Tag Archives: Return of the Jedi

Liverpool Comic Con

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Liverpool Comic Con

Saturday 4th May and Sunday 5th May 2024

Exhibition Centre, King’s Docks, Liverpool

Liverpool Comic Con is massive! This event has grown into a truly huge experience, taking up gigantic halls just at the side of the river Mersey. For one whole weekend, thousands of people visited this convention and were able to be a part of what was a monumental gathering.

With it being Star Wars Day on the Saturday (“May the Fourth be with you”, of course), this event seemed like the ideal place to be. I ventured over to Liverpool with my daughter in tow on the Sunday, eager to make a full day of the whole experience.

Daughtertron attended dressed as Ellie Williams from The Last of Us Part 2. I’ve never heard of it, but she looked pretty cool. Unfortunately I have been banned by Daughterton from sharing her photos, in case they are used for nefarious deeds by evil classmates. A shame, it was nice that one of us made the effort to get into a bit of cosplay – but never mind – there are plenty of other photos here.

With literally hundreds of people milling about, there was no way I could take photos of everybody. There were dozens of amazing costumes worn by talented people on display – thank you all for allowing me to take your picture. You’re all heroes, and one day I’ll join in with you and get dressed up. I’m running out of excuses, so I just need to decide who to be. Suggestions are welcome.

Of course the merch stalls were a big draw for me, as always. There were loads of different stalls selling all kinds of amazing paraphernalia, all in an enormous aircraft hangar of a building.

The best bit was that I was actually able to buy comics at a Comic Convention! I know that sounds crazy, but several of the events I’ve attended haven’t had a single stall selling comics. Luckily I was able to spend a few quid on some classic Bronze Age Marvel publications for my collections.

I was less happy with the action figure situation, as there was little in the way Star Wars and Reaction figure selections that interested me. Tons of Funko Pops, though none I desired. Daughtertron was very happy with a Monster High doll and an Elvira Funko Pop (different to the version I already own!).

There were many celebs in attendance for those desiring of autographs and meet and greets. The guest list was very impressive, with Hollywood big timer Orlando Bloom at the top of the list. There were also some Lords of the Rings dudes, Jay and Silent Bob, and John Cleese – amongst many others.

The only criticism I’ve heard of the day was the inflated prices: tickets, celeb autographs and photos, even the food. One one hand, putting on an event of this magnitude must incur some major expense; but I could see the point of the detractors. This was an event where spending could easily get out of hand.

My only complaint personally was that there was little in the way of guidance for what was where. Visitors could buy a program, which seemed to be the only way to get hold of a map. Without a map, finding your way around could be a headache. It took us a while to find our way into the main arena – but when we did get in there, our jaws hit the floor.

The huge arena housed an array of amazing vehicles and props: a life size X-Wing Fighter, Luke Skywalker’s landspeeder, a Jabba the Hutt model. There were also vehicles and scenes from Ghostbusters, Robocop, Stranger Things, The Lost Boys, even the Flintstones. It was photo opportunity heaven, all while live bands played.

My autograph hunting days are well behind me, but we made an exception to meet Tim Rose, the man behind many creations including Admiral Ackbar and Salacious Crumb in Return of the Jedi. Ackbar is one of Daughtertron’s favourite Star Wars characters, and mine too. Mr Rose could not have been nicer, he was charming and chatty and an absolute joy to spend a few minutes with. Thanks, Tim!

And that was about it for the day. I hope you enjoy the photos – there should be some more, but currently the technology is playing tricks on me and I can’t find them. If and when they turn up, I’ll do a Part 2. Hope you had a good time at Liverpool Comic Con if you were there. If not, get yourself to the next one!

Here’s the Liverpool Comic Con website.

Star Wars Figures – Return of the Jedi Part 2

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dav

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.

Star Wars Figures – Return of the Jedi Part 1

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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.

Ewok Village Playset

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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.

May the Force be with you!

Wales Comic Con

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Wales Comic Con

Saturday 2nd – Sunday 3rd December 2017

Glyndwr University, Wrexham

One more Comic Con for the year, to finish 2017 off in style.  It seems like I’ve done a lot of conventions recently!

