Last year, I only made it to one Comic Con, which was of course this fabulous event in Liverpool. 2026 was a no-brainer in terms of attending again, so we made a family day trip out of it. Here’s a brief over view of our time at the convention, with a bunch of photos to give it some flavour.
On a personal note, this was a big event for me: it was the first time that I actually dressed up as a character. Yes, I made my Cosplaying debut (if you don’t count that time I went to Wales Comic Con dressed like Tony Stark).
And what was my choice of character? Well, after seeing them live recently, and acquiring some of their gear – what else could I go as, but a member of The Aquabats??!!
It was good fun dressed as an Aquabat all day. I thought the outfit was a bit niche and no one would know who I was, but quite a few people “recognised” me, and even asked for a photo! I was very happy – and honoured – to oblige. After all, it was kind of nice, in a way, to repay all the photos of Cosplayers I’ve taken in the past.
I wasn’t as popular as Daughtertron, however: she was dressed as Applejack (from My Little Pony) and she had many more photo requests than me!
There were plenty of other people attending the Con in fantastic and extremely clever costumes, some of which I managed to photo and include here. There were many I glimpsed but missed the opportunity to ask for a photo, as well. Far too many. If you posed for a pic, thank you!
Great to see lots of Star Wars outfits too, with May 4th the very next day!
Other than that, there were many celebrity guests on site, though I didn’t get any autographs etc this time. There were quite a few interesting guests, but no one I wanted to splash the cash for. I did get some pics of several of the props, vehicles and so on that were on display, however. Some great photo ops there.
The rest of the time was all about perusing the many stalls, reviewing the merch and spending money. There were several stalls selling comic books, so I was able to fill some gaps in my Marvel collection. The only let down was a distinct lack of action figures – gone are the days when I could increase my vast Star Wars collection with convention purchases.
The day was a great success, and we all had a great time. I think we’ll try and attend more conventions this year – maybe including the next Liverpool event later in the year.
The question is – do I dress as one of The Aquabats again…?
All good things must come to an end. Even in the case of Star Wars figures, the magic wouldn’t last forever. Wave three of the figures following Return of the Jedi would prove to be the last – in that line at least.
Star Wars toys began to wane in popularity, with no new films on the horizon, and kids were tempted by newer ideas, like bloody Transformers. No, I wasn’t onboard with that at all.
In the UK back in 1985 or thereabouts, these last figures began to show up on Tri-Logo cards, with the film name replicated in three languages. Truth be told, I thought I was getting a bit old for toys at this point, but I was determined to collect them all. Luckily, the prices fell dramatically, I was able to acquire most of them from a local Tesco for £1.59. Most, but not all, as we shall see.
There were stories of bags of these figures being sold (without card) for a pound each. Which is crazy. Because these last figures, which no one bought, are by far the rarest and most expensive now.
If you have a loose Boba Fett figure and you think he’s rare – and therefore worth a fortune – you’re wrong. No matter what the Antiques Roadshow claimed all those years ago. These last 17 are the hard to find figures that collectors want.
First off, let’s take a look at Luke Skywalker (Battle Poncho). The Leia with poncho figure from the previous wave was a genuinely great effort, but this Luke is a disappointment. His helmet is fixed on his head, unlike Leia’s, meaning that removing the poncho does not yield a Luke for later film scenes. Plus, there’s no lightsaber – just a blaster (which he doesn’t even use in this scene). Poor start.
Next up: Han Solo in Carbonite Chamber. Brilliant! I never had Fett’s Slave 1 ship when I was a kid, with the Han in carbonite accessory. Now I had one! People may grumble about Han’s neck here, but I love this figure. Also useable for Sarlaac Pit scenes etc because Han is separate to the carbonite block.
Cool tip: procure a piece of red coloured card/paper. Cut the card to the shape and size of the carbonite block. Place Han inside the block, then the red card behind him. Shine a torch from behind and it looks just like Han is melting out of the carbonite! Try it.
