For anyone who feels an affinity to geek culture, a comic con of any size feels a bit like being a kid in a sweet shop.
This seemed to be more evident at The Linc-Con, with a plethora of stalls selling all variety of merchandise and geeky items. On more than one occasion my friend had to take my wallet away from me to stop me spending the money I didn’t have.
Although at first it seems a little pricey, having to pay for both entry and most of the entertainment being stalls selling posters, t-shirts and comics, there’s plenty to do if you’re on a tight budget – or simply if you’re a student.
On the platform, there were huge tables of games consoles set up with many different types of games for all ages including Call of Duty, Guitar Hero and Rocket League. It was quite easy to lose yourself for half an hour or so with like-minded event goers playing video games.
As well as this, the classic arcade games boasting such titles as Street Fighter and Super Mario Bros. 3 were a real treat. This was another activity that me and my friends lost ourselves in for almost an hour.
There was plenty to do for all ages, with a lightsabre training academy which, while I didn’t take part, looked like fantastic fun. There was also a balloon artist making superheroes and villains on request, and a green screen photo op which sadly wasn’t working when I was at the con but got up and running eventually.
Possibly the most exciting thing about the event were the huge number of cosplayers who came – either to compete in the contest or just for fun. It’s jaw dropping to see the amount of time, effort and money that went into these costumes.
It’s great fun to walk around and talk to them about what got them into cosplaying, why they chose this character and general chat about their love of cons.
I was lucky enough to speak to Mat Shaw, one of the event organisers, who had this to say about the event: “For our first year, it was a fantastic turnout. Lots of people dressed up, and they just look fantastic.
“Hopefully we’ll be back next year with an even bigger event and an even bigger turnout.”
The event is truly one of breaking barriers. For a few hours, age, gender, race, sexuality and the usual labels that are placed upon us are irrelevant – we’re simply people with a passion for geek culture, able to share that passion with those around us.