I didn’t make it to Wrexham for Wales Comic Con back in April, but I’ve been there previously and it’s always a fun event.  Now expanded to run over two days, this winter edition of the Con was bigger than ever.

Most impressive was the calibre of the guests that appear here.  It’s a far more impressive line up than even the mighty NEC could muster recently.  Wrexham definitely punches above it’s weight in that category.

Boba Fett
Abraham and friend
Jurassic Park
Agent Carter
Carl and Daryl

Being December, the weather was sometimes a challenge.  The Spring gathering has been lucky weather-wise, and the outside expanse has always been a fun place to hang out and take photos, meet people etc.  Cold and rain took more of a toll this time, but didn’t seem to dampen peoples spirits too much.

This event wasn’t without some criticism.  Although we had bought tickets prior, we had to queue (outside, in the rain) for about forty minutes after the doors opened to get in. 

When we did get in, we marched off to the Signing Zone to find the guests from The Walking Dead (our prime reason for being there).  After scouting around the entire area, it turned out that these particular guests were in a different Signing Zone!  Notification of this passed us by completely, if it was available at all.

Despite these organisational issues that we perceived at first, things settled down and this Comic Con turned out to be a great success.

The first hit of the day was the Q&A panel featuring Scott Wilson (Hershel) and Michael Cudlitz (Abraham) from The Walking Dead.  This was really interesting, with some quality questions from the audience.  Both Scott and Michael came across really well, with amusing anecdotes and genuine appreciation for the show and it’s fans.

Wednesday meets Jareth
Wednesday and the pirates

We could have happily listened to these guys for much longer, but all good things come to an end and this had been unmissable.

It was then time to queue up (again!  Haha) to meet the actors from The Walking Dead.  We’re big fans in our house, in particular Mrs Platinum Al – and she was really keen to meet Michael Cudlitz.

The queue wasn’t too long or arduous, and we got to meet Mr Cudlitz and get a selfie and autographed photo.  He was very cool and gracious; he joked with fans and was very friendly.  Despite only having a short time to meet people, Michael did an excellent job of remembering names and making everyone feel very welcome.

Superb stuff, and Mrs Platinum Al’s Christmas present was now in the bag!

Talking about acquisitions, Wrexham has upped the ante with the amount of traders selling goodies.  In the past the number of dealers seemed limited (probably due to space), there were far more this time.  Good news in a wallet endangering way.

Doesnt like Daleks
Meeting Abraham

 

The Prop Knife

Remember those trick knives you used to find in joke shops?  Plastic, with a blade that retracted into the hilt when you “stabbed” something?  We took one as a prop for my daughter, who was dressed as Wednesday Addams.  Turned out to be a cool idea.  Michael Cudlitz, bless him, allowed Eloise to “stab” him in the head, walker killer style, to “stop him coming back”.  From the dead that is, not back to Wales.  Michael played along brilliantly – I didn’t get a photo though, curses!

The trick knife also came in handy for a cool zombie killer pic featuring Mrs Platinum Al (see below).

With tons of guests, Q&As, memorabilia to peruse and other activities, there was plenty to see and do.

Of course there were loads of great Cosplayers at Wales Comic Con too.  I took a few photos, but the usual issues of time and the weather meant I didn’t get too many.  I’ve shared the pics here.  Unfortunately some photos didn’t turn out (as always), hopefully these shots will provide a flavour of the event.

Admiral Ackbar
Joker
Cool!
Leeloo
Hela

Thanks again to these amazing people, who have created fantastic costumes and let their creativity flow.  Thanks for allowing me to take pictures and more power to you!

If Wales Comic Con keeps developing as it has, then 2018 should be even bigger and better.  The fact that the organisers can entice such amazing guests is fantastic.  Let’s hope the success continues.

The Wales Comic Con website is here.

Sci-fi Weekender 2016 – The Director’s Cut

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Sci Fi Weekender 17th – 20th March 2016

Hafan Y Mor Holiday Park, Pwllheli

It’s nearly that time again – the time for Sci-Fi Weekender at Hafan Y Mor, North Wales.  So as per previous years, here are a few bonus photos from last years festivities.  For some reason or other, these shots never made the original two part blog write up last year.  My apologies for that, but here are the best of what’s left.

