London MCM Expo
Encyclopedia
The London MCM Expo is a multi-genre fan convention
held in the London
Borough of Newham twice yearly, usually on the last weekend in May and October. The convention mainly focuses on anime
, manga
, video games, sci-fi, cosplay
& popular media from the United Kingdom
and Japan
.
The convention is held twice each year, usually on the last full weekend of May and October. There have occasionally been exceptions to this; May 2009 being one of them.
The event started as a single day and has now expanded to run across three days attracting attendance and involvement from industry luminaries such as: Universal Studios
, Twentieth Century Fox, Manga Entertainment UK, NEO Magazine
amongst others.
and film personalities selling autographs and interacting with their fans both in person and on stage during Question and Answer sessions. Along with panels, seminars and workshops with comic book professionals, there are previews of upcoming television and feature films, portfolio review sessions with video game companies.
. Cosplaying has become one of the most popular parts of the show. This can be to show off the costumer's latest work, just to show devotion to their favourite characters or engage in role-play
with other cosplayers in the same series, as well as just meet new people with mutual interests.
The main purpose of Fringe is to allow cosplayers to organise photoshoots, meet-ups, picnics and get togethers. Organisers are more easily able to create their own event within the Expo and broadcast it. At the same time, the rest of the Expo Attendees can search the website and decide to go to it. Photoshoots will be more successful and likely to get more people from the same anime or game to take part. Previous events have included picnics, dances and video gaming tournaments.
were founded in 1977 and are the longest running fan voted awards for the Comic Industry. They are now held at the London MCM Expo each May
In October 2010, stronger wristbands were given to weekend ticket holders. This was due to Weekend Attendees having to wear them all weekend; Wristbands are unable to be removed without voiding them. The paper version of advance tickets were also scrapped. Advance tickets are now only available as an e-ticket which must be printed and taken to the event.
Fan convention
A fan convention, or con , is an event in which fans of a particular film, television series, comic book, actor, or an entire genre of entertainment such as science fiction or anime and manga, gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and...
held in the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Borough of Newham twice yearly, usually on the last weekend in May and October. The convention mainly focuses on anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
, manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, video games, sci-fi, cosplay
Cosplay
, short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction...
& popular media from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
History and Organization
The MCM (Movie Comic Media) Expo Group are organisers of the London MCM Expo, Midlands, Manchester MCM Expo's & MEMORABILIA Birmingham. It was founded in early 2001 by Paul Miley (ScifiShows) and Bryan Cooney (Wolf Events), both well known organisers within the convention entertainment industry.The convention is held twice each year, usually on the last full weekend of May and October. There have occasionally been exceptions to this; May 2009 being one of them.
The event started as a single day and has now expanded to run across three days attracting attendance and involvement from industry luminaries such as: Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
, Twentieth Century Fox, Manga Entertainment UK, NEO Magazine
Neo (magazine)
NEO is a 100-page monthly magazine published in the United Kingdom and Ireland by Uncooked Media that focuses on various aspects of East Asian entertainment such as Japanese anime and manga ; Hong Kong, Korean and Japanese films; and Japanese pop, rock and visual kei music, etc.The magazine...
amongst others.
Exhibit Hall
London MCM Expo features a large floorspace for dealer stands and exhibitors which include media companies such as movie studios and TV stations. There is also a theatre space that includes a large stage with projection monitors on either side and seating for approximately 1000.Guests
Guests from popular media are commonly invited to the show. They take part for a variety of reasons. Often, this is to promote their latest product or production whether it be movie, TV or print. Sometimes it can be to raise awareness and funds for a charity or cause important to them. It is common to see televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and film personalities selling autographs and interacting with their fans both in person and on stage during Question and Answer sessions. Along with panels, seminars and workshops with comic book professionals, there are previews of upcoming television and feature films, portfolio review sessions with video game companies.
Autographs
The event also includes an autograph area as well as the Artists' Alley where comics artists can sign autographs and sell or do free sketches. Despite the name, Artists' Alley can include writers and also models.Cosplay
Ticket holders are allowed to, and in many cases, encouraged to take part in CosplayCosplay
, short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction...
. Cosplaying has become one of the most popular parts of the show. This can be to show off the costumer's latest work, just to show devotion to their favourite characters or engage in role-play
Role-playing
Role-playing refers to the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role...
with other cosplayers in the same series, as well as just meet new people with mutual interests.
MCM Fringe Festival
In 2010, MCM Fringe Festival was re-vamped and given a new logo.The main purpose of Fringe is to allow cosplayers to organise photoshoots, meet-ups, picnics and get togethers. Organisers are more easily able to create their own event within the Expo and broadcast it. At the same time, the rest of the Expo Attendees can search the website and decide to go to it. Photoshoots will be more successful and likely to get more people from the same anime or game to take part. Previous events have included picnics, dances and video gaming tournaments.
