by Jayden Leggett, Editor
Far from being the event responsible for bringing forth the end of the world (as it’s name would seem to imply), 2013’s Armageddon Expo in Melbourne proved to be a great day out for young and old alike.
Hosted at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds (not the Exhibition Centre, Aussie Dave!), geek pop culture fans couldn’t have asked for a better day for the event to be held. The air was calm, the sun was shining, and the high level of enthusiasm for the expo was undeniable (a quick glance at the hundreds of cosplayers proudly displaying their costumes definitely proved this fact).
Fans (and their costumes) from all geek interests such as anime, comics, video games, movies and television shows were simultaneously sharing their love of their respective genres whilst excitedly perusing over the numerous stalls and industry talents that were available at the event.
Comic book nerds had several opportunities to geek out with various writers and artists such as the popular Stewart McKenny, Marvel’s Dan Slott, Matt Melvin of Cyanide & Happiness fame, the mighty Colin Wilson, and Tom “Injustice” Taylor, among many others (talk about being spoilt for choice!) Unfortunately for TMNT fans such as yours truly, the legendary Ninja Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman was unable to attend (much to my dismay), but that still didn’t stop one particular Turtles fan in attending the con decked out in Donatello’s finest ninja gear.
Voice artists were also present in full force, with names like Patrick Seitz, Kari Wahlgren, Janet Varney, Gregg Berger and Brian Bloom dominating the attention of the numerous anime and animation fans who were in attendance. As if that weren’t enough, there was also an enormous roster of film and television stars. You know, guys like Corey Feldman, Billy Boyd and Dean Stockwell, and girls like Evanna Lynch, Gigi Edgley and Claudia Black. Oh, and did I mention the huge roster of Doctor Who actors? Like I said previously, fans were indeed spoilt for choice.
As can be expected, there were a stack of panels for punters to attend, ranging from Q&A’s with the celebrities themselves (such as Billy Boyd and Corey Feldman) to more tailored pieces like the Supernatural panel or the Doctor Who panel, to ensure the needs of all geeks were fulfilled as much as humanly possible.
Throughout the day, not one unhappy face could be seen, and the excitement was simply infectious. Despite some disappointing no-shows (as I said before, seeing Kevin Eastman would have been the highlight of my day), there is no denying that this year’s Armageddon Expo was once again a sunny, sexy success. In other words, be sure to grab your tickets for next year as soon as they become available!
Prepare for next year’s Armageddon at ComicsOnline.com and share the geek love at our Facebook and Twitter pages for more convention news, coverage and everything geek pop culture!