Cool!
Awesome
Beautiful
Fab
Jedi and Jawas

For those with memories wiped or destroyed by pan galactic gargle blasters, Sci-Fi Weekender is a gathering every March for all things science fiction and fantasy related.  There are special celebrity guests, discussion panels, interviews, workshops, gaming and more.  Not to mention plenty of entertainment and partying.

If this is your kind of thing, there’s no better place to be than Pwllheli, where the Hafan Y Mor caravan park hosts this superb event.

The main highlight of the festivities are the people who attend.  Travelling from all over known galaxy, there are some wonderful people to meet and a welcoming atmosphere for all.

Troop shot
Rogue Trooper shot
My Little Pony
Group shot
Han and Princess

Of course the cosplay on display is inspiring, eccentric and hugely creative.  Whether it’s a costume that’s taken hours (or days) to make or just a fun nod to a random, unsung background character, the inventiveness and level of in depth knowledge to be seen is spectacular.

So here are a few more photos of the brave, intrepid souls who let their creative prowess and geek pride shine.  Every one of them a star.

Enjoy the photos – though be warned: they’re of varying quality…

Girls just wanna have fun

Max!
Pull my finger
Terminator
Temple of Doom
Dark Jedi

Sci Fi Weekender 2016 – part 2

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Phoenix

Sci Fi Weekender 17th – 20th March 2016

Hafan Y Mor Holiday Park, Pwllheli

Day 2 at SFW, and again it’s all a blur.  I recall it was a lazy start to the day for me, breakfast and chilling in the caravan.  Kurt was feeling better, but Greeny was starting to suffer with the illness.  It would be mostly be another day of watching Star Trek, Big Bang Theory and Top Gear for those two.

Adam had got up early and made it to see a showing of a new independent film called Pandorica.  Classed as an action-horror, reports about the film were very enthusiastic.  The Q&A with Director and cast was my first event of the day – it was interesting although I’d not seen the film!  Definitely one to keep and eye out for: word of mouth was very positive.

Wheres Blessed?
Jokes
Rey and Leia
Papa Johns is just ahead of you…
Massive Wampa
Marvel gang

The highlight of the afternoon was, undoubtedly, an appearance by the incomparable Brian Blessed.  Larger than life and twice as loud, Blessed’s sci-fi credentials are suitably top notch.  A life long fan of science fiction, as well in starring in numerous genre pieces – you may have heard of Flash Gordon – his enthusiasm was both apparent and infectious.

Professor Elemental hosted the Q&A with Brian Blessed, who wisely let the great man get on and tell his tales!  A solid job from the Professor – a daunting task well executed.

Blessed’s talk ranged from his acting work to his many explorations and mountaineering adventures.  His recollections of the Flash Gordon movie, and it’s well deserved appreciation by audiences the world over, were affectionately told.  An unmissable audience with a real living legend.

Judges
Dr Strange and pals
Black Cat
Vinz Clortho and pals!
Chewie with friends

In the afternoon I took some photos and looked around the stalls again.  Unfortunately, this years SFW again clashed with MCM Memorabilia in Birmingham, so genre based merchandise was thin on the ground.  I picked up some cool Elvira cocktail glasses though!

A good feature this year was the retro gaming section, where numerous old consoles could be played for free.  This was very popular, and although I don’t play video games it meant I always knew where to find my crew if we split up.  They were always playing games…

Every year at SFW, the Cosplay final is something to behold.  There’s always a sense of excitement in the air, as the costumed competitors take the stage.  And every year, the audience and competitors are enthusiastic and good natured.  Everyone cheers for each other, and there’s a real sense of community.  It’s nice to witness all the attendees rooting for each other; even though there will always be favourites, there is no bitterness.

Wolverine
Rocket and Gamora
Urban Troopers
Tank Girl and friends
Aquaman

The costumes were exceptional, as you can see (hopefully) from the photos here.  Not everyone entered the competition, but there were so many great costumes whether they were entering or just dressing up for fun.  Massive respect to everyone.

