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.
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.
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.
And now we return to Birmingham NEC for Part 2 of my MCM Comic Con report…
Despite forgetting my camera, which is a new low even for me, my trusty phone was at hand to document everything. So luckily, I managed to take plenty of photos during the day – and there are plenty of awesome cosplayers still to see.
Which is good, because I don’t have much else to write following the previous post.
But you’re not here for my ramblings, are you? Enjoy the pics instead.
DC gang
Joker and Hela
Scarecrow
Meg and Herc
Horror gang
Hellgirl
Horror family
Black Cat and Spidey
Boba
Green Arrow
Darth Talon and Scarecrow
Avengers
Empire
Lara
Lara 2
I’ll leave you with one final image: the Stan Lee memorial. This was a massive mural to commemorate the life of the recently departed genius – a nice touch.
Well here we go, as promised, one more recap from Sci Fi Weekender 2018. In previous years, my SFW blogs have run to two parts – with some Director’s Cuts (featuring alternate and unused photos) occasionally cropping up too.
This year though, there were so many photos that the only way to get these out (without delaying these things too long) was to create a Part 3.
Please accept my apologies, all those who have waited to see their photos. Your patience is really appreciated and I’m really sorry you’ve had to wait.
I just hope these pics are OK – remember I’m no professional photographer, it’s all done for fun. Regardless, the awesome feedback I get from SFW attendees is always great to hear – thanks!
I’ve covered all the antics I can remember from the weekend, so without further ado, lets get on with the pics, shall we?!
Right back at ya with Part 2 of my report from Sci Fi Weekender 9. Apologies for the delay, I’ve had some issues with memory banks getting wiped.
Day 2 of the festivities began with a monumental shock for our crew. One of our team, Ensign Davies, had succumbed to a strange, planet borne virus. When we awoke, there was no sign of our comrade. He soon made contact however with news that he had beamed back up to the ship to recover.
Never the less, yet again the crew were falling prey to illness. We would need all our stamina to see this campaign through.
Thunderbirds are go!
Skating trooper and Lady Joker
Cool outfits
Star Wars stars
Cosplay greats!
First Mate Adam was up and out on patrol early; he went to view the new film from Tom Paton: “Black Site”. Tom’s work had been witnessed before at SFW, and expectation was high for this new production. Adam was happy to confirm that the movie was, indeed, excellent and well worth viewing (along with the cast and crew Q&A).
Myself, I took a local planetary transport omnibus to the nearby settlement of Porthmadog in order to feed my vinyl craving. Crew members Greeny and Kurt remained in the static exploration cabin; monitoring visual communications.
Ace crime fighting duo
Incredible!
No idea but I love it
Silk Spectre and Thor
Lovely couple
Upon my return, the crew and I ventured out for further reconnaissance of the SFW9 event. This involved in depth examination of merchandise for sale and photographing some of the unusual and impressive costumes on display.
Saturday evening was all set up for a big entertainment explosion in the Main Void, with the Imaginarium in full swing. The action began with the Area 51 dancers disrupting visual scanners with fire eating and other astounding acts. There was also Merlin the Escapologist, who managed to escape from a giant fish bowl on his head. Or something like that, I was quite far away and it was packed out.
Sharknado!
Lethal
Princesses and Prince
Fiona – great costume, bad photo
Awesome!
Whilst chilling with my crew and imbibing some refreshment, I managed to completely miss the highlight of the whole weekend: the Cosplay final. I as absolutely horrified to realise I’d missed this, as it’s always a genuine highlight of SFW. Luckily I was still able to capture some images of many of the guests; to my shame this was not enough however.
Instead I enjoyed the brilliant BBC Radiophonic Workshop, who performed live a veritable feast of electronic sci-fi sounds. Chief among these of course were themes from Dr Who, a real treat that brought back some fond memories. I’d missed the BBC Radiophonic Workshop on previous excursions, so I was delighted to hear their evocative experimental ear-worms properly. Fantastic stuff.
Futurama
Rocky Horror
V!
Arrow and Canary
Rocketeer
I then made my exit from the Main Void, as the next feature wasn’t to my taste. I appear to be the only person at SFW – out of hundreds – who doesn’t dig The Dark Room. I’d seen the start of the previous night’s show and wasn’t into it. It was just Peter Stringfellow with a bad temper.
Maybe it’s because I’m not into computer games, or maybe – for once – I’m just not geeky enough. Either way, I’m in the minority as far as The Dark Room goes, and that’s fine with me.
Ash
Fatman and Robin
Cool group
Toy Story Gang
Fantastic!
So off I went to see Blues Harvest, a multi talented rock band with a penchant for all things nerdy. They put on a great show, including Star Wars themes (performed by a rock band, remember) that were simply superb – all set to a cool visual edit from the movies.
Funnily enough my memory banks appear to be somewhat fried at this point, but I do recall Blues Harvest playing a storming Bowie tribute (“Life on Mars?” and “Magic Dance”, I think!). Their final number was the Huey Lewis and the News chestnut “The Power of Love” – rounding off a fabulous set that combined rockin’ goodness with nostalgic treats.
Outside Papa Johns
Rey
Judge
Superstar!
General Zod
The night was played out by the living legend that is DJ Level Up Leroy, who did a fine job of spinning a pulsating mix of tunes. The sci-fi theme was continued nicely with come choice cuts and awesome visuals!
And that, ladies and gentle beings, was that. Sadly for another year, the spectacular Sci Fi Weekender was at a close.
Negan and Star Lord
Indy and pals
Amazing!
Another epic group shot!
Princess Bride – Classic!!!
Before I leave you, some thanks: to all the Cosplayers, you were fantastic! Fun and friendly, everyone of you was a joy to behold. Yet again your talent and creativity were mind boggling to see. Well done all! I’m sorry I didn’t get more photos, but my sincere appreciation to all of those I took pics of.
Finally, to all the Sci Fi Weekenders, from across all known worlds and galaxies: THANK YOU! You make this event the success it is. Sci Fi Weekender is all about camaraderie and celebrating the things we love as one big tribe (to borrow Professor Elemental’s words). It was a pleasure to meet you again or for the first time; long may it continue.
Epic group shot
Look, I’ll tell you what. This blog is a monster. To save delaying posting it any longer, I’ve got no choice other than to do a Part 3. So the final batch of photos (don’t worry, I’ve run out of ramblings) will be soon. Stay tuned!
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!
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.
Platinum Al's Virtual Hot Tub 