Dear readers,
For those of you unfamiliar with the Australian Supanova Pop Culture Expo, as I imagine most of you will be, they are a series of exhibitions that host Madman Cosplay competitions, anime viewings, a host of Supa-Star Guests from stage and screen, fandom related areas and stores and, for some, nothing more than a good excuse to come out and have some fun.
This year the Supa-Star Guests varied from perennial favorites James Marsters and Tom Felton, both returnees, to first timers Richard Kiel and Malcolm-Jamal Warner, so there really was something every type of sci-fi / fantasy / action fan. There were also 2 musical events, with James Marsters and Gareth David-Lloyd's band 'Blue Gillespie' putting on separate concerts over the weekend.I was lucky enough to attend the fan Q&A panels for the Harry Potter trio of Tom Felton, Alfie Enoch & Chris Rankin, Nelsan Ellis, a Morena Baccarin and Luke Perry joint panel, as well as seeing them both separately, Alfie and Chris again together & Billy West & John Di Maggio in a joint panel. I also witnessed the immense lines for Felicia Day, Tom Felton and Tom Hopper and heard the frivolity and craziness of their panels (whilst waiting in line for the panels I attended).
This was a special Friday night panel and was followed up by a photo opportunity with all 3 of them. They were very enthusiastic and had great fun entertaining the fans that had braved the not so great weather. There were a few universal truths - Hippogriffs would make a fun pet, it was near impossible to steal props from set and they all had a life changing experience that they will remember forever.
Saturday is normally the busiest of the weekend, but weather may have deterred some people from attending, or maybe it was the change in venue that made it feel a lot less crowed than usual. The fans that did come out, however, certainly did not fail to impress. The shopping pavillion was hectic and a great place to find some true gems, from Minecraft pillows to full sized display fantasy swords, Big Bang Theory dolls to obscure anime figurines. There truly was something for everyone.
There are a variety of ticket types, ranging from a 1 day pass right up to VIP access that includes an exclusive evening function with some of the attending guests which is truly amazing for us regular folk. This year, there was also a 'Whedonverse' limited number ticket for fans of Joss Whedon's work. Morena Baccarin (Firefly & Serenity), Luke Perry (Buffy - the movie), James Marsters (Buffy - the tv show) and Felicia Day (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog) hosted exclusive ticket holder panels and treated fans to extra photo opportunities.
Morena commented that the costumes in Firefly were some of the best she's worn and would have loved to have kept them, especially a vintage kimono style dress with sheer sides (which got a rousing reaction from the crowd). She also commented that being able to do Serenity was so much fun, as cancelled shows almost never get a rebirth of any kind and that she'll always have soft spot for Nathan Fillion.
Luke Perry was incredibly gracious with fan questions and it turns out he would have liked to have been a first response paramedic or fireman (to which Morena commented 'I'm not calling you too skinny, or short, but you are too skinny' in jest) and he revels in having a say in the behind the scenes goings on on what ever he is working on at the time. He also told a few stories involving hot tubs and nearly passing out which was fun.
Sunday always brings the Cosplay finals, which means super fun people watching and trying to figure out who belongs to what fandom and who they are dressed up as. Thankfully I have friends who are much more knowledgeable in areas that I am not.The weather was also better, and funnily enough, there were a lot more plushy style outfits and colorful onesies on display.
Nelsan Ellis, whilst reserved in his personal dealings with fans, hosted a fun panel. He often takes Lafayette's manerisms home with him and his friends have to remind him about it and made a few fan's day by saying 'Hookah'.
Both days involved a 'come and try' style flash mob done to Gangnam Style and was worth some giggles.
Fans choose to line up for hours for an opportunity to share a fleeting experience with the Supa-Stars, with photo and autograph opportunities available over the entire weekend. For this fan, it's always a highlight and provides a very personal souvenir and a chance to properly fangirl.
One of the longers lines of the day, on Sunday, was for John Di Maggio and Billy West's panel. Now these may be names you are not familiar with, but if you have watched any kind of popular animation over the past 15 years, you've most certainly heard them doing what they do best. From Futurama (they thanked all of the fans for campaigning to bring that back too, which was nice), to Adventure Time, Ren & Stimpy, Spacejam, Batman the Brave and the Bold and many many more. They worked so many voices into their panel it was a real treat.
A massive shout-out must also be given to the army of purple shirted volunteers who keep us all in the right line, on time and excited for what we are spending hours lining up to be a part of.
I dressed up as Wonderwoman on the Sunday and got some pictures, which was fun. It was my first time wearing a proper costume and I was pleasantly surprised at how welcoming people were, with parents pointing me out to their children.The Star Wars fandom is always well represented, with the official 501st Legion's photo booth doing what they do best and raising money for charity. They are always a welcome sight and guarantee fans of a memorable experience. This year they even had a lifesize Star Wars action figure box that you could pose inside of, as if you were the action figure.
The Supanova weekends are always a highlight and now there are 6 of each year in different cities around Australia, more of us are getting on the what was once a 'little bit underground' geek traing to see what all of the fuss is about. If you haven't been before, do yourself a favor and go. For those of us that are well and truly counting down the days until the next opportunity, I'll see you there. Tickets generally go on sale 6-8 weeks before each event, so check the website.
If you want me to go into more detail on any of the panels I attended, or to ask me any questions on the weekend in general, please email me at jade@artistsondemandonline.com or tweet me @jadeAODradio. I would be happy to hear from you.
All of the pictures used are mine.
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