I find it great fun spotting and naming the characters.  The variety and imagination on show is consistently astounding, not to mention the talent that goes into making the costumes.  So again, thanks to all the Cosplayers for letting me take your photos.  Too many of my pics didn’t work out.  I also missed far too may opportunities.  But I hope that the photos here capture some of the creativity I witnessed.

And I sincerely apologise for not dressing up!  I lost count of the number of people who chastised me (with good humour, of course) for not dressing as Tony Stark…

Mario and friends
Dungeons and Dragons
Captain America
Edward
My Little Pony ladies

Anyway, there can only be one winner of the Cosplay final, and that was the Robot Overlord fellow.  I can’t remember the character’s name, but I swear it was truly incredible!

Later on in the evening, I zoomed over to the Prog Rock area to catch some music.  I was very happy to catch the Focus set; the song “Hocus Pocus” was an obvious highlight.  I only saw a couple of songs by Ian Anderson (of Jethro Tull fame) – though they were impressive – before heading back to the spaceport.

Nostromo crew
Mr Tumble!
Arrow and Canary
Zombies
Wonder Woman

For the rest of the evening, my compadre, Ste and myself had a few beers and hung around with various SFW attendees.  We saw some old pals and met a few new ones.  I took more photos – including the now traditional “no photos” social media-proof shades pics.  And we managed to stay up partying till after 2 in the morning!

Not such a good thing going home Sunday…

Still, another great time at Sci Fi Weekender.  And yes, Greeny and Kurt got better, thanks for asking.

If you were there, it was good to see you.  Hopefully we’ll see you next year.

And big thanks to Adam, who organised the whole thing for us!

The Sci Fi Weekender site is here.

The HRH Prog site is here.

PS: There are photos left unpublished, so there will be Bonus Scenes in a few weeks.  Be warned!

Party
Rebel pilots
Alien girl
Indy and friends
Oscar D2
Two Face

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Cosplay winner!

Sci Fi Weekender 2016 – part 1

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IMG_20160318_114228066Sci Fi Weekender 17th – 20th March 2016

Hafan Y Mor Holiday Park, Pwllheli

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…

PLUS: will we be able to stay up late?

Stay tuned to this frequency…

The Sci Fi Weekender site is here.

You really should check out Professor Elemental.  His website is here, plus he’s on that Twitter and stuff too.

The Return of Wales Comic Con 2015

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Wales Comic Con – Sunday 29th November 2015

Glyndwr University, Wrexham

Back in April, my family and I attended the first Wales Comic Con of the year, held at Glyndwr University in Wrexham.  However just one day was not enough – November saw a second event in a similar vein.

So that meant star guests signing, merch for sale and dozens of cosplayers – all gathered together for a fun day.  Whatever you’re fan of, from the realms of film, television or comic books; be it sci-fi, fantasy, or other genre – there was something there for everyone.

Leia and Fett
Vic Rattlehead
Nick Fury
Deadpool
Halloween Jedi
Family portrait!
Disney princesses
Leia and Elsa

At the previous event, we were lucky to have some stunning warm weather.  No such luck this time – the rain lashed down and the wind blew mercilessly.  Even for November, this weather wasn’t great.  No matter though, the atmosphere at the event was still every bit as sunny as previous.  Quite surprisingly, everyone’s spirits were high and there was still an air of excitement.

Comic Con was largely about Star Wars for my family, with my daughter Eloise dressed as Princess Leia in classic A New Hope style outfit.  She had a fantastic time having photos taken, and running after stormtroopers trying to shoot them (with a blaster from my collection!).  Meeting Chewbacca was also a highlight.

Natasha, Scott, Elf
V
Cap
Family Portrait 2!
Pris
Wonder Woman
Join the Empire or else!
Incredible!

The costumes were varied and impressive – though due to the weather, lack of time and a technical fault my photos were limited.  Which was a shame as there were many more photos I’d have liked to take.

So another great event at Wrexham, and an excellent afternoon out.  We’ll definitely be back for more next time.

The Wales Comic Con website is here.

Its a trap!
Princesses
Grotbags!
Captured!
Jurassic Park patrol
Ghost Rider
Windy