Playset display.
When the first wave of Jedi figures were released, the card backs tried to hide some of the new major characters: of course, I’m talking about the Ewoks. Logray, the Ewok Medicine Man, and Chief Chirpa were both “blacked out” on the reverse to retain some mystery. I remember my Mum suggesting using an ink eraser to gently rub away the black covering. Believe it or not, it worked – kind of. Two ghostly shapes could eventually be seen, which in retrospect vaguely resembled Ewoks. I still have the card somewhere, so one day I’ll prove it!
Logray and Chief Chirpa are both complete, and I’ve got duplicates of each to fill out that Ewok Village I mentioned earlier.
The only Imperial characters in the first batch of figures were two of the best looking of the whole range: the Biker Scout and Emperor’s Royal Guard. The Biker Scout is just an awesome design, add him to his speeder bike (sold separately, I’ll add photos one day) and you have an iconic 80’s toy from one of the best scenes in the film. Even his blaster is ace (still got the originals).
Likewise, the Royal Guard is amazing, a flamboyant flash of bright red amongst all of the white and black Empire troops. I remember being really disappointed (as many others were) that the Royal Guards didn’t have a bigger role in the movie. Sadly, the figures staff has not survived.
Finally, we get to another of my favourite subsets of Star Wars figures: aliens. Return of the Jedi had a plethora of weird looking creatures in Jabba’s palace. The creature designers really did a wonderful job, letting their imaginations run riot, creating these thugs for the Hutt’s throne room.
First up was Bib Fortuna, with those bewildering tentacles emerging from the back of his head. A great figure, Bib is a really good example of how far the toy moulding had come. Bib has a removable cloak (just leave it on, please) and a redundant staff. Another figure that is unmistakably iconic.
Next, the Gamorrean Guard. Not as clever a design as other Jabba goons to my eyes, but never the less a great figure. I added a couple extra over the years, complete with weapon, to build up the pig palace guard.
Ree-Yees (the name came from his “three eyes”) is another odd looking character. Still, the species design has remained popular enough to show up in later instalments. I still have the gold coloured gun for this guy. It’s very Flash Gordon.
Squid Head is a far better design – I mean, what a brilliant idea! He’s a great figure too, accurate features and lots of soft goods accessories that make him an absolute must-have. Cloak, skirt and separate belt all add to the finished look. I have at least one without all the accoutrements, just for use as a background figure.
Klaatu (now known by his original ILM production name, Wooof – I’m not going into that here!) is an all time classic alien design. The species was used multiple times on ROTJ and other Star Wars episodes/series since. Awesome looking character, nicely rendered with that fur skirt.
Finally, we have Weequay – possibly my favourite of Jabba’s goons in the film. He just looks cool – and mean, with that unique stance/hand position for holding his staff. Great facial detail, too.
There are a lot of memories regarding these wonderful toys, if you’ve read this far, thanks for staying with me. That’s enough info for now, I’ll be back soon with a Part 2 to examine the next wave of Return of the Jedi action figures. For now, enjoy these amazing toys, and May the Force be with you!
Please note: all figures are original 1980s Kenner versions. All accessories are original.
March is usually the time for Sci-Fi Weekender: a weekend long, stay-over-and-party Comic Con that’s full of entertainment. From special guests, interviews, signings, screenings, games and all manner of live entertainment, this event has always been a fantastic, full-on experience for all your geeky desires.
Sadly, the Covid pandemic exterminated the event this year. It should have been taking place this last weekend. It’s a real blow, as Sci-Fi Weekender offers just the kind of escapism that we need right now.
Have no fear, however: I’ve used my Indiana Jones-like archaeological skills to rediscover some long lost photos from the past.
Cosplay is always a big deal at SFW. All manner of glorious, gruesome, magnificent and marvellous costumes can be seen on display, worn by some of the coolest and most down-to-earth people you’ll be likely to meet this side of Tosche Station.
Thanks to my old pal Darf Dork (that’s Adam G, to you), I’m able to present some photos from the past that will bring back some fond memories. These pics are all Adam’s work – he’s been kind enough to thaw them out of carbonite for your enjoyment.
