10 Things You Need To Do At London Comic Con
Don't want to read our comic con preview? Then why not just check out the 10 you need to do this weekend!
1. Get your costume ready.
This will without a doubt, be the main aspect of Comic Con as well as the main confusion on every form of public transport in London this Saturday and Sunday morning. One of the biggest get together's of cosplayers in the UK, if you ain't in costume you ain't enjoying yourself. Another plus is that it's the only time you'll be allowed to wear Lycra in public without being frowned upon! It's great to see the efforts that people will go to and how impressive their costumes turn out, and then the efforts that others make...
2. Check out The Hike. Showing this Friday for anyone that is 18+ and has an early entry ticket. You'll be able to check out this British horror before others. The Hike, follows young soldier Kate (Zara Phythian),who's back home after her tour. In the comfort of friends they take the chance to go on a hike, there they meet other hikers led by Ethan (Ben Loyd Holmes), and a number of crazed locals. As night falls, one of the girls go missing, and we can only assume that it kicks off from there. So get your scare on since it's Halloween weekend and check it out, cast & crew will also be around at the weekend for picture and autograph opportunities. 3. Meet the stars.
Boasting a selection of famous and not-so famous faces from pop culture, why not rub shoulders with the cast of Torchwood (Barrowman not included), some of the cast from the new show Teen Wolf, including lead actor Tyler Posey. Or one of the many other stars including; Agam Darshi (Stargate, Watchmen), Jonathan Young (Sanctuary, Taken) and Gail Simone (Writer of Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey) What seems to be the strangest group of guests is Philip Shahbaz, who does the voice of Altaïr in Assassins Creed, and a number of people who do voices for Dragon Age 2, including Gideon Emery who must have spent the entire game talking to himself as he does the majority of main characters in the game. It must be strange when your voice is more famous than you are, but then I suppose it's something that guy from X Factor deals with every day. Now I know what you're thinking, this line-up of voice actors couldn't get better, but that's where you're wrong. Vic Mignogna (Dragon Ball, Full Metal Alchemist) will be there! Now you probably don't know who he is but anyone who's ever watched an anime would most likely have heard him, since he's done pretty much every anime ever released along with some Star Trek episodes and video games.
4. Visit the fringe.
Now you've all cosplayed up and you're ready to meet up with others, but you've picked the most obscure character and no one knows who you are? Fear not, the Comic Con's fringe is a selection of organised meet-ups for those dressed as characters from specific shows and comics, so that everyone can get together for photo opportunities and hang out. The full schedule can be viewed here! Of course, even if you're not a cosplayer, strolling past some of the groups is always fun. But imagine stumbling across this group!
5. JapanEX
The themed section in the arena that give you a taste of all things Asian and Japanese. Featuring fashion, food, martial arts, games and music, it's a must see for any wannabe Otaku. In previous years the JapanEX section has featured Gothic Lolita fashions, Para Para dance lessons, and lectures on the Japanese tea ceremonies.6. Head to the games expo.
This year's games expo is sponsored by Batman Arkham City, so there will most likely be numerous occasions to get a hands on with the game. Other games on show are some titles already released, but numerous hands on previews of the titles coming out soon and early next year. Included are, The Darkness 2, SoulCalibur V and Saints Row: The Third. Nintendo will be featuring Luigis Mansion 2, Super Mario 3D Land and Zelda: Skyward Sword. Square Enix will have Final Fantasy XIII-2, and Ubisoft will have Rayman Origins. The whole selection of titles can be found here, and is something that shouldn't be missed.7. See the Euro Cosplay Championships.
So I've already mocked cosplaying a little, and one of the pictures in particular might have done most the mocking itself, but those who enter the Euro Cosplay Championships really know how to cosplay. Entry is simple and the major rule is that the majority of the persons apparel must be hand made and not purchased. With that in mind, it does make the costumes all the more impressive. One of last years winners was Leandro from Portugal (Shown below), you can tell a lot of craftsmanship has gone into this and it's great seeing an entry from Portugal and then Britain's entry of Domo, seen here.
8. Stroll through Comic Village.
After all, this is Comic Con and Comic Village is where it's at, featuring over 130 artists and writers, most of which will be selling goods and will be there just for a chat. Featured will DC/Marvel artists and writers, all the way down to the smallest of indie studios. Events at the Comic Village include Q&A sessions with some of the bigger guests and previews on what they're releasing next. Although everyone is there to say hello and offer helpful advice to anyone starting out.9. Get some steampunk.
The steam punk section includes a number of items and costumes of the steampunk genre, along with dedicated authors and artists. For those oblivious to the steampunk world, it's a sub-genre of sci-fi set in the Victorian era, in a world where steam power is still used and used to it's full potential. Think all the technology we have now but think of it being powered by steam, anything from prosthetics to flying machines, this makes for fantastic costumes and items on display.