Through finding out about THOUGHT BUBBLE FESTIVAL (http://thoughtbubblefestival.com/) from my tutor Gareth Sleighholme (http://apopheniainc.wordpress.com/), I decided to go along and attend what was to be my first proper comic convention / expo. Originally, the aspect which clinched it for me, was the fact that the writer and artist behind my favorite web comic: ROMANTICALLY APOCALYPTIC (http://romanticallyapocalyptic.com/), Vitaly S Alexius, was going to have an artists table there.
So, with that on the cards, I decided to throw together a costume, comprising of what I could gather together on a student budget, and headed to Leeds on the 17th of November. As for the event itself, it turned out to be even more than I anticipated. I assumed it would be a relatively small gathering of enthusiasts and cosplayers (this assumption comes from only ever attending TOKYOPOP’s ReCon events which used to be held at Waterstones).
Walking to the Royal Armouries from the car, my expectations were drastically challenged. Hundreds upon hundreds of avid comic and manga fans were dressed to the nines in an all manner of elaborate costumes. Most surprisingly, was the wide spectrum of outfits – some being of classic characters, some being of the manga genre / graphic novel genre, film, TV, and more interestingly, independant web comic characters. I only wish I had taken the initiative to ask more people for photos!
Three Jokers, Harley Quinn, and a Batman!
Ezio, Homestuck characters, Reno, and an Army Man.
Light, The Mad Hatter, Alois Trancy, and Haruhi Suzimiya.
A Roller Derby girl, and Captain Hook.
Doctor Who and Amy Pond.
Have to say a really massive thankyou to my lovely friend Annis who was also attending the event with her friends. I bumped into her as soon as I arrived, and she managed to get a few really good shots of me in my costume – which actually manage to make it look much better than it actually was!
Here is the absolutely amazing moment in which I got to meet the guy who models for the ROMATICALLY APOCALYPTIC character: Snippy. I was somewhat gutted that the actual artist could not make it to the event in the end, but nontheless, meeting “Oggy” was lovely – what a nice gentleman!
As soon as he saw me in my costume, as the main character “Zee Captain”, he immediately took a photo and tweeted it – and it managed to get a fairly good reception from other fans and followers (which you can see here):
I would have to say that all around, people at the convention generally quite liked my costume. It was pretty surprising, granted that it wasn’t the best that it could’ve been, had I been given more time and money. I want to refine this costume a bit, give it a little tune up with certain apparel, so that the next convention I go to will see me looking fabulous. It goes without saying, that I definitely have to purchase a gasmask in order to complete the ensemble.
Walking around the con, I saw two other people dressed as Zee Captain – which filled me with a certain amount of giddiness. I suppose conventions are really one of the only places where it is socially accpetable to turn up in the same outfit as someone else, haha! I only managed to get a photo with one of the other Captains, but even so, both of them were nice enough people to have a bit of banter with me!
There were all sorts of fascinating and crazy people there, who were all imcredibly friendly! What a nice crowd! Everyone who asked for a photo with was really receptive about the idea! I probably think that my favorite was the “FemJoker” that I bumped into towards the end of the day. Her outfit was amazing – when I first saw her I was genuinely a bit gender confused (until I managed to get up close, and heard her speak!).
Me and The FemJoker.
Me and Caboose (Red VS Blue).
Me and Judge Dredd.
Being the shameless merch fiend that I am, I just had to buy some goodies for myself whilst I was there. I found so many new comics and artists that I now absolutely adore! Perhaps the best discovery which I made during the first hour or so of the convention, was the fledgeling comic series “Ladies & Gentlemen” by Colver and Worth (also known as Water Closer Press).
I was browsing their stall and they asked if I was actually able to see through the goggles on my outfit. Upon taking them off they were a bit baffled about what I actually looked like…so they gave me a free copy of their comic! I was ecstatic! The artwork is lush, and it has some really good humor throughout the pages – and a few really good original concepts too! So, now, I have vilumes 1 and 2 of Ladies & Gentlemen – and I urge you all to give it a read!
I also had a wander around the other hall in which the festival was being held, and came across my tutor Gareth and his friend, on the “Iron Shod Ape” stall. Having had a rather cheeky sneak preview of his comic with my classmates at University the previous week, I bought myself a copy of his comic book, “The Indian Fighter”. The writing is fantastic, and the artwork is unique and incredibly expressive.
Finally, the icing on the cake: The goodies I bought from the ROMANTICALLY APOCALYPTIC booth. The poster, in the photo below, is rolled up, but it is essentially the image at the top of this article, with the words “Property of Zee Captein” written across it. It is fantastic! Really glossy quality. I’m going to frame it eventually and stick it up on my wall at home.
I also bought the fantastic companion soundtrack CD for the ROMATICALLY APOCALYPTIC web comic, “O CAPTEIN! MY CAPTEIN!” which was only released recently. I managed to get it signed by Oggy, who assumes the role of Snippy at conventions and in promotional photoshoots.
The album is a collaboration between various contributing artists to the comic books, and musicians worldwide. It was actually funded through an online fan-funding project, which you can see here: http://www.indiegogo.com/ra-books. It was originally created in order to fund the production of the physical books, but because the funding goal was exceeded, they have been able to start priducing a potential TV series, a soundtrack, and many more projects which are yet to come.
AbbieSTABBY 