Cons are strange things: colourful, wild and at times overwhelming.
They are meccas of pop culture where the lines between the screens and pages of storytelling and real life are blurred; cross-sections of entertainment culture and the reality that it reflects.
Supanova Pop Culture Expo, held over the weekend (20-22 April) at the Melbourne Showgrounds in the city’s western suburbs was no different.
Image © FacebookPokémon, soldiers, superheroes (DC, Marvel or otherwise), and aliens walked and mingled among each other. Food and coffee trucks kept the people satisfied and awake. The sky was a pristine blue. The sense of camaraderie in the diverse crowd was palpable.
Warehouses were filled with every possible fan interpretation of shows, games and comics. Fan art at its pinnacle stood next to the original works of their inspirers; it was paraphernalia mania, and all at a very reasonable price.
In the Exhibition Hall, the larger of the two warehouses, the ‘Wolf Creek’ car idled silently, its dirt and rust contrasting the polished, concrete floors. Later, John Jarratt, the actor who played the iconic killer in ‘Wolf Creek’, Mick Taylor, spoke about his experiences in what has now become a franchise of sorts.
Image © FacebookThe actor compared the feeling of the initial 2005 film to his experiences in another iconic Australian film, the 1975 masterpiece ‘Picnic At Hanging Rock’, saying he “didn’t get that sort of brilliance again until 'Wolf Creek'”.
It was strange to see how seamlessly something so uniquely Australian fit into the international jigsaw of events over the weekend. However, 'Wolf Creek' wasn’t out of place one bit next to the stalls of manga and posters of the more traditional heroes and villains of the typically ‘con’ genres.
John Jarratt spoke of his love for Australian cinema and how much it meant to him to stay on and work here in the country of his birth, even when opportunities elsewhere arose. “As long as I’m walking, I’ll be good,” he said when asked about hanging up the acting boots, adding with a smile that his stint as a host on the lifestyle show 'Better Homes And Gardens' has given him a sense of financial safety, more than any of his other works.
Among the international stars to grace the stage was Alan Tudyk (click here to read our recent interview with Alan). The actor’s career arc was built for events like Supanova: from his time as Wash, the eccentric and beloved pilot of The Serenity on ‘Firefly’, to his role as K-2SO in the 2016 Star Wars film, ‘Rogue One’.
Image © FacebookBetween these roles, he has been voice acting, play performing and churning up some strange stories from a world con-goers dream about. Each question Alan answered with impeccable timing from a lone gaming chair in front of an LED screen depicting him, the image of a man in his element.
The room was filled with outstretched hands, reaching up for a chance at a ten-second interview. Each questioner was given a signed gift, a personal touch that was not misplaced or misguided. When the swivel chair at centre stage was empty the room filled with applause.
It was now the third day of the event and while the grounds were still busy, people were starting to relax. Make-up was flaking and cape-tails dusty from a long weekend of dragging. Every bench was full and the patch of grass next to the water station was filled with the bubble of conversation and the skewered remains of potato twirls.