Hope in my Virtual Hot Tub Time Machine and let’s go back to SFW past. Hope you enjoy the photos. And keep dreaming: one day Sci-Fi Weekender will return…
“I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass – and I’m all out of bubble gum!”
Yes, this legendary quote from Wrestling legend Rowdy Roddy Piper can be heard in They Live, another masterpiece from John Carpenter. It’s a film I resisted watching for many years, as I labelled it just another dumb 80’s macho-man action flick. Yet there is so much more to this film than that.
Piper plays an out of work drifter, scrabbling for employment and finding a home in a run-down shanty town. The discovery of a special pair of sunglasses reveals to him that the world is under the control of grim looking aliens, who are using subliminal messaging to subdue the human race to their nefarious will. So Roddy joins the underground and begins to fight back against the evil alien masters…
It might be more action/sci-fi than straight out horror, but there’s plenty in They Live to qualify it for Halloween Horror Fest. The bad guys are pretty gruesome, and so is the nature of their plans for the human race.
But it’s the clever social commentary that makes this movie so great, and worth repeated viewings. The evils of consumerism are revealed as methods to control the people. Carpenter is attacking unrestrained capitalism, and the ways that media and society combine to keep us all oblivious to exploitation.
Only mildly successful on release, They Live has become a cult film and infiltrated popular culture. Unsurprising, as the truths it exposes are still sadly prevalent today. And that’s the scariest thing of all.
CONSUME. CONFORM. SUBMIT. BUY. NO IMAGINATION. STAY ASLEEP. OBEY.
Well Halloween 2018 is over, sadly. But there are a few other movies I’ve watched in October as part of my Horror Fest, so here’s a quick overview of them. I promise to keep this short and sweet…
The Brides of Fu Manchu (1966)
Is this even a horror movie? I consulted the oracle of all things frightful, my old Horror Top Trumps, and YES – Fu Manchu is in there. If he’s in that card pack then this counts as horror, as far as I’m concerned.
Having said that, The Brides of Fu Manchu is more Indiana Jones style adventure than scary movie, despite some gruesome elements.
Fu Manchu is played by Christopher Lee (in make-up, the sort of Hollywood white washing that would quite rightly cause uproar nowadays). The evil criminal mastermind is kidnapping the daughters of prominent scientists, to bribe them into helping him create a death ray. It’s up to Scotland Yard’s Nayland Smith (Douglas Wilmer) to stop him.
The Brides of Fu Manchu is terribly dated. But if we can all agree to be adults and appreciate that this film was made in another age, reflecting views of an even older age, then it’s quite a rip-roaring yarn. Take it with a pinch of salt and watch it with a wary eye.
7/10
The Viking Queen (1967)
It’s Hammer, but it’s not really horror! The Viking Queen is (very) loosely based on the story of Boudica in Roman Britain.
Here we have the tale of British Queen Salina (played by Carita) and nice Roman leader Justinian (Don Murray) who plan on creating a fair land for all. And they fall in love. Predictably, there are grumps on both Briton and Roman sides that conspire to make a right old mess of things for the romantic couple.
On first viewing, I found the historical inaccuracies too much to swallow. Further viewings have allowed my expectations to be lowered and I’ve begun to enjoy it more. Not for the history buffs, but The Viking Queen is an enjoyable tale (with some nasty gory bits to remind us it is Hammer, after all).
7/10
Arachnophobia (1990)
It’s Jaws with Spiders! New doctor in town Jeff Daniels is an arachnophobe, who just happens to move his family to a new town that’s about to become deadly spider central.
I saw this film in the cinema and don’t think I’ve ever watched it again since. So I was surprised that it was actually still quite good fun, with the sort of scares that force the viewer to move away from any possible spider hiding places in the living room.
Good fun and quite gruesome in places, it’s too scary for young children (as I found out), although completely obvious plot-wise. Disconnect brain and enjoy.
8/10
Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)
Much more suitable for your younger monsters, this animated feature from Dreamworks manages to entertain and pay homage to classic B-movie monsters from the past.
