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.
There nearly wasn’t a Comic Con in Chester at all this year. Then suddenly, Monopoly Events swooped in and saved the day, in true caped crusader style. In the new guise of “Comic Con Mania” – which appears to be a series of smaller conventions across the country – the plans were back on.
With only a handful of celebrity guests and smaller space for merch stalls than some of the bigger cons, Chester was a refined affair. But I felt there was a good atmosphere, a sense of a local event that defied the odds and was determined to put on a good time.
Daughtertron and I decided to venture to Chester Racecourse and check things out. It had been two whole years since we last visited a convention in Chester – with this event happening right on our doorstep, it was a safe bet for an afternoon’s entertainment.
There were guests from Star Wars and Red Dwarf in attendance (and I really should’ve got an autograph from Mike Quinn, aka Nien Nunb in Return of the Jedi). But Daughtertron and I were happy exploring the stalls and finding some bargains to take home. I got a load of Marvel comic books. Now you’d think finding comics at a comic convention would be an easy task, but surprisingly I draw a blank at many cons.
Of course there were some fantastic costumes being worn by talented people, wandering all round the place. The Cosplay on view was really impressive as hopefully you can see from my photos here. Thanks to all of those who allowed me to take their photo, you’re very kind. I hope these pics do some justice to the time you’ve spent creating these outfits.
Comic Con Mania Chester was on a smaller scale than some of the bigger cons we’ve visited recently. Not surprising really, with another event happening not too far away in Aintree the next day – this may have impacted numbers and traders attending.
In my personal view, I had a fun few hours at Chester, it seemed well organised and it was a warm, friendly event. I’m looking forward to more in the future.
The last time I was at Wales Comic Con in Wrexham was back in August 2022, and a lot has changed since then. That last event I called “a triumphant return”, though it seems that everything moved back to the substitute venue in Telford. Now the convention appears to be back in North Wales for good, which I’m very happy about.
I mean, I don’t even know where Telford is. Somewhere near Birmingham, I think, so a couple of hours away. Whereas Wrexham is fifteen minutes away from home. It’s easier for me to get to Liverpool, so why would I go to Telford?!
Wales Comic Con was certainly more modest this year. I could tell right away, as I was able to park on the University grounds. The event was reduced to just one sports hall, rather than sprawling over the campus. There were less people milling about, which was actually a bonus, as in previous years the halls could get very crowded.
As always, there were plenty of vendors selling all manner of wierd and wonderful merchandise. My family and I had a right old time adding paraphernalia to our respective collections, and were well satisfied by the wonders on offer.
Our only issue with the event was that some of the celebrity guests had cancelled. In particular, Christopher Lambert of Highlander and Greystoke fame was a temptation we couldn’t resist. I’ve given up on the celeb autograph hunting game as an expensive disappointment, but I was ready to come out of retirement for Connor McLeod.
Unfortunately, M. Lambert had cancelled his appearance (possibly some time earlier), though there had been no warning from the event organisers. In fact, event staff on the day were somewhat vague as to whether he’d cancelled or not. Refunds will be provided, but the Highlanders absence was quite a blow. This was not a kind of magic.
The cosplayers saved the day, as always, with some great displays of imagination and creativity. There were fewer than previous years, obviously, but were still very impressive. Thanks to everyone who posed for photos!
A reminder re the photos on this blog: I am not a professional photographer. I have a nice (but old) camera, and I’ve recently been beset with technical difficulties. My trusty PC has died and I’m cobbling this together on an old laptop running Windows 7 and no photo editing software. So I hope the pics are OK – feel free to share etc as you please, cosplayers.
In conclusion, it was great to have Wales Comic Con back in it’s proper home, and despite a few issues, we all had a great day. Let’s hope the move back to Wrexham will herald a return to form and this convention can get back on its feet.
OK here we go – a family trip out to Liverpool Comic Con! And boy, this convention was BIG. I made the journey to this con last year and had a fairly damn good experience, so it was exciting to return. A wet and chilly day was on the cards, but there’s always a warm welcome in good ol’ Liverpool. And we’d be inside all day, anyway.
Last time around, the queueing situation was a proper nightmare. This time, I made the wiser decision of not having “early bird” tickets and arriving at 9am. I didn’t even bother to get to the event for our allotted time (11am) – we strolled along at 12.30pm and pretty much avoided any queueing whatsoever.
That’s the way to do it. There’s no point in standing in a line, outside, in November.
To tell you the truth, I wasn’t even aware that there was a time we were supposed to go in. I hadn’t looked that closely at the ticket, we were just late. But as they were still letting the last of the 11am people in when we arrived much later, I think this result was a winner.
