If you see an army of Storm Troopers, various Doctor Whos, pupils from Hogwarts and a dizzying assortment of anime characters wandering around Aberdeen this weekend, don’t panic…
They will be among the 10,000 fans flocking to the first Comic Con Scotland (North-East) event to be at P&J Live in a celebration of popular culture ranging from movies such as Star Wars, Harry Potter and Robocop to TV series such as Doctor Who and Still Game.
The festival of fun on Saturday and Sunday will feature stars from the screen, gaming – and plenty of cosplay, where fans dress up as their favourite characters from the big screen, telly and comic books.
And the north-east has absolutely embraced this chance to escape to galaxies far, far away, said Andy Kleek, CEO of Monopoly Events, which is staging Comic Con Scotland (North-East).
Tickets for Comic Con in Aberdeen raced out the blocks
“This was the fastest-selling event we have ever done, looking at the uptake in the first couple of weeks. It literally raced out the blocks with thousands of tickets sold,” said Andy.
With Saturday and weekend tickets already sold out, he is optimistic the remaining briefs for Sunday will be snapped up too, meaning at least 10,000 folk will be heading for P&J Live.
That enthusiastic response has already cemented the return of the event next year – and Andy has even bigger plans for it.
“Obviously it’s a first year event, but we are going to build on it. In the years to come we are going to hire all of the venue out so in and fill it by putting 25,000 to 30,000 people through it.”
This weekend’s event promises to be a treat for fans of all aspects of popular culture.
Stars such as Peter Weller, the original Robocop, Mark Williams who starred in the Harry Potter films as Arthur Weasley, and Warwick Davies, who played Wicket the Ewok in Return Of The Jedi, will meet and greet fans, pose for photos, as well as answer their questions.
Still Game stars will be meeting and greeting fans at Comic Con
TV culture is in the mix with four stars of Still Game – Paul Riley, Sanjeev Kohli, Gavin Mitchell and Jane McCarry attending along with Gladiators from the 90s cult TV show.
There will also be actors from popular series such The Walking Dead and Game Of Thrones.
And wrestling fans are catered for, too, with Scots grappler Grado on hand, along with WWE champion Booker T.
Andy said: “We wanted to put Scottish guests on there – which are selling really well, then balance it out with the likes of Mark Williams out of Harry Potter, Robocop himself with Peter Weller, wrestling has a following so we also put Booker T on.
“We tried to put something in for everyone with anime guests, too.”
Fans will have a chance to meet and greet with the stars and also ask them those burning questions, they have always wanted answered.
“Every single guest we have advertised for the event will do a Q&A and we’ll select people from the audience to ask a question at every panel. If you are in there and put your hand up there’s a chance you can pop a question at the guest,” said Andy.
It’s not just famous faces, either, with Comic Con promising fans the chance to get up close to some of the most famous props used on screen, such as the flying Ford Anglia from Harry Potter and the Tardis.
Chance to learn to use the Force at a Jedi Training School
“We’ve got a DeLorean, Platform Nine And Three Quarters, both Cobra Kai gyms – Miyagi-do and Cobra Kai’s – and two of the Robocop cars.
“There is also a Jedi Training School, where you can learn the ways of the Force.”
One of the mainstays of any popular culture convention is the chance for fans to dress up as their favourite characters – and Andy expects to see cosplay in force this weekend.
“About half of the people coming along to Comic Cons dress up so the cosplay side of it is massive,” said Andy, adding there’s a prize for the best costume of the day, plus a masquerade where cosplayers can get on stage and show off their outfit.
All in all, it adds up to a great atmosphere.
“It’s amazing,” said Andy. “It’s an all-round family day out which appeals to everyone. Mums and dads like the guest from the 80s and 90s, then we have all the modern stuff for younger people from anime to gaming.”
Comic Con Scotland (North-East) is a major boost for Aberdeen’s economy
Not only that, it will be a major boost for Aberdeen’s economy, says Andy.
“There will be a lot of people that come from out of the city and from other parts of Scotland, like Edinburgh and Glasgow, and the rest of the UK. It brings in an influx of tourism.”
And he has a message for people coming along to Comic Con Scotland (North-East) at P&J Live this weekend.
“Come and support us so in the years to come it develops into one of the UK’s flagship Comic Cons right here on your doorstep. Get behind and look forward to Comic Con coming to the city for many years to come.”
For more information go to pandjlive.com