This Friday 11th November saw the opening of MCM Comic Con Birmingham – the first time it hosted a Friday event – it was unsurprisingly pretty quiet, although it was nice to get an early look at the stalls without the usual Saturday crowds. I hope they continue the Friday start as it’s always good to stretch out a Comic Con.
Plenty of families, fans and cosplayers filled the halls of the NEC with both Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th being fully sold out although on the day they felt busy but not overcrowded. This was despite a short guest list, especially compared to the London MCM show. The headline guest was Hellboy & Sons of Anarchy star Ron Perlman along with stars from TV, gaming and anime. While I don’t go to comic cons mainly for the guests, it would be nice to see a bigger guest list at the non-London shows. There were often long queues at the autograph area so the guests who joined were popular amongst attendees.
The Tree House family area proved popular with different activities and events across the weekend – I almost wished I was a child again so I could join in with mask making and mug decoration. MCM Comic Con had something to do whatever your age!
Wrestling guests are a common sight at MCM Birmingham and this year fans could meet WWE wrestlers Trish Stratus and Mickie James. So it was not too much of a surprise to see a new wrestling ring area at MCM Birmingham which hosted a number of wrestlers from Elite Wrestling Entertainment UK throughout the weekend. I’ve never been to a wrestling show and haven’t seen a fight in a ring since the Rock fought Stone Cold Steve Austin. However, it was interesting being ringside and watching up and coming stars from Elite Wrestling. From the reactions of most of the crowd, we were mostly all new to watching wrestling but it was well received and the true wrestling fans sitting near me cheered (& booed) loud enough to get the rest of the crowd going too. I caught a few matches over the weekend and would definitely grab a seat if they are back for another MCM Comic Con.
As usual, there was a wide variety of cosplay from every genre including Marvel’s Moonlight, Disney’s Hercules, Top Gun’s Maverick and video game characters like this amazing glowing Ranni the Witch from Elden Ring. There were even a mix of custom cosplays like this TARDIS Manaloran with some great details. With lots of wide corridors and outside space there’s lots of room for cosplayers and photographers alike.
The Live Stage played host to a huge variety of events over the weekend including Pub Quizzes, introductions to Qudditch, Steampunk, UFO’s, UK Horror and creating fan films.
Cosplay Central had a variety of cosplay showcases to suit all ages and abilities along with tutorials about using technology, riveting, foam and how to make shoes. On Friday afternoon the Regal & Rustic Cosplay Met Gala added a touch of glamour to the Cosplay Central stage – I caught a glimpse of cosplayers after this show and it was quite amazing how they’d reinvented cosplays into a regal and royal style. Definitely a show to look out for the next comic con.
I saw several of the Live Stage shows including Aida H Dee who provided us with the Drag Queen Story Hour. A dramatic and interactive reading of The Three Goats United story book. Children, parents and some confused cosplayers all joined in with cheers, boos & dramatic arm waving. The Drag Queen Story Hour often host events in libraries and cafes – well worth a look if you have children as they will be highly entertained!
Another highlight of the Live Stage was the People’s Orchestra who started the day off with a chilled musical playing a selection of theme tunes from a mix of films & TV shows including a medley from The Avengers and The Incredibles. Many of the musicians joined in with the cosplaying including a few Minions, Frozen’s Anna, She-Ra, Mary Poppins and a few Time Lords. It was great to see the Live stage have such a variety and I’d look forward to seeing them all back on stage again.
If watching shows isn’t your scene then you can enjoy some of the more interactive exhibits such as the gaming area which includes Dungeons & Dragons games, computer games and some more old school traditional wooden block games.
For the the thrill seekers there was even axe throwing – don’t worry this was done within a caged area to keep shopper safe, although I daren’t have a go myself instead I shopped around with the assortment of shops include a mead stall, several earring stalls, more Pop stall than you could count, several geeky bath bomb stalls and a few new stalls including Rainbow Pixie Crafts who had selections of new designs for handbags, purse, dresses & leggings. It’s great to see new businesses emerging and getting new customers through MCM Comic Con.
Overall it was MCM Comic Con Birmingham is a great day or weekend out with plenty to see and do – although I hope they improve the guest list for future events and keep the additions to the Live stage.
Written by Eva of Handbag Cosplays