London MCM Expo May 2010

So once again another UK based convention draws near which myself, ZY and possibly Val will be attending. Which expo you ask, why the London MCM Expo which is running on the 29th and 30th (Sat and Sun) of May at the ExCeL exhibition hall in fair ol’ London. So what does the latest Expo hold in store for the us this time…..

but first some background info about the event:

London MCM Expo – the UK’s top entertainment event!

London MCM Expo storms back to Excel on 29-30 May with everything you’ve come to expect from the UK’s top entertainment event… and more.

Come face-to-face with your favourite film stars and TV personalities; get hands-on with the hottest new videogames; check out Britain’s biggest anime and manga distributors; watch previews of upcoming movies; catch up with the brightest comic book talent and strut your stuff at our famous cosplay masquerade.
Europe’s answer to the San Diego Comic Con, the London MCM Expo features hundreds of exhibitors including major movie studios, acclaimed comic artists and world famous videogame developers. And did we mention that kids aged 10 and under get in for free?

This year also sees the London MCM Expo attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for the Largest Handheld Game Console Party; so if you’re attending the show on 29 May bring along your Nintendo DS and help make history.
Special guests already confirmed for the show include:

Ron D Moore – Executive producer on Caprica, also known for his work on Battlestar Galactica, Carnivale, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Joining Ron on the Caprica panel will be the sci-fi show’s star, Esai Morales, who has also appeared in popular series such as NYPD Blue, Jericho, Vanished & 24.
Alaina Huffman – currently appearing on our screens as Tamara Johansen in Stargate Universe, Alaina is already well know to sci-fi fans for her role as Dunah Lance, aka the Black Canary, in Smallville.

Alongside Alaina will be Stargate Universe co-star, Jamil Walker Smith. Jamil plays Ronald Greer on SGU and has also appeared in Bones, Cold Case & Medium.
David DeLuise, who plays Jerry Russo in popular Disney Channel series ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’, will be signing autographs for his young fans free of charge.
John Noble (‘Lord Of The Rings’, ‘24’) and Jasika Nicole from J.J. Abrams’ sci-fi television series ‘Fringe’.

Kathy Najimy, who provides the voice of “Peggy Hill’ on the Emmy-award winning cartoon King of the Hill and played Sister Mary Patrick in Sister Act 1 & 2.
Kyle Hebert – leading anime and videogame voice artist, most recently lent his voice to Ryu (Street Fighter IV), Kamina (Gurren Lagann), Kiba (Naruto), Vato (Full Metal Alchemist) and Aizen (Bleach).

Two more top voice artists will also be attending the show; Yuri Lowenthal, (Code Geass, Naruto, Afro Samurai, Ben 10) and Tara Platt (Naruto, Bleach, Busou Renkin).

To find out all the latest news, from special guest announcements to show features, please visit www.londonexpo.com

Tickets from 0844 448 7600 or online at www.londonexpo.com

Euro Cosplay Championships!

If you need proof that cosplay is taking off in the West, look no further than the stunning success enjoyed by the Euro Cosplay Championships in their inaugural year.
18 nations are already taking part in Euro Cosplay 2010 – Austria; Belgium; Czech Republic; Denmark; England; Finland; France; Germany; Hungary; Ireland; Italy; Netherlands; Poland; Portugal; Slovakia; Spain; Sweden and Switzerland – an incredible achievement in its first year, given that Japan’s World Cosplay Summit has 15 participating countries.

The UK’s own enthusiastic cosplay community will have two great opportunities to check out the best of Euro Cosplay 2010 – the Qualifiers held at the London MCM Expo on Saturday 29 May and the Grand Final to be held at the London MCM Expo later in October. Given the high standard of cosplay we’ve seen over the years at the London MCM Expo, both competitions look like being events to remember!

Visit www.londonexpo.com/show_features/euro_cosplay.html to find out more about Euro Cosplay or check out www.londonexpo.com/show_features/cosplay__expo.html for general information about cosplaying at May’s London MCM Expo.

Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG and DS National Competitions

Let the Duelling Begin! Konami Digital Entertainment will be holding the UK Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG National Championship and the Yu-Gi-Oh! DS National Championship at the London MCM Expo at Excel on 29-30 May, show organisers have announced.

Konami plans to use the weekend event as a celebration of all things Yu-Gi-Oh!, showcasing new cards and forthcoming sets, with the highlight being the two main competitions. The trading card National Championship will span both days and is open to all qualified players.

Konami has allocated a playing area that can host up to 364 fans, and a grand knock out tournament will whittle away entrants until one is crowned National Champion, and will go on to represent the UK at the European Championship with the chance to qualify for the World Championship later this year.

Similarly, the Yu-Gi-Oh! DS National Championship will pit players of Konami’s Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2010 title against each other on Sunday 30 May. Again, it will take the form of a knock-out competition, with the eventual winner directly qualifying for the DS World Finals.

In addition, the London MCM Expo will host a demo area designed to introduce newcomers to the Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game, as well as a challenge zone, where all-comers will be invited to duel against a previous national champion. And if all that isn’t enough, screenings of the many Yu-Gi-Oh! cartoons and movies will be held within a bespoke screening area.

For more information on the show, please visit www.londonexpo.com

Nintendo DS World Record

I also hear on the grapevine that there is a Nintendo DS world record taking place on the Saturday and all you have to do is attend London MCM Expo on the 29th of May 2010 and bring your DS and a Game. DS & DS Lite are valid. The current record is held by Australia and was set back in October 2007.

Nintendo UK are giving you a chance to win one of 5 Nintendo DSi XL’s during the record attempt.

The record attempt will be held at Noon in the MCM Expo Theatre. No forms to sign on the day, just be there and help make the attempt a success. The record will be completed by 12.30. Fantastic Random prizes will be given out during the attempt. Just a shame I no longer have my DS Lite and am now running on a DSi.

So if you made it this far down the post and your actually still reading and not just looking at the picture, drop us a line if you are going, ZY and I will hopefully be wearing O-C t shirts so look out for us and come say hi!

Picture by Juliette Crawford

All images are the property of their respective owners.