Modern Life: What are comic cons? Anna Savory

Comic conventions, or comic cons, are a modern cultural phenomenon. Huge, weekend-long events, they’re dedicated to all things ‘geek culture’, from comic books to TV series to classic sci-fi films. Once the preserve of a few dedicated obsessives, in the past decade they’ve gained a widespread appeal.

Six large-scale conventions are held in London each year, with regional cons in almost every city from Scarborough (Sci-fi Scarborough) to Torquay (Devcon). Birmingham plays host to multiple comic cons in its leviathan NEC centre, and this year to a smaller affair at a local hotel, tellingly titled Not Another Comic Con. So what is responsible for the popularity and proliferation?

Part of the appeal of these events is the promise of celebrity. Attend a comic con and, in return for hours of queueing and heroic amounts of money, you can have your photo taken with surviving members of the cast of Star Trek.

The guest line-ups for comic cons are extensive and range from Hollywood A-listers to beloved, British character actors, to Harry Potter film extras.

Beyond celebrity meet and greets, comic-con attendees can listen to talks by publishing industry representatives on how to pitch ideas, or see film trailers not yet available to the general public. Primarily, though, comic cons double as gigantic market places, with stall upon stall selling everything from books and comics, to Spider-man tea towels and Twin Peaks- inspired bubble bath.

Self-employed artists (secretly there to network with the publishing reps) are nestled among these market stalls. I’ve