Anyone who attended this convention (on either day, Saturday or Sunday, from what I’ve heard) had a hard time with the sheer amount of people there. It was rammed. But it seems like Sunday was the better of the two days, so again a stroke of luck. The Exhibition Centre was very busy, but just about manageable.
Several interesting guests were present, but no one I was too concerned about. Meeting guests isn’t that big a deal to me (unless they’re Hammer Horror related!). And the prices were not cheap. It was an impressive bunch of celebs, though, with Stranger Things featuring highly.
Vader and pramdav
Instead, I had my fun perusing the fabulous stalls, buying merch and taking photos of the wonderful Cosplay crowd.
There seemed to be fewer people in costume at this event, but that could be down to the weather (can’t have been fun for some of those who did dare); and the sheer numbers of people there, hiding the view.
StevedavFam and Mike
What Cosplayers I did encounter, however, were superbly talented and spectacular, as always. And lovely people too! Thanks to all of you who let me take your photo, it’s very much appreciated.
Merch wise, my crew and I went a bit crazy – but Christmas is looming on the horizon, so to hell with the cost of living crisis. I picked up a couple of Star Wars figures and a few Marvel comic books, so was happy. There was a distinct lack of action figures across the board though – a result of the clash with the event in London? Not enough Star Wars, MOTU or ReAction figures to be found.
mde
The retailer we were most excited to see again was Cult Locations Ink, who create intricately detailed, framed art prints of film and TV locations. A couple more were added for our new collection, including my favourite, the Munsters’ House.
We’d been on our feet for hours, when finally the time came for us to wander off home. Yes, it was a busy day, but still good fun and a good atmosphere. I’ll be back.
At long last, Wales Comic Con made a triumphant return to it’s home at Glyndwr University in Wrexham, North Wales. Recent events had moved to Telford, which isn’t even in Wales. The thing about staging the convention in Wrexham is, on a personal level, it’s much closer to home and thus makes a great family day out. Telford, not so much.
On a slightly smaller scale, but with a great sense of good natured fun, Wales Comic Con returned to the sports halls of Glyndwr Uni. And of course there was all the usual special guests (always impressive), stalls selling merch, and cosplay enthusiasts.
This year, Stranger Things was the buzz at the Con. Not surprising at all, and neither was the number of folks dressed as Eddie Munson. Eddie is easily the best character in the show, so it was nice to see so many people pay tribute to the lovable metal head by dressing up as him.
In previous years (and at various cons), Harley Quinn has been the most popular choice of outfit for convention goers. This year, Eddie and other Stranger Things characters were number one, by far.
Grace Van Dien, who played Chrissy on the show, was a very popular guest. My daughter queued for ages to meet her, along with dozens of other fans. I’m happy to report that Grace was charming, cheerful and very nice indeed.
I was able to meet and chat with the very lovely Tabitha Lyons, super talented cosplayer and model – and her dad Nic Samiotis, prop builder extraordinaire. Two very skilled and very cool people who were a delight to meet. Photos of Tabitha have appeared in previous blogs of mine, there’s another below, where the lucky lady is pictured with yours truly. I nearly didn’t post it – I need to go on a diet, quick fast!
My merch buying plans didn’t quite do so well on the day. I did pick up a Star Wars figure (naturally), but despite there being a number of stalls, there was a distinct lack of comic books for sale. I’d been hoping to add to my Bronze Age Marvel collection, but never mind.
Welcome back, Wales Comic Con. We had a memorable day out, looking forward to more!
Chester Comic Con was held recently, on a mild summer Sunday afternoon at Chester Racecourse. It was Father’s Day, and I made sure that my personal choice for the day was to attend this event for a fun filled afternoon.
I’ve not been to a comic con in Chester for a couple of years, due to the pandemic and all that kinda shiz. As previous, the racecourse hosted the event and it made for a good venue, with plenty of open outdoor space. Indoors was a bit more compact, but there were enough trader tables to fill the place without getting too manic.
There were also a few showbiz and comic book guests in attendance, though my main aim was to plunder as much action figures and comic books as possible. But have no fear, I also had my camera with me, to take some photos and hopefully provide an idea of what it was like to be there.
Here you’ll see some photos of the excellent Cosplayers, who were all very friendly and gallantly agreed to pose for pic. Thank you all.
Despite the smaller scale of Chester Comic Con – in comparison to some of the bigger events at Liverpool or the NEC for example – it’s a fantastic convention with a good family atmosphere. I had an excellent time, and bought a load of old 70s Marvel comics. Very happy indeed.
How long is it since the last time I went to a Comic Con? Any Comic Con? It must be pretty much exactly two years. The pandemic ruled out mass gatherings of this type completely over that time. Now, we’re back – a long overdue visit to the wonderful city of Liverpool and it’s excellent convention.
