Hey everyone! Last weekend I went on an amazing trip down to the south of England. I met new friends and went in cosplay for the first time in my life. Over the weekend I was taking notes on what I was getting up to and all the cool things I saw. A lot of the below will be in first person for the day to reflect on everything around me. I hope you enjoy!
Friday
It’s Josef here and I’m typing up from the comfort of my hotel room! I’m down in London this weekend for my trip to the MCM Comic Con. MCM is an event I have attended several times through the years with my first visit being in October 2011. This is my first year going for the all out con experience. I’ve booked time off work, booked a hotel, and have come with an amazing group of friends. But most exciting for me is that this is my first time ever cosplaying.
For today I was dressed up as Noctis Caelum, aka the best emo boy from Final Fantasy XV. The rest of my friends were also sporting some Final Fantasy XV love. We had a Prompto, Ignis, Cindy, Aranea and Ardyn. So while we were missing a Gladiolus we still had a pretty filling squad for the occasion.
The first time you walk into MCM is always an exhilarating experience. You look around and your vision is swarmed with a spectrum of colours. You begin to recognise superheros, anime characters and pop culture references scattered around. It becomes hard to keep track of all the characters you’re seeing. This was all on the Friday as well, which from experience tends to be one of the quieter days. Everyone is still at work, but come tomorrow it can turn into a swarm.
Today we enjoyed looking around all of the stalls and doing a photo-shoot outside. I was a little late getting in so most of the gang had already managed to purchase a large amount of items. One thing that you can always count on at Con is that you’ll always find something to buy. There’s an insane amount of stalls in every accessible space filled to the brim with prints, merch, clothing and just the most random thing you can think of. For now I’m going to call it a day, I’m looking forward to tomorrow!
Saturday
Well today was super super busy! Or should I say yesterday, as there was never a moment to stop. First things first we arrived at the con to see a swarm of more people than I expected. However before going inside we took to the outdoor area for photo-shoots! This was my first time out in my Spider-Man homecoming homemade suit. I was very happy with how this had come out and walking in hearing people comment on my suit made me all giddy. My friends were all from different corners of the entertainment world this time. Walking around with a Max and Chloe from Life Is Strange can take its toll when you are the one who holds the bags when people want pictures!
This is when I started to realise it was so much more than just the event taking place here. Friends would be meeting up from all over the country, families walking around together in cosplay. It was really something else. After a trip inside and a few more photo ops later, we all went for pizza. We probably spent near enough 2 and a half hours just sat in this hotel bar. I felt like I was captured inside of a moment of pure enjoyment. It made me think of Andy from The Office when he says “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.” But looking around at my friends made me feel like that.
We took some more time inside after this, and I feel it’s only fair to give credit to MCM here. The expo centre is full of exciting events, panels, screenings and special guests. If you came just to see one specific person, then the rest of the con won’t let you down either. There are families and friends all around and it would certainty be great for just a nerdy day out.
On the night we may have gotten slightly tipsy. Me as Noctis and my friend who was dressed as Prompto went out to buy wine from the local shop in character. It was a wacky and fun experience and the drinking in the hotel room was a blast. We had Uno and Quiplash up on the TV screen, making for some entertaining answers. Again this just made the whole day feel like an amazing experience. Friendship is very much the theme of this trip. I feel that was enhanced with us all in Final Fantasy XV costumes.
By the end of night we were all laughing our selves to death and it was just one of the most hilarious experiences of my life. Eventually it got to the point, after 2 bottles of wine mind you. That three security guards were sent up to my family room after receiving a noise complaint. I could already imagine the disappointment on their faces when they sent some Hench dudes to escort out a bunch of nerds in fancy dress. After that it was pretty much time for bed, but I was still up laughing about the whole experience for a while.
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Sunday
Sunday certainly felt like the in between of Friday and Saturday. It’s still pretty busy busy, but not as much as Saturday can be. Sunday for us was the ideal for a shop around all the stalls and a regular photo shoot. I took on the role of Spidey for a second day and walked around most of the day alongside Alphys from Undertale as well as Miraculous Ladybug and Cat Noir.
There was something really special about the Sunday. That was mainly due to being around two characters from a hit children’s TV show at a family event. We must have been stopped like 50 times during the day by families and passer by’s. All wanting a picture of Ladybug and Cat Noir. Some kids would get really nervous around them and believed that they were meeting the real thing. It was a heart warming moment every time. Even beyond the kids a lot of people who recognised the show stopped to show their appreciation.
It’s really sad to be saying goodbye to such an amazing experience and My Blood. I feel fully hooked on the con life and have found myself planning out my next cosplay adventures. I’ll probably continue to develop the characters I’ve started as, as well as find new ones to do. MCM was always something I enjoyed over the years, but this time it feels like a new lifestyle. One I’m more than open to making a big part of my life. I’m lucky to be surrounded by such amazing friends who can teach my what they know while laughing about the most stupid stuff. Like Travelodge dinner service and just yelling the word children. Then the fact that I thought I miss-named the room 207 when I had been staying in 407 for 3 days already.
I’ll be thinking about this con for a long time, if not the rest of my life. If you ever have the opportunity, you should go to an MCM Expo. Weather it’s in costume, with your friends or family. There’s always a great time to be had here.
Friends and Instagram’s
You can find the Instagram’s of all my friends bellow. They’re all honestly amazing people and worth a follow. I’m also on the list because I like to self plug where I can.
See you next time MCM and my Con Squad!