The word ‘fan’ used to be an insult, a shortening of the word ‘fanatic’ used to show just how disapproving people were about someone who was excited by or passionate about a book, show, or movie.
These days, thankfully, being a fan is something to celebrate. Mark Sheppard, sci-fi connoisseur and reigning King of Hell on 'Supernatural', says that he never trusts someone who isn’t a fan of something. Life, to his way of thinking, should be about passion. And if you’re going to love something, why not make it a work of creativity?
Mark Sheppard and Jim Beaver ('Supernatural') - image © Kylie Thompson
In the past, fandom was seen as a solitary pursuit, with the occasional meet-up if you were lucky enough to live near other like-minded souls. These days, though, conventions run around the world throughout the year, welcoming fans, cosplayers, and creative types to a world where their interests aren’t just tolerated, but embraced and encouraged.
From the 19-20 September, Brisbane played host to Oz Comic-Con, an extravaganza of comic, television, and movie fandoms converging on the Convention and Exhibition Centre to celebrate their passion for the arts, and find new and wonderful fandoms to explore.
The beauty of Oz Comic-Con lies in its range of events and opportunities for guests. There were photo and autograph sessions available with a range of stars from a diverse collection of works, such as the 'Hobbit' movies, 'Supernatural', the 'Harry Potter' movie franchise, 'Scrubs', the 'Stargate' franchises and 'Star Wars'.
Robbie Jarvis from 'Harry Potter' franchise - image © Kylie Thompson
But the stars are also on hand to talk with fans about their work, both with their current projects, and past and future works, via a constant stream of panel presentations on a number of stages. 'Supernatural' beloveds Mark Sheppard and Jim Beaver were on hand to answer questions about their work, their co-stars, and that infamous Crowley/Bobby kiss.
MacGyver himself, Richard Dean Anderson, was quick with a joke and a story about his time in both 'MacGyver' and 'Stargate SG1', and about the unexpected dangers of Swiss Army Knives. Voice actors including Olivia Hack from 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' and Todd Haberkorn from 'Soul Eater' wowed audiences throughout the Con, with panel presentations and meet and greet opportunities.
Image © Kylie Thompson
The comic aficionados were also well represented, with a mammoth gathering of artists and writers from the big-name (and not so big) publishing houses, and panel presentations as well as talks about publishing and developing your own ideas.
Image © Kylie Thompson
For the cosplayers, Oz Comic-Con offered workshops on costuming, as well as cosplay competitions for adults and children. If you’ve never had the chance to see professional cosplayers in action, it’s well worth the effort. The level of skill and energy required to create such intricate works of costuming is staggering.
Though the professional-level cosplays are magnificent and a little intimidating, cosplay itself is a welcoming fan experience where anyone can dress as their favourite character and join the fun. If you’re not ready to go all-out into cosplay, you can always try casual cosplay, where there’s less of a focus on perfecting a costume, and more on sneaking the essence of a beloved character into your daily clothing choice.
Image © Kylie Thompson
Oz Comic-Con isn’t just about meeting your favourite celeb, or learning how to make latex costume elements. It’s also a way for creatives to sell their wares, with clothes, games, books, costumes, art and memorabilia on offer for even the most discerning buyers. Popular American labels such as Tee Turtle also set up shop, giving Aussie buyers a chance to get their favourite shirts, bypassing shipping fees.
Local author Charmaine Clancy was popular with visitors too, with her zombie stories for children proving popular with adults, children, and Time Lords alike. There’s something incredibly inspiring about seeing strangers come together, uniting over their love of the creative arts.
Avenue Q - image © Kylie Thompson
From its humble start as a term of derision, ‘fan’ is coming to mean something far more positive and empowering. Fandom has built schools and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars towards a range of charities around the world, and fandom is increasingly becoming a world-changing phenomenon.
When you take away the hyperactive glee of meeting your favourite stars and finding new comics and books to fall in love with, conventions are oftentimes a way for people to create and maintain that sense of community, and to come together with ideas to make the world a better place. That’s a hell of a way to spend a weekend.
Happily, the action of Oz Comic-Con isn’t over yet with Sydney’s turn to host on 26-27 September; while Oz Comic-Con will return in 2016 with events in each capital city.