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Lando Calrissian General Pilot is a very cool looking action figure. A good likeness, especially for the time. The soft goods cloak is removable, so he can sit in the Millenium Falcon with Nien Nunb (sold separately, see previous blogs). Be careful though, you DO NOT want to tear this valuable accessory!
The A-Wing Pilot was a strange addition to the range, as far as I was concerned. That was because I didn’t know that Kenner did actually release the A-Wing starfighter. I didn’t know this till the mid 1990s. I don’t know if any ever made it to retail in the UK. Still, another pilot for the ROTJ briefing scene.
R2-D2 with Pop Up Lightsaber: oh dear. What a waste of an opportunity. R2 is my favourite figure of all time, but did we ever need this version? The lightsaber when it pops out is too short and has a bulbous end. This R2 is not the droid I’m looking for. Also, I have to admit here, that I somehow lost my original lightsaber and replaced it with a repro one years later. I was shocked to find that the lightsaber had disappeared after years being safely stored away.
One of the best figures in the entire Kenner range, in my opinion, Luke Skywalker in Stormtrooper Outfit is just fantastic. I snapped him up as soon as I saw him. A genius idea, a leap forward in toy design, perfect. Luke shows where the line could have gone next, with no new films. For years I wished for a Han Solo in Stormtrooper outfit to accompany Luke, but the line died too soon.
Han Stormtrooper – or Tarkin, or any number of cantina aliens – may have been preferable to Anakin Skywalker. He’s only in one scene. Still, a nice likeness of actor Sebastian Shaw.
Ewoks next. Four, in fact: this wave was chock full of ’em. Technically, Paploo and Lumat were released slightly earlier in the US I believe, but still, this is overkill. Paploo is a nice, accurate sculpt though. I’ve got them in the wrong order in the photo above: Paploo is on the left, but Lumat is on the far right.
Romba and Warok, our last two Ewoks, caused me many, many sleepless nights. They were the only two figures I never got round to buying from the enitre range. By 1986, all of these figures had long since disappeared. I’d buying one a week with pocket money and eventually these two could not be found. Cue recurring dreams of being in a toy shop, swamped with new figures, while I panicked that I hadn’t completed the old set yet. Sad but true. Eventually, years later as a University student, I found Warok and Romba at a car boot sale and bought them for a pound each, happily thanking the previous owner for helping me end my quest. The dreams stopped immediately.
Note: no weapons with the last two Ewoks as they were bought second hand, that’s a spare Wicket spear that Romba is holding.
The Empire representation is a mixed bag in this wave. The Imperial Gunner is a cool looking figure, and a welcome addition to the troops. The Imperial Dignitary, on the other hand, gets a lot of flack for being a boring and seldom seen character in the film. Fair point, but I like the background figures to fill out the scenes, so I don’t mind him. Would’ve been cooler to have Tarkin at last though, or Han Stormtrooper!
Jabba’s henchmen round out the rest of this wave. I’ve always been a big fan of these type of characters, so Barada was very welcome. EV-9D9 is a rare occurence of a minor character with a speaking part actually getting a figure. This toy is very detailed and accurate, with a neat moving jaw to enable her to “talk”.
Amanaman is a ridiculously cool figure, but very strange. He’s very difficult to spot on the old VHS tape version of Jedi, and his bizarre design confused me – was he actually in the movie? Yes, he was – very briefly. Bonkers design, plus that amazing head-hunter staff make this figure a must have.
Finally, the legendary Yak Face. He wasn’t released in the USA, and despite not being that exciting a character, his rarity is immense. Even loose, Yak Face goes for a fair few quid these days – I bought him for £1.59 back in 85. I’ve still got the card. If he was intact on that card, oh boy… £££! Not that I’d sell him. The Tri-logo version never came with the weapon, but I have a spare so included it here.
