It was a coolish weekend in April and the clocks were striking nine. Some people were getting up to go to work while others got their chance to sleep in. For a number of people something was happening for them to get up at this early hour. They got up to go to the event held in the Adelaide Showgrounds; a little known event known as Oz Comic-Con. It’s a place where lovers of pop culture gathered together in all their nerdiness. Held over two days, Oz Comic-Con attracted people from all over the world, from the local comic book writer to well known stars like Lucy Lawless and John Rhys-Davies. One of those people that attended this event was this lucky person here writing this now.
I just want to begin by saying that I’ve not been to an Oz Comic-Con before; I’ve been to Supanova and AvCon in the past, which are similar nerd conventions. I wanted to go last year, but was over in China at the time and unable to attend. My reaction to my first Oz Comic-Con is WOW! This event was amazing in every possible way and certainly a place where I belong. The amount of things they had there on sale, and the overall atmosphere of the place was unlike anything I’ve experienced at the other conventions. I went in dressed as the Fourth Doctor from Doctor Who, and was almost besieged for photos as soon as I got in. I even got pictures with two other Doctor cosplayers; one of them bearing an uncanny resemblance to David Tennant. I managed to meet these other Doctors again by the Dalekjs builders, who had built their own TARDIS console.
If there’s one thing I love about these sort of conventions it’s the events and panels they have running. I went to a number of them, from a panel with Lucy Lawless to ones that talked about post-apocalyptic worlds. What I enjoy most about these events though is the numerous literary panels that are held. It’s mat these conventions where I can sit around and listen to authors in my favourite genres speak, something I wish there was more during major writers festivals. I learn a lot at these panels and find out helpful hints which help me in my own writing. Possibly the best part of these panels is that I get introduced to a list of new writers and stories. One noteworthy story I picked up is a comic called Maralinga. This comic is set in a post-apocalyptic Australia around 200 hundred years after the nuclear tests at the titular locations during the 1950s. I’ve yet to read it but I feel like discussing about it afterwards.
Perhaps one of the main reasons why people come to these conventions is the stars who they can bring down. In the past Oz Comic-Con had brought stars like Norman Reedus, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Billy Boyd down to Adelaide; this year was no disappointment. This year’s biggest star to attend was Lucy Lawless, actress from the cult 90s TV show Xena: Warrior Princess and new series Ash vs Evil Dead. I managed to get a quick chat and a signature from her, which is almost beyond awesome. I’d also gotten an opportunity to speak to fellow Ash vs Evil Dead star Ray Santiago, who as well was a friendly guy. One of my highlights though the whole day was getting a signature and chat with John Rhys-Davies, known best for his role as Gimli. I waited two and a half hours in a line from him and heard he was a bit of a talker. His tendency to talk made him even more entertaining and personal with the fans, which I like in a celebrity.
Overall Oz Comic-Con was a really fun and entertaining weekend. I loved everything about it; from meeting stars, to the fun, friendly, and safe atmosphere. I’m already counting down the days to the next one and can’t wait to see what comes next.
Cameron Lowe 
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