★★★☆
Where else would you see Daenerys Targaryen chatting to the Goblin King? Or the Scooby Doo gang sharing snacks with members of the Suicide Squad?
Even the threat of a torrential downpour couldn’t dampen the spirits of the super fans who descended on Sydney Olympic Park for Supanova 2016 at the weekend. The three-day event kicked off on Friday afternoon to celebrate all things popular culture and attracted people of all ages, from zombie toddlers to ghostbusting grannies.
Star-spotting went into overdrive as Aussie farm boy turned Viking warrior, Travis Fimmel, shook hands with an army of Ragnar wannabees. Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs and Brian Krause charmed the crowd posing for ‘Power Of Three’ photos, while doing nothing to squash rumours of a reunion show.
Australia’s own John Jarratt made his presence known as he wandered freely through the crowd looking nothing like his fear-inducing alter ego, Wolf Creek’s Mick Taylor, and The Walking Dead’s Benedict Samuels spread the love, posing for countless photos with volunteers and fans alike.
Stefan Kapicic and everyone’s favourite arse-kicking angst-ridden teenager Brianna Hildebrand signed autographs and took happy snaps with Deadpool fanatics, while James Marsters AKA the smouldering vampire Spike from Buffy serenaded lucky expo-goers with his blues rock stylings at a private concert.
Inside the Exhibition Hall, writers, illustrators, make-up and special effects artists spilt secrets on how they bring much-loved characters to life, while those who needed a little fresh air could check out a game of Quidditch or prepare to joust atop a mighty thoroughbred thanks to the folks behind Sydney’s Winterfest.
However, most would argue the hottest ticket at this year’s Expo was the Supanova Cosplay Competition. For over a decade, the event has sparked fierce rivalry with prizes up for grabs in six categories including Best In Show, Best Craftsmanship, Best Performance and Best Group. Veteran cosplayers and Supanova ambassadors A.K. Wirru and Melissa Echo AKA Echoing Artemis were on hand to answer any questions from budding players, and shared their experiences with other competitors.
But for this reviewer, the highlight of the weekend was undoubtedly meeting my first celebrity crush, Sean Astin – best known for his role as Samwise Gamgee in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy (or for children of the ’80s, Mikey Walsh from Steven Spielberg’s epic adventure movie The Goonies). He is as lovable in real life as he is on screen, and a man of his word too. Following through on a promise made before the convention, I took an oath, and left Supanova 2016 a newly minted honorary Goonie. I could have died – but then again, Goonies never say die.
Photo: Ashley Mar
Supanova Pop Culture Expo 2016 took placeat Sydney Showground, Friday June 17 – Sunday June 19.
