Father and son on a sci-fi mission
A father-son duo are off to New Zealand’s biggest fantasy convention to immerse themselves in pop culture.
Self-confessed nerds Jon Tocker and his son Tangwyn Tocker, 17, will pack into Wellington’s Sky Stadium with thousands of other fantasy fanatics for a weekend of animation, comics, special guests and, of course, cosplay galore.
More than 130,000 people gather at the Armageddon Expo held in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch every year, but with Covid-19’s grip on the world, the event will host local talent alongside virtual interviews with international stars and creators.
They have been preparing for the trip south for months, with Tocker building a hand terminal from his favourite show, The Expanse.
A science-fiction series based on James S A Corey’s books, The Expanse is set in the future where humans have colonised the solar system.
The solo father had dreamed of attending Armageddon for years, but other commitments kept arising.
However, after the pair became hooked on the series they decided enough was enough.
One way or another, they were getting to Wellington, Tocker said.
‘‘Tangwyn was talking about it a few months ago, and we thought, ‘stuff it’, we’re just going to go.
‘‘I’ve wanted to go for ages, but I’ve always been broke or far away, but I thought this time I’m going to put the money aside and not touch it. No treats and no spontaneous buying.
‘‘I’m going to be a kid in a candy shop.’’ In freshly bleached blond hair, Tangwyn is Dio Brando from the Japanese manga series, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
‘‘It’s interesting seeing my dad this excited for something,’’ Tangwyn said.
‘‘I’m excited for the idea of sharing something I love in front of other people who share a similar experience to me. It’s going to be really good.’’
Tocker’s hand terminal, inspired by what characters in The Expanse use, was a labour of love.
He found files on Thingiverse, a digital design website, which could be used for laser cutting of the acrylic to create the front plate, which was lit up by an LED bulb.
He spent $90 trying to make his first version work, but quickly switched to an $8 piece of acrylic with LED lights to illuminate the symbols etched into the terminal.
Tangwyn was ready to face the expo with his father, proud of his efforts building the device, and strengthening their bond.
‘‘It’s been a rough journey, but eventually we got it. The terminal looks really cool. It makes me believe that he is from the series.’’