Following my local Comic Con round up recently I thought I’d
share my fist comic con review of 2017. This weekend I attended Oxford Comic
Con with my partner, son and my pal and fellow Basingstoke Collective Cosplayer
Andy Johns.
Following a recent blog post someone has published which has
sparked heavy debate among the community online I thought there is no better
time like the present to share my thoughts on the recent convention. I thought the
blog post in question may have had some valid points however it was delivered
in such an aggressive and negative manner that I can’t get on board and I certainly
do not agree with his view on cosplay. Personally I do not like people thinking
they are more of a fan of something than someone else. The blog post was focused around the person being a Comic fan and in turn slating people for having other interests and not being genuine comic fans. Not everyone has the
cash to buy every piece of related merch, not everyone has the time to read
every comic or watch every film, doesn’t mean they don’t have interest. I think its bullying behavior to single people out or attack just because they are different to you or don't like the same things you do.
I understand comic conventions have changed over time. Comic
conventions these days contain not only comic stalls but other related stalls.
After all comics have inspired many films and TV series which have become
extremely popular and helped bring comics and the characters to life and bring
them into the mainstream. People want related products and collectibles from
these fandoms. People attending want special deals, to find things they can’t
find elsewhere, to have a chance to get their hands on interesting unique
product. But I don’t just want to go shopping and neither do a lot of others. I
personally think it works very well to have movie props and various things of
interest to see and have photo opportunities with both in and outside the
convention. I feel things such as talks, Q&A’s, contests, live music,
displays, artists, all help to make the day an family friendly event for all. Special guests
have become a big part of conventions which is great however I do feel that
people who were hardly seen on screen a very long time ago shouldn’t be there
charging for photo opportunities. I feel the guests do help to bring something
different however it should be a good opportunity for the attendees at
reasonable costs. Tickets for entry cost enough these days so additional extras
shouldn’t cost the earth. A convention isn’t just a place which has comic book
stands. It’s a place for people in a variety of fandoms to come together. It’s
a mixture of being able to see things, do things, buy things, meet people and
have fun. Cosplay for me is the heart and soul of a convention. For me a
convention is a social event to hang out with and make new friends. I do not
agree at all with the comments about cosplay in the other blog post. Ultimately
conventions cost money to put on and it’s really tough to keep everyone happy especially
with the huge amount of fandoms out there nowadays. Variety is key, I don’t want
to be bored, I don’t want to have a quick walk around and be finished in 10
minutes. I want to see new things, meet new guests, find new stalls, learn new
things, meet new people. There are some problems which seem to crop up again
and again with how some conventions are being run and put together. I like to
attend local conventions to see what they have to offer and decide for myself
if I would make the effort to return and recommend them in future.
I thought I would share mine and Andy’s thoughts on your
experience at Oxcon below:

A: The layout of the con was interesting with the majority of the stands upstairs and a small amount downstairs near the entrance. I didn’t feel like the layout was obvious as it should have been but that’s mainly down to the venue. Maybe I missed it but a map or more signs would have been useful.
L: The building itself was really nice and it was very
central. Parking was a difficulty however especially for families which is
expected in a city center. Due to the location there want anything happening
outside the building giving no buzz and interest around the event which is a
major let down. This really helps create atmosphere and bring people in off the
street. There was no facility for rest stops or food and drink which isn’t great.
If your there cosplaying you really need areas for down time, seating areas and
to refuel with food and drink without having to leave the site. Also this is
needed for families and those travelling with small children. There was nowhere
I could feed my son or even offer him a chance to sit down properly.
A: Being in the middle of the city there was never going to
be any outside attractions such a movie cars/large scale props etc which is something a lot of the
other smaller cons are doing to try to add more interest to these kinds of
events. I was disappointed there were no photo opportunities inside the
building. With so many smaller cons appearing on the calendar there needs to be
more to keep the public interested. This is in fact a general criticism of the
comic con events across the country; one can only need so many Funko Pops!


A: It might have been a good idea to keep the celebrity
guests in one
place, they seemed very spread out and it wasn’t always obvious that they were in fact guests. I almost missed Virginia Hey (Zhaan from Farscape). I did meet Colin Baker (The 6th Doctor) who was very approachable and was happy to have his photo taken with me. I thought for a small con the guest list was actually really good.
L: I was there when Andy met Colin Baker (The 6th Doctor) and he was very pleasant and made an effort to talk to us. He guessed my character had to be something from Harry Potter and when I started talking he realized that I was indeed Mrs Malfoy. He actually asked me if I had done the online test (Pottermore Sorting Hat) and he said he had done it himself and he is a Slytherin! I'm a Ravenclaw personally but with a touch of Slytherin for Mrs Malfoy of course! In fact even though I only went as a casual non screen accurate version of Narcissa I was recognised and stopped 3 times which was surprising! The hair is what people commented on being spot on which is good to know as its taken months of hard work!
place, they seemed very spread out and it wasn’t always obvious that they were in fact guests. I almost missed Virginia Hey (Zhaan from Farscape). I did meet Colin Baker (The 6th Doctor) who was very approachable and was happy to have his photo taken with me. I thought for a small con the guest list was actually really good.

A: What stood out for me with this con was the amount of
artists who were displaying and selling their work. Normally you see a few
artists but there was definitely a larger number at Oxcon that the norm and it’s
great to see talented people being able to show off their work at these events.

L: Overall it was a nice day out for a few hours. It’s not
something I personally would attend for more than one day and think it’s quite expensive
for what it is in comparison to other local conventions which have more to
offer.
A: Would I go next year?? Yes, it’s a local con for me so it’s
easy to get in to and doesn’t cost the earth. I would however only spend a day
or afternoon as there really wasn’t enough there to justify more than that.
Stay tuned for more reviews and interviews coming soon!
xoxo
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