And there we have it. The final Kenner/Palitoy wave of Star Wars action figures. Not long after these toys disappeared from store shelves, I’d wander onto other interests that would occupy me (right up till current times!), like skateboarding and music. The Star Wars figures were a huge part of my childhood though, and I’m so happy I still have them.
Of course, Star Wars toys weren’t gone forever. The mid 1990s would see the franchise return, and I’d be right there when it did. Really, the magic never ends.
May the Force be with you!
Please note: all figures are original 1980s Kenner versions. All accessories are original, except where noted.
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.
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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.
Happy New Year, readers! And welcome back to Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub – the web’s number one virtual location for soaking in warm, relaxing waters and enjoying my virtual adventures.
What a year 2019 has been. I’ve been to Comic Cons; written album reviews for Ever Metal; indulged in another traditional Halloween Horror Fest – and finally managed to get to a few gigs. Food and drinks reviews, as well as toy and tat blogs, have also made a comeback.
But what have been the most popular and widely read blogs in the last year? Let’s rewind the clocks and take a look, with a good ol’ countdown from ten to the number one spot…
At last! Some Halloween Horror Fest love, with my final set of reviews breaking into the Top 10. A first for my horror movie reviews, as far as I remember. A triple bill of The Wolf Man, Little Shop of Horrors and Lust for a Vampire.
Miracle of miracles – an item from my Tat collection rockets into the most popular blogs for the first time ever! Perhaps the saucy nature of the Jo Guest strip pen is to blame…
Only a couple of views more than Part 1, but Part 2 takes the crown for the most popular blog this year!
It’s great to see a variety of different topics be successful this year. Comic conventions, food and skateboards always fare well, but I’m very happy to see Star Wars toys and a bit of tat break through for the first time.I’ll endeavour to deliver more in 2020 – who knows what we’ll see?
My thanks to all my readers over the last year – I appreciate every single view, like and comment. I wish you all a healthy and prosperous 2020.
I have a lot of Star Wars toys. Not everything, but a lot of stuff. Most of it was collected when the toys were originally released, back when I was a kid. Luckily, I’ve kept them all, and since the late nineties I’ve sporadically added to the collection.
The Ewok Village Playset was a toy I never owned as a kid. Released as part of the Return of the Jedi toy line, it’s a large and feature packed set that provides a perfect home for your cuddly-yet-vicious little Empire destroyers.
There’s a fire for roasting Han Solo; a net for capturing rebels; a throne for C-3PO; an elevator for lifting figures up – and a secret escape chute for them to escape down. All of these neat play features and more; plus it makes a cool diorama for displaying your ROTJ action figures.
When I got into collecting Star Wars toys again in the late 90s, the Ewok Village was on my list of “wants”. I tracked this example down to a toy shop in Manchester and picked it up for £60, if I remember correctly.
I don’t think that shop is still there now. Or at least, I’ve not found it on subsequent visits. It seems to have vanished mysteriously into thin air…
Although opened, this Ewok Village was complete in box, with all the bits packed inside in little baggies. It’s easy to assemble – before long you can start to recreate some moments from the film.
And that’s exactly what I wanted to do here, with this series of photos: showcase some of my figures from the original line, as they appear in the film. I decided against doing a further photo session with more modern figures due to time!
There are two scenes recreated here. Firstly, the Rebels held captive by the Ewoks, whilst 3PO sits on his wooden throne. Han is held above the fire, about to make a tasty celebratory meal. The others are gathered (not tethered to wooden poles as in the film, as nothing like that exists for these toys) as they attempt to persuade their way out of the situation.
Unfortunately, a figure of Leia in her Ewok robes was never made for the original line, so she’s not present. Maybe I will have to create this again with the later figures after all, as that the Princess in that outfit was made later on. But hey, I’m not aiming for 100% screen accuracy here, just the best I can with what I have available.