Susan Murphy (voiced by Reese Witherspoon) is hit by a meteorite that mutates her into a giant, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman character. She’s whisked off to a top secret military installation and holed up with some other monstrous types. Eventually the creatures are brought out of confinement to defend earth from an alien invasion.
Monsters vs. Aliens features a great voice cast including Hugh Laurie (a mad scientist/The Fly-like Dr Cockroach), Seth Rogen (as The Blob-like B.O.B.), Will Arnett (as the Missing Link, a Creature from the Black Lagoon specimen) and Kiefer Sutherland as the General in charge. Rogen in particular is hilarious.
Lots of fun, great animation and a nice message if that’s your thing. Monster vs. Aliens is a winner.
2017 saw my intrepid crew and I sucked into a black hole, from which we were very lucky to escape. Following numerous trials and tribulations within the void, we emerged eventually into a bizarre parallel dimension. This strange new plane was warped beyond any fathomable reason; the UK was no longer in Europe and Donald Trump was President.
I know – unbelievable, right? I was expecting apes to be in charge maybe, but not Trump.
Luigi
Alien
Lovely couple
Star Lord and Gamora
Harley
Utilising all the skill and resource we could muster, we managed to reverse thrusters and reset our course for Pwllheli, North Wales, for Sci Fi Weekender. The crew had missed one event, but in 2018 we would return.
The engines groaned and strained, but we were back on track. We arrived at our destination and set up camp in our static exploration cabin.
Scarecrow
Lethal
Gamora and Groot
Space girl
Punisher vs Kylo
Scouts across the galaxy had informed us that this was the ninth cycle of Sci Fi Weekender. SFW9 would be full of the usual entertainments: VIP signings; Q&A panels; cosplay; films; games; live music and other acts.
Throw in a few decidedly lethal Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters and there would, indeed, be exceptional joviality.
Area 51
Area 51
Area 51
Alas, many VIP guests had apparently missed their trasport shuttles to reach us. Caught in the same black hole as we had been, perhaps? This was a bit of a blow, as I was particularly looking forward to hearing from Hugh Quarshie of Highlander (and others) fame.
Never mind, “There can be only one” – and that guest was the deviilishly delectable Emily Booth, actress and Horror Channel star. Ms Booth’s Q&A was the first event I witnessed of the weekend and she was great. Although the interview amounted to just a run through of her IMDB credits, Emily came across very well as both a cult star and confirmed fan. I even asked a question myself, which is a SFW first for me!
The interview did get a bit saucy at times, but the audience was well warned in advance what to expect. To be honest, I’d love to see much more of Emily Booth’s talents. By which I mean, of course, more of the various movies she has starred in. Of course.
Emily
Booth
It was then time to lurk about and peruse the merchandise stalls. There were many more this year than I’ve seen previously. Excellent news for me, bad news for my galactic credit balance. I did get some rad stuff though.
Rocket
Amazing Cylon
Star Lord and Negan
Spot the Oscar winner
Deadly
This was also a great time to start taking some photos. Armed with three cameras this year (!), I took quite a few pictures but as always missed so many great cosplayers. There were dozens that I glimpsed briefly but lost in the crowd, never to be seen again.
It was like when I watched the Cantina scene in Star Wars when I was a kid, before we had a VHS player (yes, I’m THAT old). An amazing creation was spotted only briefly, to be replaced by yet another, and I had no rewind function.
Bane
Rorschach
Orc
Cool SW cosplay
Jay and Silent Bob
As you can probably imagine, Friday evening was somewhat of a blur. I do remember a couple of things that must be mentioned though.
Professor Elemental was an absolute joy to behold, as always. The Prof dropped tongue twisting chap-hop rhymes over DJ Nick Maxwell’s funky beats. He expertly rallied the troops and took us on a tea stained tour of the British Empire. It was brilliantly engaging stuff, with the Professor uniting all the tribes of geekdom in a pulsating party of steampunk excitement.
