122,634 people attended MCM

This weekend saw record crowds flock to MCM London Comic Con, with 122,634 visitors passing through the doors of Britain’s biggest modern pop culture show. After eclipsing 110k back in October 2014, the event has made a further leap — comfortably breaking the 120k barrier. 

Running over a full three days for the first time, the Excel London event featured everything from movies, videogames and comic books to anime, manga and cosplay – not to mention an amazing line-up of special guests from the world of film and TV.

 

“We’d like to thank everyone who attended for making this MCM London Comic Con our best ever,” said show co-organiser Bryan Cooney. “We hope that you’ll all be able to come back in October for a second — possibly even bigger — instalment in 2015. Tell your friends!”

 

Among the stars meeting fans at the latest London Comic Con were geek goddess Felicia Day (The Guild, Supernatural); Gillian Anderson, taking part in a panel for indie sci-fi film Robot Overlords; Iain de Caestecker and Nick Blood from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.; John Noble (Lord Of The Rings, Fringe, Sleepy Hollow) and Doctor Who’s Sylvester McCoy.

 

Show goers also got to attend Q&A panels featuring Raffey Cassidy from Disney sci-fi adventure Tomorrowland: A World Beyond, new BBC series Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, ITV drama Jekyll and Hyde, brand new Brit superhero flick SuperBob and YouTube favourites The Yogscast.

 

Joining them were stars from such shows as hit CW superhero drama Arrow, NCIS, The Walking Dead, Once Upon A Time, Orphan Black, Falling Skies, Storage Hunters and Scorpion, plus top voice actors including Hynden Walch, Mark Meer and Gideon Emery and our Anime Guest of Honour, mecha illustrator Hidetaka Tenjin.

 You can see much more from the show by following the MCM Buzz Stage episodes.

 The next MCM London Comic Con is October 23 – 25. Keep an eye on mcmcomiccon.com for more details.

Listen to our interview with Felicia Day 

How to survive a London comic con

With MCM Expo around the corner, it’s time to prepare for a day of excitement and fun. Here’s a handy guide to help you survive a London comic con:

  1. Arrive Early

Parking fills up quickly and public transport can be hectic, so arriving early is key. Aim to get there by 8:30 AM and grab breakfast at a nearby restaurant. This will give you enough time to queue up before the doors open at 10 AM. Don’t forget to check out the schedule and plan your day.

  1. Virtual Queues

If you’re planning to meet big-name stars, be prepared to join a virtual queue. You can hit them up first, and then come back at your allocated time.

  1. Dress for Comfort

Comic cons require a lot of walking, standing, and sweating, so make sure you wear comfortable shoes and clothing. Shorts are a good idea even in the winter since venues can get hot. Bring extra deodorant to stay fresh and consider carrying a backpack to store your snacks and memorabilia.

  1. Pack Essentials

Along with snacks and memorabilia, bring water and a portable charger for your phone. Con prices for food and drink can be exorbitant, so it’s best to bring your own.

  1. Plan for Breaks

If you need a break, there are tables to sit at, but they fill up quickly. Consider finding a nearby pub to relax and recharge.

  1. Plan Your Day

To make the most of your time, plan out a strategy for the day. Check out the timetable online beforehand and mark what you want to attend. Make an alternate list in case you can’t get in or don’t want to wait in long lines. If you’re only attending for one day, prioritize the booths/celebrities you’re most interested in and then explore the rest.

With these tips, you’ll be ready to tackle MCM Expo and have a great time.

Rocky Blu-Ray release party

Rocky

To celebrate the release of Rocky:The Heavyweight Collection on blu ray, I attended a special screening held by Twentieth Century Fox.
The Heavyweight Collection features all 6 classic movies along with a ton of new extras.

Also in attendance was heavyweight boxer David “The Hayemaker”.
Haye has long held a passion for boxing. He began training at age six, at the now famous Fitzroy Lodge Boxing Club in South London.
He quickly excelled as a junior boxer and won several of his fights.

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Before the screening, Haye took part in Q&A with TalkSport host, Steve Bunce. Once Dave was seated and comfortable the inevitable question was asked: “how much do you like Rocky?”.
Haye replied that he didn’t start from the first one but the 3rd instalment of Rocky, which he loved and had seen a few times before he went back to watch the first two.

Haye was laid back and spoke candidly about the fight against ‘The Big Hairy Russian’ Wladimir Klitschko and the injury that made him retire from boxing.
The injury is still visible, Haye at times found it difficult to hold the mic.

When asked about his inspiration he mentioned a few boxers, including Rocky, played by Sylvester Stallone, but his main influence was Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest boxers in history.



Haye went on to speak about his future plans of opening a Health Spa, in Dubai. He also aims to break into acting.

It was a great experience to have seen David Haye and listen to some of his experiences and his future plans, he expects to make a full recovery I hope he gets a chance to fight in the ring once again.

