Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, entertainment

Things To Do In Chester This September If You Like Comics

Published Mon, 05 Sep 2016 04:00:25 -0500

Last updated Wed, 07 Sep 2016 17:42:03 -0500

By Olly MacNamee

This September – Saturday 25th to be exact – sees the launch of Chester's first comic con, held at Chester Racecourse and running between 11am – 5pm, giving me plenty of time to get up there from Birmingham without missing out too much of the day.

The city of Chester, as anyone can attest who has been there, is a beautiful backdrop for any event, made up as it is with mock Tudor buildings (mostly build in the 19th century, but fooling tourist for over 100 years now) and the real thing; here and there. And there's a Roman wall too! But, I am bias, having grown up just a stone's throw away in North Wales. It was always a treat to cross the border as a kid and enter the land of electricity and magic lanterns for a grand day out before hitching our carts to our horses back to our caves in the valleys and whatever we could hunt and gather on the slopes of Snowdonia. Halcyon days indeed. Nowadays, I hear Wales has even got the internet. Although a recent trip to see my sister cast a shadow on this as being actual fact.

But I digress.

This inaugural comic con promises the likes of artists Dave Taylor, Phil Winslade and local boy Neil Edwards, who has provided the art on an exclusive variant cover for DC's Suicide Squad No.1 which, of course, can easily be signed by the man himself should you pop along. This cover was specially commissioned by Rhyl Comic and Disc Co's Stuart Steveson, the organiser behind this freshman year convention and for anyone coming to ICE next weekend in Brum, there's the chance to get yours signed by Rob Williams ahead of the Chester Comic Con should you be considering going to both. And, with a trip to Chester on the cards ahead of next weekend, I for one will be going for gold!

And, as is the way of the world, there will be guests from such magic lantern offerings as Guardians of The Galaxy (Spencer Wilding), Game of Thrones (Ross Mullan), Star Wars (Ken Colley) and the like. Of course, a full and up to date list can be read by clicking here.

Alongside these appearances will be a mini-funfair (not many – if any – comic cons can boast that), retro gaming (Mario Karts on the SNES please) and … well, take a look for yourselves here. I'm not your dad you know! I can't do everything for you.

Keeping tickets low – a smart move given this is a new event in a small city – you'll be paying either £7 in advance, or £9 on the day. Again, click here for advance tickets.

From what I can gather, this is a sensibly smaller comic con but I am sure, if it does succeed, it can only grow in future years.

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