From sci-fi media like Doctor Who, Star Wars and Back to the Future to anime like Pokémon, Fairy Tail and Naruto, there’s something for everyone at Comic Con Aberdeen and there’s no better place to geek out together.
Last year, Ryan and I experienced cosplaying (dressing up as a fictional character) for the first time ever and we wanted to keep it up. So, over the past few months, we started pulling together cosplays for this year’s event.
I decided to reuse my Keyblade and dress as Xion from the Kingdom Hearts video game series. I bought a black coat from a small business in America, which cost me a lot more than last year’s pre-loved Sora cosplay. But, when it comes to cosplays, you get what you pay for in most instances. I decided to wear a pair of secondhand heeled boots with it to keep the coat from trailing on the ground. To top the outfit off, I bought a black wig from Amazon at the last minute.
Ryan decided to cosplay as Ichigo from the anime Bleach, a show he’s been rewatching recently. For the second day, Ryan decided to remain cosplays-free for photos with some of the guests.
My second-day outfit was up in the air – my plan was to reuse a cosplay from last year, but I ended up buying a couple replica Keyblades on day one and used them to change up my Sunday outfit. Instead of cosplaying as Sora or Spider Gwen again, I decided to dress as Roxas on day two. Normally I would need a spiky blond wig for this one, but luckily for me, he spends a decent portion of Kingdom Hearts II with his hood up.
Arriving at Comic Con Aberdeen
We managed to convince Ryan’s dad to give us a lift to P&J Live at 9am to get in for the standard entry (thanks, Gordon!) and we got started browsing the abundance of nerdy wares.
Typically, there are so many stalls – overflowing with geeky treasures and hidden gems – that you need to circle the venue three times to take everything in. Over the course of the weekend, I came home with a substantial haul.
I walked away with a gaming mystery bag, a set of Lucy Heartfelia’s celestial keys from Fairy Tail (which could be used for a future cosplay), a Pikachu ring, a pair of foam keyblades (Oblivion and Oathkeeper), four enamel pins, a cat plushie, Totoro sticky notes, a dice tray for Dungeons & Dragons and a Pikachu plushie (a gift for one of my friends).
Ryan ended up buying a foam sword as a finishing touch to his cosplay, two comic books, a Trunks statue from Dragon Ball, a set of four Dragon Ball coasters and a dice tray as well.
Meeting the guests
He also splashed out on autographs and photos with Nolan North, a prominent video game voice actor and hero of Ryan’s, and Dante Basco, an actor in one of Ryan’s favourite TV shows.
Some may recognise Dante as Rufio in Hook, starring Robin Williams, however, to Ryan Mr Basco will always be Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation from Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Both of the guests we met were lovely and chatting with them was definitely the highlight of the weekend. We caught Dante Basco at a quiet moment and we got to have a proper down-to-earth chat with him without feeling the need to let others have their turn.
Nolan North was very popular so it was amazing to get a wee moment with him and he insisted on taking selfies with us, something he said was “much more fun” than having someone else take them. He was most certainly right about that!
We were also spoiled for choice of panels to attend. We decided to go to a handful including, Sean Pertwee, Nolan North, Dante Basco and the Doctor Who panel.
Hearing the actors speak about their careers and projects was a joy and we were even treated to the humourous bickering between Sylvester McCoy and Colin Baker.
Watching the wrestling
On the other side of the venue, a ring was set up for performances from the local wrestling group Wrestlezone. We sat down for a while to watch and rest our aching feet on the Sunday (one thing you learn from going to comic con – there’s a LOT of walking).
We ended up getting invested in a match and stayed until the end – impressive considering I have never really watched wrestling other than glancing at the TV when Ryan is watching WWE. The wrestlers were brilliant and made a huge effort to engage with the audience – especially the younger members who were cheering and booing along.
Retro video games
Next to the wrestling ring, TVs were set up with retro video game emulators set up. In between panels, Ryan and I played a random Japanese game with bongos as controllers and an X-Men arcade game to pass some time.
The video game station was perfect for taking a break from the constant wandering about.
It’s a busy weekend and by Sunday night, I was exhausted but very satisfied with the experience. Comic Con is a brilliant experience that only happens once a year in Aberdeen so everyone makes the most of it.
Inclusive community
It’s a safe place for people to find like-minded people and express their interests. Over the weekend, I was approached by a good few people for photos and ended up having conversations about our cosplays and our thoughts on the video game series.
There’s a reason many people end up making long-term friends from meeting people at Comic Con. It’s an amazing, inclusive community where there’s no judgement and you can be yourself. That’s something I can get behind!
Have you ever been to a Comic Con? What was your experience? Let me know in the comments below.
Photography: Ryan Duff
Thrifty Mango 
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