As a man of my age, it’s slightly embarrassing to admit that this was my first introduction into the world of Rocky Balboa. I look forward to going the distance with The Heavyweight collection

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The Rocky Heavyweight Collection on Blu-ray is out now from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

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Storage 24 MCM panel

Noel Clarke and director Johannes Roberts visited the MCM Expo last month to promote the sci-fi action flick Storage 24 which opens tonight. After the trailer played they answered questions before running a preview clip from the midst of the action.

Unable to find a deal (or a role) that played to his strengths, Clarke wrote and produced the picture in addition to playing the lead. As Clarke describes, this brought restrictions associated with any independent British film:

“What happened with this film, halfway through (this won’t give it away) we wanted some sort of SWAT team thing at the end and we couldn’t afford the sixty or so people that I wanted. They came to us and were like, ‘you can have eight in the SWAT team.’ Fuckin’ eight! Motherfuckin’ eight! That’s not a SWAT team, that’s a group of guys comin’ out of a minivan!

“So I said, what if we scrap that? I said to Johannes, what if we do THIS thing? And I told him this really cool ending. And he said ‘aw, dude that’s so cool, do that.’

Fleeing something monstrous through corridors is a familiar enough idea and the corridors of a self-storage facility are an even more common image (I’ve moved house 3 times in the past 4 years). But the menace of Storage 24 does have a difference – one worth checking out on the big screen if the preview clip was any indication.

Storage 24 opens tonight



Episode 61: Harry Potter Studio Tour / Official Doctor Who Convention

In which Martyn and Tanisha discuss the Harry Potter studio tour, then Martyn is joined by Phil from Who’s he? and Paul from The Pharos Project and Hammered Horror to discuss the recent Doctor Who convention in Cardiff.

Thanks to Warner Brothers and the BBC for the invites to both events.

The podcast is available from all good podcast services, such as but not limited to Amazon Music, PodchaserPlayer FM, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.

Check out our Youtube.

If you’d like to support the show, then please shop via our Amazon link. A small percentage goes our way, at no extra cost to you.

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www.dwconvention.com

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Designing 007

The Barbican has announced their exhibition to mark the 50th anniversary of James Bond, from 1962’s Dr No to this year’s Skyfall, with a unique exhibition showcasing the inside story of the design and style of the world’s most influential and iconic movie brand.

In collaboration with EON Productions and with unprecedented access to their archives, Designing 007 will be a multi-sensory experience, immersing audiences in the creation and development of Bond style over its auspicious 50-year history.



It will explore the craft behind the screen icons, the secret service and villains, tailoring and costumes, set and production design, automobiles, gadgets and special effects, graphic design and motion graphics, exotic locations, stunts and props.

Highlights include gadgets and weapons made for Bond and his notorious adversaries by special effects experts John Stears, Syd Cain and Chris Corbould, along with artwork for sets and storyboards by production designers Sir Ken Adam and Peter Lamont, and costume designs by Bumble Dawson, Donfeld, Julie Harris, Lindy Hemming, Ronald Patterson, Emma Porteous, and Jany Temime.

On display too will be lavish screen finery by Hollywood costume designers and major fashion names including Giorgio Armani, Brioni, Roberto Cavalli, Tom Ford, Hubert de Givenchy, Gucci’s Frida Giannini, Douglas Hayward, Rifat Ozbek, Jenny Packham, Miuccia Prada, Oscar de la Renta, Anthony Sinclair, Philip Treacy, Emanuel Ungaro and Donatella Versace.

The exhibition is designed by Ab Rogers and curated by the Barbican, with guest-curation by fashion historian Bronwyn Cosgrave and Oscar®-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming.

Open daily 11 am–8 pm, every Thurs late until 10 pm.
On sale from Thu 1 Mar, 10 am.

Darth Vader Unwinds

Darth Vader playing pool with his legion of Stormtroopers was just one of the many weird and wonderful things seen over the SFX Weekender, which took place in Prestatyn this weekend.  

 Hosted by the world’s number 1 sci-fi entertainment magazine SFX, the weekend saw over 4,000 revellers descend on Pontins to immerse themselves in sci-fi culture. Now in its third year and sold out for the first time ever, guests enjoyed an array of entertainment from the likes of Brian Blessed, Eve Myles, Hattie Hayridge and Craig Charles.



 The Galactic Knights (pictured) also stole the show with their assortment of professional costumes. The Star Wars and Sci-Fi costuming group who bring together enthusiasts from all over the world paraded around the site in an array of outfits ranging from Star Wars to Halo Spartans, Dr Who and Batman.

 Joanne Beck, Galactic Knights Commanding Officer says “The SFX Weekender is a totally immersive weekend of sci-fi and fantasy fun. The guests, the entertainment, everything; all combine to make for a truly outstanding experience and one that allows the Galactic Knights costuming club to do what we do best!”