MCM London Review

MCM London in May was once again an experience to be had. Compared to the past MCM, it was like entering an entirely new ballgame since ReedPop took over.  A great change that makes it feel more like home out here in the UK, as the format is much the same as ReedPop shows in the US.

On the main showroom floor there was the usual gaming section, complete with everything your competitive heart desires. Boardgames, video games, single player, battles, and the Republic of Gamers Bus. It is the best place to try new games, and to challenge some new players in your tried and true favourites. The biggest draw of this area is the Nintendo stage where you can battle other congoers on the big screen for bragging rights and become one of the top players of the weekend. Personally, I like the solo stations so I can try out some new games and get the feel of them before purchasing.

Moving throughout the con, there was your normal collection of sellers. Everything from drinking horns to Hello Kitty can be found at MCM. Need some Pocky asap? They’ve got you covered. The bigger stalls are naturally the mystery boxes, shirt stands, and the granddaddy of them all- Funko. This time around Funko had Chewy as their big mascot, and he was adorable. Scattered throughout were promotion booths- one for The Meg, a new movie coming out summer 2018 featuring a megalodon, CrunchyRoll showed up with a photo booth, Warner Bros and Universal were both there, and so was The Steampunk Emporium. There was a great mix of booths, and really something for everyone. Typically, I can get a bit bored walking around the floor, as it sometimes feels like a been there, seen that type of situation after you’ve done so many cons. But this one kept me going and I can’t think of a time I got bored with walking about. Notably on the floor was the new Jack Reacher experience, where your your shooting skills and intelligence were tested. If you were one of those unlucky ones, you were interrogated. All your scores were added and compared to everyone else’s so you could see where you rank. This promo was for the new Netflix series coming out soon, and it looks like a good one to keep your eye on if you enjoyed the book series.

But on to what we really go to cons for- the comics. Comic Villiage this time around had some special guests, which was very exciting! Cullen Bunn was one of the noted guests, as was Barry Jazz Finnegan, Liam Sharp, Geof Darrow, Conor McCreery, and Ken Lashley among others. As for the other artists, there was a ton! Ken McFarlane, Mister Lucian, Webcomic Name, DeathBulge, The Pride, Hamish Steele, Sarah Graley, and so, so many more. There were art styles to fit any fancy, and comics for every mood. This is the place to go for all your comic needs. Indie to the mainstream, webcomic to traditional. They’ve got you covered.

The Actor line up was what you would expect from a large-scale con. With voiceover artists from Overwatch, Pokémon, Winnie the Pooh, and more video games and tv shows than one can remember. Big actor names included Tom Ellis, Letitia Wright, David Harewood, Rosario Dawson, James Purefoy, Felicia Day and Danielle Nicolet. In the memorabilia area, you could meet Patricia Quinn, Paul Blake, the cast of Red Dwarf, and more. It was a star-studded event that left many fans very happy. With the normal meet and greets, and photo ops you could catch everyone you wanted to see easily.

Overall, the ReedPop changeover is one that I am all for. Seeing the changes what will be happening over the next year at every MCMis one I am looking forward to. It can only get bigger and better every year! The panels were once again excellent, there was enough space in the aisles where you never felt trapped behind a slow walker, and the aircon, while it could have been turned up a bit, was doing its job admirably. The food options were good, and not bank breaking. If you are coming to London during the con-season, this is the one to aim for.  Need more convincing? Check out the highlight video from MCM below:

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