London Film & Comic Con Olympia 28-30 July 2017

I went along to the London Film & Comic Con in Olympia this weekend in my film reviewer capacity. Although, I must put my hand up and admit that I have been to a few in the past.

I arrived in style

It’s always a fascinating event to attend. Admittedly, 80% of the space is taken up by the retail exhibition stands but then that’s a big part of the whole experience. There is a sea of the very popular ‘POP movie’ character toys, which is turning into a search for the rarer and must have figures that will soon go back into the vaults and increase the value.

Ghoulish special effects
You can also purchase a whole array of swords and other weapons as seen in the likes of Game of  Thrones, or Lord of the Rings. Or you can pick up an authentic looking replica of a wand used in the Harry Potter movies or how about buying a costume of one of your favourite Marvel or DC character? This leads me on the fact that although I made an effort to look the part by wearing my Ray Harryhausen T-shirt, I couldn’t help but feel underdressed.

Cosplay with Star Wars

So many people made much more of an effort that I did and there were a huge number of fans in Cosplay (people dressed in fantasy costumes of TV and movie characters). The majority were home made with a huge attention to detail, they could have just walked straight off a film set. Also, you do find that the people who attend the exhibition are just a great fun loving and friendly bunch.

Marvel artefacts
For most attendees, it was having the chance to meet their heroes. The turnout of celebrities is just amazing. There are large areas of the event that are cordoned off for the fans to queue up to get photographs and autographs from their idols. My daughter Laurie was there to add Tom Wilson (Biff from the Back to the Future trilogy) to her already busy signatures adorning the cover of her BTTF Special edition DVD. The cost was below £40 and her ticket was number 338! We were in for a long wait.

You can’t help being star struck as with every turn you would see the likes of Christopher Lloyd (Doc Brown), Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal, Doctor Strange), Dean Cain (TVs 1990’s Superman), David Morrissey (The Walking Dead), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca in Star Wars), Pamela Anderson (needs no reference!), John Rhys-Davies (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Gimli- Lord of the Rings), Michael Madsen (Mr Blonde in Reservoir Dogs), Steven Yeun (Glenn  from Walking Dead) and many more…

As well as actors, actresses, stunt men etc. There were also comic book / graphic novel artists that you could chat with and they would gladly sign copies of your books that you may have brought along.

Laurie at a book signing
For me, it was coming across several Dalek’s moving majestically through the exhibition with that authentic scary robotic voice that was worth the £18 entrance fee alone. 

Hanging with Daleks...

A  great day out.
If this sort of thing ‘rocks your boat’ which it did for me.