I love ensemble scenes using action figures, so another I wanted to recreate was the end of the film. The Empire has been destroyed, the Galaxy is free: the Rebels celebrate their victory with their short, furry allies and all looks good for the future.
The ghosts of Obi-Wan, Yoda and Anakin are represented by their vintage figures, plus the main heroes are joined in their rejoicing with numerous members of the Rebel Alliance on Endor.
Ensemble scenes like this are my favourites in the movie, because it’s fun to spot random characters and details that were dropped into the film. This is the sort of thing that creates the rich diversity of Star Wars, and what constantly intrigues me. So, it’s nice to try to create something with toys that aims for as wide a scope.
So here are the two scenes: reasonably screen accurate, but not shackled to that original image. I did the best I could, and it was great fun.
One big mistake? Yes, I forgot to take a photo of the box the Ewok Village came in. Never mind, you can Google that, should you need to.
My buddy Dan acquired some tickets and I was off to my first Chester Comic Con. Amazingly, it was held at that den of drunken depravity, Chester Racecourse. So for once, that almighty dignity vacuum would feature some actual culture.
To be fair, the racecourse was a pretty good venue. There was plenty of space, with the indoor stalls surrounding a courtyard where numerous cosplayers, fans and geeks of all types could gather. As it was decent weather, this outdoor section was a handy addition as it got fairly crowded indoors.
The stalls were many and varied; it was good to see a large number of merchandise stalls selling all manner of collectable paraphernalia. There was plenty to drool over and spend hard earned cash on.
I picked up some comic books and Lego figures for presents, incredibly managing to resist adding more Funko Pops to my collection (there were lots). As always with these events, however, there was tons I regretted not picking up later!
The cosplayers at the Con were superb. There was all manner of fabulous creations on show, as seen here. You’ve go to admire the dedication, hard work and creativity that goes into making these costumes. I also think they’re also very brave, it takes some guts to proudly display your geek pride.
Well done to all the cosplayers – costumed heroes, every single one! And thanks for letting me take your photo for this blog.
A highlight of the day were the Q&A sessions. I caught a very interesting talk with Christopher Fairbank, who discussed his roles in film and TV from Auf Wiedersehen, Pet to Guardians of the Galaxy – and tons of other stuff. His recollections provided loads of fascinating insights behind some of the many projects he’s been a part of.
Later on, there was another Q&A with Martine Beswick, Caroline Munro and Madeline Smith. I’ve met these wonderful ladies before, but it was great to hear them talk about their experiences with Bond, Hammer and beyond. The session was light hearted and lots of fun, with some genuinely interesting stories. All three came across very well; they were warm and friendly and really happy to be part of the event. Superb, my favourite bit of the whole day.
All in all, Chester Comic Con was a total success. It was a great day out and I’ll definitely be repeating the experience next year. Let’s hope that 2018’s Con is expanded to two days!
Well folks, there you have it – for now. I have a few more photos from the event to share, however I appear to have reached my limit for images with WordPress. So for now, this is it.
In fact, this may be the end of Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub.
It’s been a couple of years since the gang made a trip to Birmingham NEC for Comic Con. Not that we didn’t want to, other stuff just got in the way, sadly. November 2016 however would see us return to Comic Con for all the usual fun and games.
Right from the off, the number of cosplayers seemed to be even higher than previous. There were all kinds of characters on view, and plenty of them, from every franchgise you could think of.
Boushh
Belle
Wicket
Bat gang
Monkey
The most popular costume this year was undoubtedly (and unsurprisingly) Harley Quinn. Harley has always been a regular sight at conventions such as this whenever I’ve visited. Following the success of the Suicide Squad movie, there were dozens of Harleys, of all types, everywhere. Not to do any of the cosplayers a disservice – they all looked fantastic, whether they were original comic book or Margot Robbie inspired.
I tried to take as many photos as possible of the amazing costumes. Everyone had obviously gone to great trouble to create outfits that were well made and accurate.
