Over the weekend of 12th March, I attended the Showmasters Film and Comic Con Belfast event at Titanic Exhibition Centre with my friend Will Convey. It was my first comic con since 2015, as I was too unwell to attend in 2016.
To return to comic con, was like returning home. I had forgotten much I loved this event. I have only been doing it since 2014 and this was only my 3rd time, but it has become an important event in my calendar and one that I look forward to all year round.
People can be dismissive on Comic Con and roll their eyes when I talk about it, but it really is such a fun event for people of all backgrounds and ages. It is a communal event, where people come together to share their love and passion with each other. Whether that be their favourite film characters, comic characters or cartoon characters. We are all the same and on a level playing field.
I truly fell in love with it on my first attendance. I went as Davros from Doctor Who, the evil creator of the Dalek race, who’s one goal is the exterminate everything that isn’t them. I had so much fun.
The second year I went has Doctor Emmett Brown in his DeLorean time machine car from the Back to the Future films. Again, another great moment of my life.
This year, I revealed my cosplay at the event. I was a Ghostbuster and I was driving around in my Ecto-1 car, which was built around my electric wheelchair. As usual, all my great cosplays were built by the amazingly talented Will Convey of Convey Art. Without his talents and lets be honest, patience with me…. I would not be able to partake in one of my favourite hobbies.
It was so amazing to be reunited with so many of my good friends from LOC-Down Events, Heroes Unite Ireland, Heroes and Legend, 501st Ireland Garrison, Steve Kay, HedgeScout and many many more. These people have all made me feel welcome from day one and part of the cosplay community.
I was amazed at the weekend at how many came up to me, asking about My Way Access and how my Vimizim treatment was coming along. This really showed me they are real friends of mine’s and kept up-to-date with everything that was happening in my life, when I was on hiatus in 2016.
I got to meet some fantastic guests at event such as Bai Ling from Star Wars and The Crow, John Levene from Doctor Who, Camille Coduri from Doctor Who and King Ralph, Rakie Ayola from Dredd and Doctor, Jim “Hacksaw” Duggan. Amazingly, all these guests wanted their picture taken with me, which was a surprising turn of events.
One of the most wonderful moments of the events was, that children were no longer afraid of my wheelchair or wary of it. Instead, they were wanting their pictures taken with a real life Ghostbuster. That was extra special for me, as it meant young children could see pass my wheelchair.
To round off the wonderful weekend, I took part in the Comic Con Cosplay Masquerade and amazingly, I came second!! This really made my weekend extra special. Thank you to the judges Half Pint Harley, Lady Bane and Cyanide Kisses. xox
Here is a video of my masquerade at Comic Con. Enjoy everyone and hopefully I will see you all at the next Comic Con. Let’s get more wheelchair users and people with disabilities in cosplay at the next one!!