The two-day event did so well that the organisers will host an event in the city for the next three years
by Amy Smith
Photo courtesy of Amy Smith
Over the past weekend, the P&J Live venue in Aberdeen was home to Comic Con North East. Bringing a range of guests in pop culture from the Gladiators to anime, the weekend promised fans the opportunity to dress-up, pose in front of some famous sets, and meet some of their favourite stars. While there have been numerous organisers who have arranged Comic Con events in Aberdeen, this was the first time for organisers Monopoly Events.
The CEO of Monopoly Events, Andy Kleek, was at the events both days and took time out of his busy schedule to speak to The Gaudie. Kleek reported that the event in Aberdeen was a huge success: “I’ve never had an event like this where everything top to bottom has ran smoothly. Saturday sold out and Sunday was near capacity so when you get attendance like that at your first event, it’s a good result”.
Among the many visitors who turned up to attend the event were cosplayers, dressing up in some incredibly costumes of their favourite characters. With the recent release of The Batman, it should not surprise that DC characters were some of the most popular on display. However, guest appearances from numerous anime voice actors as well as Harry Potter star Mark Williams meant that those franchises also proved popular with the crowds. With a cosplay parade on both days of the event and a £500 prize given to the top costume, there was a lot of creativity on display.
It was not just the guests that came up to the event, but a range of sets and props that visitors could interact with. Customers were given freedom to interact with these sets, stepping into the TARDIS or hopping into the DeLorean. Perhaps one of the coolest set pieces, was the dojo from Cobra Kai, a series that has seen guests attend different events held by Monopoly Events in the past.
Claudia Wells. Photo courtesy of Amy Smith
Speaking of the DeLorean, The Gaudie was able to take a few minutes to talk to Claudia Wells, who plays Jennifer Parker in Back to the Future. When asked what it was like getting back into work and attending conventions since the pandemic, Wells mentioned that she was glad to have a busy schedule again: “I’m doing a Back to the Future reunion at an event called Chiller, I’m in Plano, Texas next weekend, I’m doing something called Retro Revolution and I’m in Southampton in July and I’ll be back in Scotland in October, I’m doing a movie in Czech Republic in May and another show so I’m quite busy”.
With the success of the first Comic Con North East, it is perhaps no surprise that plans have already been announced about future events being held at the P&J Live. Andy Kleek confirmed to The Gaudie during the event on Sunday that Comic Con North East would return next March and that it would be an event not to miss.
Tickets for the 2023 Comic Con North East, which will be held 18-19 March, and all other details about the convention can be found here (https://www.comicconscotlandnortheast.co.uk/)
Photos courtesy of Amy Smith