Our only initial bad luck was arriving to find massive queues snaking back for what seemed like miles. We had purchased early bird tickets for a 9am start, however arriving on schedule at nine left us in a long line with hundreds of other punters. It took an hour before we were finally inside the exhibition centre, which wasn’t a great start.
This was a case of Queue Hard, with several sequels including Queue Hard 2: Queue Harder – and finally, Queue Hard with a Vengeance.
When we were in the building, however, all was swiftly forgiven. I think we can accept some teething troubles in getting this event back up and running. It was great to finally be indoors at a Comic Con, and we gleefully threw ourselves into the experience with enthusiasm.
There were many guests signing on the day, but none that were of particular interest to myself. So, I braved the throngs of convention goers to view the treasures on sale at the stalls, purveying all type of nerdy goodness. As always at Comic Cons, there was far too much merch for me to buy it all – though I made some fine purchases, there were oodles more a timely lottery win would’ve made mine.
I picked up a couple of Star Wars The Vintage Collection figures that I needed, and a Mego Wolfman action figure that I couldn’t resist. Plus, the Christmas shopping commenced with some unusual items I wouldn’t have been able to pick up elsewhere. The only disappointment was a total lack of ReAction figures.
Of course, the main highlight of the day was the varied and spectacular costumes worn the attendees. Cosplay was alive and well, which was great to see. Hopefully these photos will give you some idea of the skill and splendour that was on show.
Despite a dodgy start, Liverpool Comic Con was a great day out. We came, we saw, we took photos and bought tat – a fine time was had by all. I’d recommend this convention as one to visit, and I’ll definitely be back.
Have a look at the Liverpool Comic Con webnet here.
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…
Right back atcha with some more fabulous photos from the recent MCM Comic Con at the NEC in Birmingahm. Here’s Part 2, ‘cos one blog post just wasn’t enough. So many photos, you see.
There’s not much else to report that I haven’t covered in previous editions of my MCM Comic Con blogs. You know the drill, right?
So let’s just crack on and you can witness the awesome Cosplay photos of these amazing, talented people.
Here’s a bit of fun for you, though – can you spot my pal Darf Dork hanging around in one of these pics? There might be a prize for someone who can…
Finally, another big THANK YOU to everyone who posed for a photo – the true stars of the day. See you at the next Comic Con!
Storm Hannah was raging on Saturday when my family and I made one of our regular visits to Wales Comic Con. The usual site at Glyndwr University was drowning under torrential downpours and lashed by fierce winds.
That may sound overly dramatic, but it really was grim. Thor, God of Thunder, must have been in a really bad mood. Or maybe it was Storm from the X-Men?
As a result, our family day trip was a bit of a washout. Corridors were packed out as attendees shuffled along like zombies from The Walking Dead.
We managed to get into the merch tent, which was also very crowded and difficult to get near to the stalls. Some traders looked to be suffering as the marquis roof was leaking rainwater.
I didn’t manage to get many photos of Cosplayers or props etc. Most people were wrapped up against the elements, or there just wasn’t room to take a pic. I don’t think anyone particularly felt like dawdling, posing for a photo – and I didn’t fancy hanging around in the wet!
The queue to get in to the signing tent was massive, stretching outdoors as people waited to get in. As it was still chucking it down, we decided not to bother joining the line and decided to leave.
No big deal for me as I wasn’t really interested in autographs; Mrs Platinum Al had been thinking about meeting Kiefer Sutherland for a signing though, so that never happened..
But we’d had enough – the miserable weather had us beat. We were wet through. Basically, we paid £22 each to look round some stalls in a leaking tent.
Now nobody can be blamed for the weather, it was just unfortunate. I did feel sorry for the traders with their soaked merchandise. And the people in the rain waiting to have a photograph with a celeb whilst they looked like they’d just been rescued from the Titanic.
And the poor celebs too – what a welcome to the country!
Well the only answer was to just get on and make the most of things, which I think most did. The organisers can’t be blamed for Storm Hannah. Maybe in the future they need to consider shelters for the queue, rain or shine.
Sunday’s weather was much improved, however we’d only got tickets for Saturday. The reason for that was because Rupert Grint, some Harry Potter kid, was there that day. For some reason this was a big deal in our house, so we booked tickets for Saturday (the only day Ron Weasley was there) rather than our usual Sunday.
After buying the tickets, we then found out that autographs with Rupert would cost over £130 – so he was priced out of our range anyway. Ironically, had we known that cost up front, we’d have bought Sunday tickets; avoided the storm and had a great day.
Rupert Grint better not show his face round here, I’ll stick his wand where the sun doesn’t shine for him.
Platinum Al's Virtual Hot Tub 