Prof Elemental
Prof E, some dancers and a duck
Prof E, some dancers and a duck
Darth Elvis & the Imperials performed what I consider the best set I’ve seen them deliver, despite it being cut short. There were favourites old and new, including “Burning Sith” and a raging cover of the Beastie Boys classic, “Sabotage” – reworked in honour of Kylo Ren. I was down the front for a fair part of the set and I loved every second.
This band never get old. May they live as long as Master Yoda and forever be as musically talented at Max Rebo. Sheer fun from beginning to end!
Darth Elvis
Darth Elvis
Darth Elvis
The evening ended with some spectacular Cosplay Karaoke, which I would’ve loved to have a go of! No idea who the winner was, all the entrants were winners in my eyes!
Day one at SFW9 was truly stellar. My only complaint was too much Welsh bashing from several presenters over the course of events. In this day and age that’s a bit poor.
Area 51
Sings as well as drums!
Fantastic Kylo and Mera!
Mara Jade on the mic
GOTG
However Sci Fi Weekender is a success because of the people. The camaraderie amongst attendees is the true strength, regardless of what VIP interview guests are there or not. It’s a real pleasure to catch up with old faces – and meet some new ones – in a friendly, welcoming environment like this.
That’ll do for Part One. Beam me up!
In Part 2: we lose a red shirt, and more pics. Stay tuned!
And yes, it’s a long awaited return to the fantastic Comic Con that is MCM Birmingham! Held every March and November at the NEC, this event is huge – and one of my favourites. All Comic Cons are fun, but MCM Birmingham has a feel and flavour all of it’s own.
Part of that reputation is down to the pure spectacle of size. The events halls in the NEC that house this function are truly huge – like aircraft hangers. They seem big enough to hold the S.H.I.E.L.D. Heli-carrier, never mind an Avengers quinjet.
Ahoy there!
Cruella
Jason
Wonderful couple
Alien
But the main reason that MCM Birmingham is so much fun is the people – specifically, the amazing, talented cosplayers that travel from far and wide to show their genius costumes.
Whether it’s little kids in store-bought superhero outfits or full fledged cosplay supremos spending months perfecting their craft, the whole extravaganza is awesome.
When you add in the myriad replica film props, models and paraphernalia, it all adds up to a thrilling day out.
Supergirl
Gremlin girl
The scale of this event seems to ramp up every time I visit it. There a vast number of stalls, as previous, selling all manner of items. This years hot pieces appeared to be pocket watches (want) and Funko Pops.
I resisted the joy of Funkos for a long time. Now I wish I hadn’t, as I’ve missed several that I would’ve loved. I started collecting them earlier this year, have a few cool ones, and want so many more. Funko Pops seemed to be everywhere at this years Comic Con. Which makes me happy.
Lanterns
Sweet
There were also loads of interesting guests to meet, though due to budgetary issues I didn’t get any autographs this time. In particular, I wanted to add the signature of Pauline Peart, who appeared in The Satanic Rites of Dracula, to my Hammer Glamour book.
Never mind, hopefully we’ll cross paths again.
Lara
Steam punk chest burster
Xena
Probably my favourite of the day!
Cap and Batman
We arrived early at the event, having early bird tickets. This allowed us early entry, and it was a little quieter to begin with.
It was also a bit quieter on the Cosplay front till later that morning. I guess that makes sense; if you’re a cosplay afficianado, you’re more likely to be perfecting your stunning costume rather than getting in line early doors.
So it was a bit slow on the photo front at first, things soon got going though! There were costumed characters of every possible description literally all over the place by midday. I got some great pictures of as many as I could – you can see the results on this page.
As I always state, I’m by no means a professional photographer. Luckily the camera seemed to be on form on this day (not sure I was) so I captured some pretty good images.
Obi-Wan and Padme
Judge
Gladiator and Pirate
Harley
Disney Princesses
The results are to the credit of the cosplay enthusiasts however, not any photographic skills on my part. My thanks to everyone of you that posed graciously for me, I hope these photos do some justice to your creative skills. All of you were friendly and enthusiastic, my respect to you all.
And with that, we’ll conclude part 1 of this MCM Birmingham blog. Part 2 soon – with more photos – plus anything else I can remember about the day!
Platinum Al's Virtual Hot Tub 