Comic Con Report: May 2015 - With Added Nerds and Melniboneans.

I know this is a little bit late, but here it is now: my review of the first MCM Comic Con of 2015. 

And what a con this was. For the first time ever I embraced full on cosplay of my all time favourite fantasy character: Elric of Melniboné. This included a DIY costume which stood out in the crowd, for not that many fantasy buffs in this country have heard of the works of Michael Moorcock, nor of the exploits of the Eternal Champion. 

At my side was Caroline, this time cosplaying as Enid, the cynical teenage outcast from noughties cult comic book classic: Ghost World. Complete with t-shirt and a very well fitting wig.

So without further ado, here are a few snaps of the many wonders we laid eyes upon that day.

A geek and a Melnibonean take on London.

My not so Little Pony.

Admiring Big Hero Six.

I am the Dragonlord!

Elsa and Cinderella exploring their similarities.

Natalie Portman in her Leon days.

Kawaii!

Kawaii!

Cat Ears! Never leave a con without them!

Being tempted by the Black Blade.

Take up the sword!

Taming the dragons.

Bought myself an Evenstar.

Ain't he cute!

A magnificent turnout – though it wasn’t as busy or wide as the October one. This was because only one half of the Excel had been used for the con, unlike the autumn one.

As well as the brilliant costumes which included people from many animes and several of my favourite tv shows like Firefly, we saw some exhibits of up and coming movies. One was the very impressive Batmobile from the new DC flick.

Plus a guest appearance was made by one of the many vehicles in the new Mad Max film: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Max:_Fury_RoadFury Road. Caroline and I watched that sci-fi action flick last week, and I can safely say, that it is the most feminist science fiction film I’ve seen in a very long time. I won’t spoil it for those of you who haven’t seen it yet, but it’s nice that Max isn’t the protagonist.

Plus, for anyone wondering about the feminist aspects of the film, I’ll just say that that is my opinion. Above all, it’s a science fiction movie, and how you interpret it is up to you. For me, I can’t think of anything more pro-women in the action movie canon.

 Cosplay: A World Without Prejudice?

Now one new thing I noticed about the cosplayers this year, was the number of disabled cosplayers who didn’t let their physical feats get in the way of their expression of fandom.

I remember seeing several boys in wheelchairs dressed as Spider Man and Deadpool, which I was certainly impressed with. As well as the gender fluidity of cosplay, no other form of prejudice seems to come into the world of ultra fanboy/girl-ing

.

The great thing about cosplay – and the main reason I do it – is because it’s a world where anyone can be whoever or whatever they want to be regardless of who they are. Anyone can be a fan of anime, comics, science fiction, movies, video games, etc. and when we all congregate every year to share our love of all these things – nobody looks down upon us.

However, that does not excuse the problems of harassment and male privileges that exist in many circles of fandom, namely video games as we’ve seen in the past – but with all the right people getting together to share their love of all cultural products, we can certainly make progress.

I like to think that Mad Max: Fury Road will help break down the tropes we see in many science fiction and action movies in the near future. And if you’ve read my past posts on cosplay and MCM, you’ll see that I have praised cosplay many times. But that does not mean I am not aware of problems facing certain fans, namely female fans – but I do know that progress can be made and I am one of those people helping to tell the world about how sharing a fanatical love of pop culture can help bring people together.

The reason I do these reports is because I want to show the whole world how cosplay is a good tool for peace and equality in the world of popular culture. In cosplay there are no problems with race as anyone can be a fan and dress like their favourite characters. Think of the big number of westerners who always dress as Japanese animated characters without doing anything stupid like make their eyes look Asian.

Being able to share your fandom is what I love about cons and cosplay. It feels like you’re in a world devoid of prejudice for a limited time only. 

MCM never ceases to amaze. Keep up the good work all you kids who make it worth going.

On MCM Expo and the Absence of Gender in Cosplaying

Last weekend my girlfriend, Caroline and I visited the MCMComic Con expo at Excel near Canary Wharf. This was the second time we’d attended – last year had been a very packed exhibition with a guest appearance from fantasy’s favourite dwarf, Warwick Davis. (Peter Dinklage still has a bit of a way to come in my opinion; maybe he’ll be there by the end of Game ofThrones).

As we arrived later in the day than last year, it was easier to navigate around the countless stalls exhibiting treasures from all parts of the science fiction, fantasy, horror and comic book worlds. My personal favourite was the Back To The Future stall, allowing people the chance to get their picture taken in the immortal DeLorean wearing Marty McFly’s puffer jacket.

But above all other things that made the con such a blissful escape from the outside world, it was the cosplayers who made it memorable. Caroline even took the time to dress up in a very handsome Harley Quinn costume inspired by the Gothic Lolita fashion she adores. 

 Caroline as Harley Quinn with Poison Ivy and Catwoman.

Here are just a few of the many pictures we took:

 Steampunk Snow White, looking very badass.

 

Daft Punk made a guest appearance.

 

A Steampunk warrior.

 

Team Rocket! (Hey James, what did you do with that bikini?)

A family day out for some special feline friends.

Meeting a Hero

No comic book convention is complete without a guest appearance from a notable actor, writer or director. This year’s guest was British actor Danny John-Jules, famed for his portrayal of Cat in the legendary Red Dwarf. 

It was certainly a pleasure meeting such a funny man, but I wanted to meet him because he starred in the 90s TV show The Demon Headmaster where he played gameshow host Eddie Hair. Interestingly, Jules told me the actor Terrence Hardiman, who portrayed the megalomaniac teacher, lived close to his house.

I’m not much of a ‘fanboy’ when it comes to meeting celebrities, but without The Demon Headmaster, I don’t think I would have become the person I am now. That TV show introduced me to totalitarianism, enforced my hatred of high school and taught me to always question authority.

 Here’s to Mr Jules. Hope I see you on TV again soon. 

Comment: The Absence of Gender in Cosplaying

One of the things I noticed this year is how cosplayers dress up in their favourite characters regardless of their gender. This reminded me of a female coursemate at college who was obsessed with The Legend of Zelda and attended every meet up and video game con dressed as Link, the game’s hero. Seeing male cosplayers dressed as female heroes like Lara Croft and Chell of Portal was excellent because it gave me the impression that gender does not matter in the comic book and gaming world – everyone has a favourite and isn’t scared to show their admiration.

Furthermore, seeing girls dressed as male heroes and embracing the character they represent made it clear that video gaming is no longer a ‘boys club’ as so many critics tend to brand it. I am aware that there is still a pretty long way to go for the video game when it comes to female characters – but that proverbial journey has certainly begun. The recent Tomb Raider game was, in my opinion, the spark needed to start the battle for better women characters in gaming, and who better to make it so, than the fans who devote their lives to the world of cosplay and comic books.

Science fiction, graphic novels and video gaming is cynically maligned as ‘escapism’ by many social critics – but it’s certainly a good label if they represent a world where gender is more equal and understood than in the patriarchal reality.

See you next year MCM. Keep up the good work.