My Trip to MCM Comic Con/EGX 2024!
Art, Cosplay and MANY MANY Hatsune Mikus
So I’ve never been to Comic Con before, the only time I’ve been to a convention was as part of a smaller local con helping out my university.
But suffice to say, I had a really enjoyable trip! (even if my legs felt like they were dying and on fire by the end of the trip)
The trip started off strong, where before we even got on the coach I spotted an Elmo cosplayer wielding Namari’s Axe (Dungeon Meshi) trying to attack Vash the Stampede (Trigun Stampede)
I think if nothing else, this trip really made me appriciate just how cool but also surreal cosplay is. You get to see people as all these iconic characters doing all sorts of everyday activities or just sharing their love through these really well designed costumes. I can’t imagine how cool it must be as a kid seeing people dress up as your favourite characters.
Had a nice time talking to people on the coach and then when we arrived everyone split off to do their own thing.
I had some time to kill before I could go into the convention so I went on a desperate quest to find a toilet outside the venue. Sadly the area around ExCeL did not have many public toilets.
Thankfully the London City Hall was nearby! I thought if anywhere had toilets it had to be here! And I was right! Granted it was utterly bizarre to go through a mini-airport style security gate just to go to the loo but it was well worth it.
Waiting in line and making my way to collect my ticket really made me realise just how collosal the venue for this event was. Seriously there were so many people, it felt impossible to count! It definitely was pretty overwhelming.
After we got in I got some food and explored around for a bit! I wanted to try and do a circuit around the entire area to get my bearings and figure out where everything is (I didn’t figure out where everything was).
The paper map I was given was beautifully illustrated but the sheer number of tables made it difficult to figure out where everything was - I think next time I need to bring a highlighter to figure out specific areas I want to go to.
I ended up exploring and going to the REZZED gaming zone. I did debate playing Yooka Replaylee but it was pretty busy.
Eventually, I ended up going to visit my friends at the Outclaw booth.
Didn’t get to play the new build of their game, but got to talk to some of them which was great.
Man, these guys are SERIOUSLY talented, can’t reccomend enough wishlisting their game on Steam. It helps with their numbers and shows there’s interest in what they’re making.
Here’s a link to the Steam page!
I did get to try out a multiplayer hockey game, it took me a bit to get the controls but it looked really fun!
Outside of that I got to explore the various booths, walking past all manor of cool D&D, merch and booths of other varieties. I do feel like I could have looked a little more closely at some of these, but I wanted to see as much of the venue as I could!
Walking through the book/artist alley was just incredible. Tons of up-and-coming authors were there alongside a few that have been around for ages.
Including: Clockwork Watch
For anyone unfamiliar, Clockwork Watch is a collaberative trans-media storytelling world, a little bit like SCP or an OCT where anyone can make events, art, comics or stories set in this world.
I know about these guys because they were part of an experimental storytelling exhibit in the British Library a year or so ago! Getting to meet the wife of the original creator was really sweet. We chatted a little bit about the series and it sounds like they have an entire community surrounding this universe which I think is really sweet.
I ended up buying the original omnibus for the Clockwork Watch universe. I’ve been fiending for a true and proper pure steampunk story, and I think Clockwork Watch might end up being the thing that scratches that itch.
I also ended up talking to Martin Treanor about his book “Curiosity and the Cat”
Martin has been in an Irish family for all his life and as such knows a lot about the folklore surrounding Faerie. It was cool hearing him talk about how faerie operate, how humans got the land above while the faerie got the land below - but they aren’t happy with this deal and use trickery to switch places with humans or make others go missing - using happy childhood memories to trick people - which is where this story’s dark fantasy elements come from.
It’s a really neat premise, and I bought the kindle edition, and have applied for the free raffle giveaway. Excited to see how it turns out.