Unfortunately I couldn’t get photos of everyone, some people just slipped by and I missed them!
Double trouble
Always loved Black Canary
Ivy
Princesses
Scarlet Witch
Plus, as always, I appear to have had a slight technical issue – resulting in several photos that would have been very cool not turning out at all. My apologies to Storm and Walking Dead Daryl (amongst many others) – both of whom had awesome costumes, but my poor skills resulted in terrible pics!
The stalls were full of incredible paraphernalia as always. So tempting, but regrettably I’m not made of money. I saw dozens of very cool items, picked up a couple of things, left loads more. I’m still missing not buying the Elvira Funko Pop…
She-Ra
Pinhead
Canary and Arrow
Joker and Harleys
Deadpool
My Star Wars collecting has retired these days. I’m now only picking up (affordable) figures from the Original Trilogy; as I’m up to date with all that stuff there wasn’t anything to concern me.
Still, I had a good look around and thoroughly enjoyed scavenging for groovy collectables!
All in all it was another great day at the NEC. Always spectacular, a great atmosphere and loads to see. Looking forward to returning in March for more of the same!
It was time for another fun family day out in Wrexham, for Wales Comic Con. Time to charge up the landspeeder and head over for more sci-fi shenanigans at Glyndwr University…
Following on from the success of last year’s events, Wales Comic Con is now spread over a whole weekend. This was a good move, as there seemed to be less crowds this year – without losing any of the welcoming spirit.
Tell your lad hes been a naughty boy!
Bane
Captain America Minion
Stunning Morticia
Aladdin and Jafar
We headed over on the Sunday, and though the weather wasn’t as amazing as this time last year, it still managed to remain fairly decent. No matter, there were plenty of things to see and do, both inside and out, at the Con.
Although the guests weren’t of particular interest to me personally, it was nice to see a good amount of celebs in attendance. The celeb who I was most thrilled to see was none other than Justin Lee Collins, who I didn’t know was there. Most of the females in the vicinity seemed to be very taken with Jason “Aquaman” Momoa…
Eddie
With the troops
Flight crew
Deadpool
Captain and Cat
The amount of merchandise on sale appeared to be greater than previous, which was a bonus. We splashed out on a few items, namely a cuddly Harley Quinn doll, a Walking Dead mug and some (delicious) peanut butter fudge.
The highlight, as ever, were the Cosplayers – dressed as all manner of characters from every facet of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror that you could imagine. Yet again, the ingenuity and creativity on display was astonishing. I took load of photos, which you can see here. Despite my best camera having gone to the great Jessops in the sky, they mostly turned out OK.
Princesses and a scoundrel
Joker and Two Face
Harley and Winter Soldier
Fantastic Ariel
Fred
So a big thank you to everyone who posed for a photo. Everyone was very friendly and happy to be photographed – they were all super stars!
Speaking of Cosplay, my daughter Eloise was dressed as Princess Leia again and looked fantastic! Quite a few people commented how great she looked, and asked for her photo!
Punisherette and Two Face
Princess, Luke and Yoda
Disney Princesses
Anarchy at the Con
Supergirl and man
This was also the first time I tentatively dipped my toes in the water of costuming at an event also. After having been chided by various people at Sci Fi Weekender for not dressing as Tony Stark, I decided to give it a go. I wore the same Black Sabbath that Tony wears in the film, and relied on my beard for the rest. It was OK and a couple of people knew who I was supposed to be. No one asked for my picture though…
Robert Downey Jr?
Loki vs Thor
I should also say that the staff seemed to be very helpful and efficient also.
All in all a grand day out for the Platinum Al family. Looking forward to more later in the year!
Wow. This year’s Sci Fi Weekender was a blur – it went faster than light speed. All the usual geekery was in full swing, though I’ll be gosh darned if I can remember everything and what order it happened in. Too much blue milk?
