FILM and Comic Book conventions have a reputation as being a bit of a geek-fest, a place where nerds from across the land congregate to talk about their favourite superheroes and argue whether the film was better than the original graphic novel. While this is usually true, there's a lot more going on at these conventions than you think...
These conventions are more a celebration of the cultures and sub-cultures that surround comics and film
Firstly, you’re more likely to stand out if you’re NOT in costume.
There’s no rule saying everyone has to wear a costume to attend Comic Con, but it’s a great opportunity to do so. The majority of attendees will be wearing some kind of costume, even if it’s just a themed outfit (a safer option if you’re worried about reactions outside the convention... or in the pub afterwards). There are plenty of hilarious, ironically-bad costumes and even more meticulous Cosplay adaptations (Costume-play: is more than just a costume, it’s an artistic homage to whatever character your playing - voice, posture, attitude, the lot)
Even the food is nerdy.
Down to the last detail, everything is designed to push all your geek buttons, like these cute ‘kawaii’ Japanese sweets, character cupcakes or 'rare' KitKats.
Mmm rare Kitkat(photobucket credit: Chris Keller-Jackson)
You will get a lot of exercise.
There is so much to see and do that you will spend most of your day walking. Convention centres are always huge, and the labyrinth of T-Shirt and poster stalls provide an excellent alternative to a treadmill, so you have a perfect excuse for skipping the gym this weekend - especially if you're carrying round a 150lb axe.
There is a chance you’ll bump into someone famous.
Film and comic cons not only attract fans, but also a few stars. The Manchester Comiccon this weekend hosted the likes of Robert Llewellyn (Red Dwarf), Sylvester McCoy (Doctor Who) the cast of Arrow, Travis Van Winkle and Bumblebee (Transformers), Sean Kelly (Storage Hunters) and many more, including anime writers, voice over actors, and the robots from Robot Wars. That’s right. Fighting. Robots. Oh and Bumblebee from Transformers...
...on second thoughts, Tyrion should have bought a smaller carYou will probably get tangled in someone else’s costume.
Because the convention gets so crowded, it can be difficult to manoeuvre between stalls without getting hit on the head with a home-made foam sword, get caught on a Batman utility belt or step on someone’s Rapunzel from Tangled wig. But that’s okay. Make sure their costume is still in one piece, laugh it off and move along. The ‘remember the time I got stuck in Spider Man’s web?’ story will make a great anecdote for later.
Erm Is that a shark cannon?It’s not just about films and comic books.
These conventions are more a celebration of the cultures (and sub-cultures) that surround comics and film than anything else. There are even whole stalls devoted to Japanese lifestyle and unique fashion trends like ‘Steam Punk’, and a multitude of other weird and wonderful things you’ve never even heard of.
Sword... anyone?Film and Comic book conventions are about meeting like-minded people, learning new things about your pop-culture faves, seeing exclusive film and game previews, being silly and eating sweets. It’s not just for ‘geeks’, and it’s certainly not just for kids, it’s for absolutely everyone. If you couldn’t make it to MCM Manchester this weekend, you should really think about getting your ticket for the next MCM event.