And mann I cannot overstate how many cool artists and comics I saw. Got to speak to an artist who worked on the Regular Show Comics + Beano Comics, who gave some really great advice on how often you just need to take one step at a time when drawing, and know that eventually your work will end up being refined with time and practise. (This was where I got these awesome lineless Steven Universe Prints)
Spotted some beautiful beautiful fantasy art, WHA fanart, comics, pinups and more. Blows my mind how many talented people were in one spot. Got some art from DatCravat and BigSquidMan - two insanely talented artists I’ve been following for ages. Squiddy was so upbeat and chill to talk to.
It was awesome hearing how he would often make a gradient of two colours then mess around with various photo filters to get these vibrant but washed out look he tends to get with his pieces.
I might as well also mention the manga I bought: WHA Vol 8 for my BOY Tartah, Toilet Bound Hanako Kun Vol 1 since I’ve been meaning to read it for ages, WHA Kitchen Volume 1 annnnd Summer Hikaru Died Vol 1. I’ll be honest, I picked up Hikaru purely because the cover looked cool. Been told its awesome though so thats exciting.
I had a blast with friends and even if I didn’t meet all the creators I wanted to meet like Hamish Steele and Eddie Bowley, I still had tons of fun with what I did explore, and I don’t want to devalue it by feeling like I should have done more in an already packed day haha.
I also got to see a bit of a talk about watercolours by Tony Moy. Dude was a wizard with watercolours and recently worked on a TMNT / Naruto cover!
But now its time to talk about cosplays! I’ll mention some of my favourites before listing off as many as I can remember off the top of my head.
Lego John Wick (John Brick?)
So glad I snapped a photo of this guy in passing. Dude looks like a cryptic here lmao.
I didn’t see him again after this, but the idea was so absurd and novel.
Coco and Tetiah (And Brush Buddy)
It was such a cool experience getting to see other Witch Hat Atelier fans out in the wild. The cosplays were so good and even got the spiral design on the back of the cloaks, it was so sick.
Chica (FNAF)
One of THE best made cosplays, no doubt about it. Was so cool seeing this cosplayer the few times I bumped into them.
Vector (Despicable Me)
He had so much aura.
Vash (Trigun Stampede)
Vash the Stampede!!! Still need to see Trigun Stampede
I legit don’t know if I can list off all the cosplayers I saw but here it goes (I’ll elaborate on any notable ones)
Mario Cosplays:
Mario, Luigi, Wario, A tall buff guy as Toad
One Piece Cosplays:
TONS of Luffy, Shanks, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, A badass looking Crocodile, a really well done Perona, Aokiji, Ace
My Hero Academia:
Deku, Dark Deku, Sports Festival Todoroki, Todoroki, Several Dabis, Mount Lady, A really well done Shigaraki (he even did the facepaint and mole even if he put on the hand for the photo, what a chad), Mirko (wish I got a photo of her, she looked rad!)
Amazing Digital Circus:
Several Pomnis, Caine (with a balloon Bubble) and Kinger
Chainsaw Man:
Denji, Chainsaw Man, Several Makimas
Witch Hat Atelier:
Coco, Tetia, Jujy
Misc Cosplays:
TONS of Hatsune Mikus - including some with a leak
Link (Zelda)
Lego John Wick
Tons of Genshin/Honkai/ZZZ characters I don’t know
Several Dandadan Momos and other characters
Power Rangers
The SICKEST Ultron ever
Jessica Rabbit
Vector
Sans (but looked anime)
Gyro (Jojo)
A duck
Tons of Baldurs Gate + Critical Role Characters (Astarion, Karlach, Lae'zel, Shadowheart, Grog, Percy)
Tons of Yujis, Sukuna, Gojo, Geto, Toji
Minecraft Creeper
Tons of Frirens
There were tons more but those were just the ones I remember.
Honestly I think this event is an absolute blast. It’s surpringly validating and awesome to just see how much love people have for these franchises, stories and characters. Shows just what an impact these stories can have on people.
It’s nice to make these connections even if its just a brief interaction and a cool photo.
Would definitely want to pace myself doing it over several days in the future.