Never mind, I have numerous photos of the weekend to share; to help report on this cosmic adventure. Except that didn’t go to plan this year. My trusty Canon was on the blink, so I resorted to a little digital snapper and my phone.
Not ideal, but sometimes you have to compromise.
Thor and Loki
Merida
Freddy
Scream
Harley and Zatanna
Cool outfit!
General Zod
So what is Sci Fi Weekender? For the unititiated, it’s a weekend of events and special guests, all held on site at the Hafan Y Mor holiday park in Pwllheli, North Wales. Think Comic Con but at a holiday camp and with a party atmosphere. All manner of interview panels, Q&As, games, and musical entertainment are part of the festivities.
Plus a prog rock festival – HRH Prog – was also being held on the same weekend. Not a massive tie in with science fiction you may think (at least not without Hawkwind playing). However it gave additional entertainment for those with musical interests.
Our weekend began with four of us – Adam, Greeny, Kurt and myself – driving from our corner of north east Wales to the north west. On the way we popped into Cob records in Porthmadog to feed our vinyl addition. Then we settled into our caravan home from home – complete with haul of supplies from the local ASDA – and planned our DVD watching schedule for the night.
Belle and Prince
Double trouble
Ant Man and She Hulk
Group pic
Amazing!
Unfortunately the DVD player wasn’t working, and without tickets for the Thursday evening SFW party, we were stuck. Rather than watch TV, we went for a pint in the onsite pub. We then popped in to see what the prog rock was all about. We didn’t think we would get in, but it was no problem. As a result we were able to see Third Quadrant (quite good) and the excellent Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Arthur is over seventy years old and jumps around on stage like a nutter. Highly entertaining and some great tunes.
Friday began with the bad news that Kurt was ill. He’s only 16 so booze wasn’t the issue. As a result, Kurt and his dad Greeny were pretty much out of the running for the day. They watched TV and chilled. Plus Ste, our remaining member, had burst the inflatable camp bed by leaving it too close to the fire. He suffered a bad night’s sleep on the sofa as a result.
The rest of us headed over to the arena and started checking things out. I took a few photos and looked round the stalls. We caught a Cosplay panel with Tabitha from Artyfakes that was very interesting, with extremely impressive Space Marine costumes and hints and tips about the hobby. I bottled asking my question though, which was “How do you go for a wee?”.
Star Trek
She Hulk
This pic should be gloomier
Belle
Doctor
I also watched an interview panel of comic book artists. The panel consisted of 2000AD greats such as Glenn Fabry, William Simpson, Clint Langley and Simon Davis. Hosted by Dez Skinn, the panel was informative and also amusing; it seems some of the assembled masters had been on the pop? Either way, these guys were like rock stars to me when I was a young 2000AD fan, so it was pretty cool.
The vibe around the arena was good natured as always. I took some cool photos (thanks everyone) and despite our numbers being depleted, we had a good afternoon.
After a delightful pizza from the onsite Papa John’s (it was great!); we were ready for the evening’s entertainment. I’m afraid to say that the Imaginarium and magicians weren’t really my thing this year. It’s difficult to dig the magic when you can’t see it up close.
Orc
Morticia and Gomez
Mario and pals
Jedi and Ewok
Welcome!
The highlight was the one and only Professor Elemental, steam punk hip hop pioneer. His smooth raps mixed with groovy beats like a well tuned gin and tonic. A pleasure to witness, as always.
At the end of the night, I teleported across the site to see the end of the set by Caravan. Not only a very apt band to be playing, they were actually pretty good. The Soft Machine were on last with a more jazz orientated approach. All very impressive and I’m glad I got to see something different.
I’m ashamed to say that we all ended up crashing out early on Friday night. Illness and lack of sleep took it’s toll. I was last man standing, going to bed at 11.30pm. Pathetic, I know.
In Part 2: Brian Blessed, the Cosplay final, more Prog Rock…
Platinum Al's Virtual Hot Tub 