The biggest and best Comic Convention in Stoke-on-Trent; Staffordshire and possibly even the West Midlands and beyond: Stoke Con Trent is back. This year sees a change of venue, as the convention moves from Staffs Uni (where it's been held since its launch) and we are invited to #KeeleTheForce.
Since its launch, Stoke Con Trent has become a leading event, featuring a wide range of sci-fi actors (Garrett Wang, various Doctors, Jeremy Bulloch) and a range of TV celebrities (Stoke Con Trent has become the place to meet the team from ITV's Gladiators), as well as comic artists (local and national).
Stoke Con Trent genuinely has something for all ages. They've had guests including Hacker T Dog (CBBC) and Tiny Tim (of YouTube fame, and well worth a look), and members of S Club 7 (who have since gone on to have TV careers of their own). If they're still a little young for you, you can hope to see the Gladiators, and if they're still not your cup of tea, then there are often TV stars from shows like The Chase. It's grown significantly since its start as a sci-fi/comic convention to attract a much wider audience base (which means they get the ticket revenue to attract the bigger stars, in a positive, virtuous circle).
The wide range of guests is complemented by a wide range of stalls. Yes, there are Funko Pops, and Lego figures, but there are also local gaming groups, stores, sweets, refreshments and so on. Which reminds me: the convention venues (they've been at Staffs Uni, and at King's Hall Stoke on one occasion) are always very well equipped, with hot/cold food, toilets (including disabled toilets) and ideal for this kind of event.
I've blogged before with extensive reviews and previews of earlier Stoke Con Trents, and this post is to remind everyone that it's back, on Sunday 10 October. At the time of writing, guests are still being announced, and I anticipate frequent updates throughout September as we get closer to the date.
Guests announced so far include:
Robert Llewellyn (Kryten from Red Dwarf, Scrapheap Challenge)
Gladiators: Lightning; Scorpio and Zodiac (and if that seems female-only, I strongly suspect that Wolf and Saracen will join the list at some point soon)
Sam Fox 1980s pin-up and pop star (yes, she had a top 30 UK single)
Hacker T Dog from CBBC returns for a second Con.
Jessica Stafford (The Real Hustle)
Ted Robbins (everything from Ackley Bridge to Peter Kay's shows)
Steve Cardenas (Red Power Ranger)
And there will certainly be plenty more. The students from Staffordshire University's Comic and Comic Arts degree course regularly put on a great display of their artwork, which is also recommended if you're more interested in Comic Conventions, and in the past Lee Sullivan (whose work includes Transformers) has attended.
What really makes the conventions - the icing on the cake - is the number of people who attend in Cosplay. Yes, the local Cosplay groups attend, and they're amazing, but many of the attendees also dress up, and there's a great atmosphere. This is genuinely for all the family - I've seen the Incredibles Family, with Mrs Incredible pushing Jack-Jack (in costume) in his pushchair. Hilarous!!
Tickets are reasonably priced for a convention of this scale and are available from the Stoke Con Trent website:
£40 for a family ticket (2 adults and 2 children)
£15 for adults (17 and over)
£10 for concessions (pensioners and those with a disability; carers' tickets are available)
£8 for children (5-16)
Under 5s are free
Great value, a great day out, and genuinely suitable for all ages. I'll be reviewing the latest Con in an upcoming post, and sharing even more pictures!
No comments:
Post a Comment