London Comic Con is coming to town

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: LONDONCOMICCON.CA
London Comic Con is expected to be a hit this year, with many attractions and activities for people of different ages to do.

With much anticipation for the 5th annual London Comic Con running Oct. 26 to 28, officials of the event are preparing for their biggest year.

There's an estimate of surpassing 15,000 in attendance, with many fans travelling a great distance to see what the Forest City has to offer.

“Since the Comic Con's inception the show has grown exponentially, therefore we are moving into the Agriplex at the Western Fair which offers us even more floor space to keep up with the demand from artists and vendors to be a part of the event,” Andrew Kitt, president of London Comic Con, said.

Kitt said London Comic Con provides an outlet to create a more engaging and interactive convention for celebrities and fans alike.

“The added space will also permit us to include even bigger attractions and events within Comic Con thus adding even more value for our fans,” Kitt said.

Canadian actress, Alyson Court, who played Loonette the Clown on the popular children's program The Big Comfy Couch will be making a special appearance Saturday 27.

Court is also well-known for her voice acting in an impressive array of programs. Her most notable roles are from the 1992 X-Men animated series as Jubilation Lee, Clarie Redfield in the video game Resident Evil: Degeneration and Priscillia Presley in the 1997 mockumentary Elvis Meets Nixon, among others, and has been dubbed as one of Canada's hardest working women.

Many other celebrities have been invited to partake in this year's event, including Marina Sirits, who played Deanna Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Cerina Vincent, the yellow Power Ranger from the Lost Galaxy series, James Marsters, ‘Spike' from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ken Shamrock, WWE legend and retired UFC fighter, Jyoti Amge, the world's smallest person and more.

This weekend entertains various interests and activities for a broad audience, whether cosplay, celebrity Q&A, gaming, kids crafts or simply getting lost in the world of fan-fiction.

This is the year to attend a London Comic Con, arguably to be a major contender against larger conventions within Canada and the United States.

“We have built a reputation of offering a convention that provides more interactive and engaging elements than the larger conventions operating in Canada and the USA,” Kitt said.

Boasting the highest cash prizes in Ontario for Cosplay awards, over 100 vendors from across Canada and the United States, live entertainment, A-list industry artists and interactive fans and a kids' activity zones.

It is evident to see how action packed this three-day fan festival will be. Backing up these claims is a rather impressive line-up of events to be scheduled for all in attendance along with screenings, onsite costume repair stations, celebrity Q&A, photo op's and all-day signings.

Friday evening highlights the kick-off for video game competitions and free play which will also be featured the extent of the weekend, encouraging gamers to play for fun or against one another in friendly head-to-head matches for prizes. This year a foam weapon battle arena will be featured with foam weapons provided for anyone willing to battle it out in the Cosplay Corner. Registrations for best Cosplay craftsmanship begin at 4:30 p.m. and the competition will be held at 7 p.m. for cash prizes.

Saturday will bring the second day of Cosplay workshops and best Cosplay competition, Halloween comic fest, and two off-site after events featuring a “12 Hours of Screams” an eight hour horror film fest featuring two live bands beginning at 8 p.m. to 11:00 a.m. located at Odyssey Records inside the Baker's Dozen, hosted by actor Keith David (The Thing) and Dean Cundey, a cinematographer legend. Kicking off this all-nighter of terror in celebration of Thingfest featured at London Comic Con will be a showing of John Carpenter's The Thing. Alternatively, EastWest Bar & Grill is hosting an after-party to celebrate a night full of dancing and fun with DJ Alpha live on-site.

The final day will hold a kids Cosplay contest. Those 14 and younger are free to enter, and all will walk away with a prize for showing off their costumes.

Weapon experts will showcase a choreographed bout of live action role-play on stage using steel weapons, demonstrating battle techniques and styles. The show will close with the third installment of Fan Fiction, a live comedy roster of comedic talent.

London Comic Con also offers fans the chance to shape future events by submitting ideas for consideration (via londoncomiccon@nullgmail.com) in aims to further develop and grow the convention by allowing fans to showcase impressive talents, artifacts or share opinions and various wealth's of knowledge on specific topics.

Volunteering options are also available for students above 16-years-old. Information can be found on London Comic Con's website under FAQ.

References:

Largest Fan Event in Southwestern Ontario! (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2018, from www.londoncomiccon.ca.

London Comic Con 2018. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2018, from 1031freshradio.ca/event.