Eagle Awards For Comics
The Eagle Comic AwardsEagle Awards
The Eagle Award is a series of awards for comic book titles and creators. They are awarded by UK fan voting for work produced during the previous year. Named after the UK's Eagle comic, the awards were set up by Mike Conroy, Nick Landau, Colin Campbell, Phil Clarke and Richard Burton, and launched...
were founded in 1977 and are the longest running fan voted awards for the Comic Industry. They are now held at the London MCM Expo each May
Ticketing
In May 2010, in answer to a large number of non-paying attendees, the Security and Ticketing System was given a complete makeover. Wristbands were put in place and given to everybody when they handed in their ticket. Wristbands were needed to enter the Expo Hall and Expo Theatre, and Security were enforced to make random spot-checks.In October 2010, stronger wristbands were given to weekend ticket holders. This was due to Weekend Attendees having to wear them all weekend; Wristbands are unable to be removed without voiding them. The paper version of advance tickets were also scrapped. Advance tickets are now only available as an e-ticket which must be printed and taken to the event.
Location and dates
| Title | Dates | Location | Attendees | Notable guests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expo 18 | October 29–31, 2010 | ExCeL London | 50,000+ | Glenn Morshower Glenn Morshower Glenn Grove Morshower is an American actor best known for playing Secret Service Agent Aaron Pierce on the Fox action thriller drama series 24... , Colin Ferguson Colin Ferguson (actor) Colin Ferguson is a Canadian actor. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, and is a graduate of Appleby College in Oakville, Ontario and McGill University in Montreal.... , Saul Rubinek Saul Rubinek Saul Rubinek is a Canadian actor, director, producer and playwright, known for his work in TV, film and the stage.-Early life:... , Eddie McClintock Eddie McClintock Edward "Eddie" Theodore McClintock is an American actor who has starred and guest starred in numerous television shows. He currently portrays the role of Secret Service agent Peter Lattimer on the Syfy series Warehouse 13.... , Joanne Kelly Joanne Kelly Joanne Kelly is a Canadian actress, known for her appearances in films such as Going the Distance and in TV series such as Warehouse 13, in which she plays Secret Service agent Myka Bering.- Career :... , Camille Coduri Camille Coduri Camille Coduri is an English actress. She is best known for her role in Doctor Who as Jackie Tyler.-Career:She featured in the film comedies Nuns on the Run and King Ralph... , Chris Gauthier Chris Gauthier Christopher Gauthier is an English born Canadian actor. He is married with two children and currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.... , Jordan Hinson Jordan Hinson Jordan Danielle Hinson is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Zoe Carter on the Syfy series Eureka.... , Lucas Bryant Lucas Bryant -Biography:Bryant was born in Elmira, Ontario, Canada and he currently has dual Canadian and U.S. Citizenship. His father is from North Dakota and is of Scandinavian/Finnish heritage. His mother was also born and raised in the United States... , John de Lancie John de Lancie John de Lancie is an American actor. He has been active in screen and television roles since 1977, though he is best known for his recurring role as Q on the various Star Trek series and as Frank Simmons in Stargate SG-1.... , Tony Todd Tony Todd Anthony T. "Tony" Todd is an American actor and movie producer, known for his height of 6'5", and deep voice. He is well known for playing the Candyman in the horror movie franchise of the same name, William Bludworth in Final Destination and for guest starring roles on numerous television... , Roger Craig Smith Roger Craig Smith Roger Craig Smith is an American voice actor. He is also known as Roger C. Smith. He is generally known as the voice behind Chris Redfield in Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, as Ezio Auditore da Firenze in Assassin's Creed II, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and... , Michael Sinterniklaas Michael Sinterniklaas Michael Tremain Sinterniklaas is a Dutch American actor, voice actor, ADR Director and script writer who has worked for Viz Media, Bandai Entertainment, Funimation Entertainment, DuArt Film and Video, 4Kids Entertainment, and Tripwire Productions... , Stephanie Sheh Stephanie Sheh Stephanie Ru-Phan Sheh is a Chinese-American voice actress, a writer, and a story editor who has worked for Geneon Entertainment, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Bandai Entertainment, Media Blasters, NYAV Post, FUNimation Entertainment, and Viz Media... , Jack Kenny Jack Kenny Jack Kenny is an American actor, television director, writer/producer, and the creator of the controversial NBC television show The Book of Daniel in 2006. Kenny also co-created the highly acclaimed but somewhat controversial comedy Titus with his writing partner Brian Hargrove and comedian... , Adrian Hodges Adrian Hodges Adrian Hodges is a British television and film writer.He began his career in journalism for Screen International magazine and his screenwriting debut was the 1991 television drama Tell Me That You Love Me, followed by screenplays for The Bridge and Tom & Viv for which Miranda Richardson and... , Tim Haines Tim Haines Tim Haines is a screenwriter, producer and director who is best known for his work on the BBC popular science shows Walking with Dinosaurs, Walking with Beasts, and Walking with Monsters... , Sam Ernst, Jim Dunn |
| Expo 19 | May 27-29, 2011 | ExCeL London | Under 60,000 | Billy West Billy West William Richard "Billy" West is an American voice actor. Born in Detroit but raised in the Roslindale neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, Billy launched his career in the early 1980s performing daily comedic routines on Boston's WBCN. He left the radio station to work on the short-lived revival... , Lauren Tom Lauren Tom Lauren Tom is an American actress and voice actress perhaps best known for her roles as Lena St Clair in The Joy Luck Club, Julie in the TV series Friends, and for providing the voices for both mother and daughter characters on two animated TV comedy series: on Futurama she voices Amy Wong and her... , Thomas Craig Thomas Craig Sir Thomas Craig was a Scottish jurist and poet.-Biography:It is possible that he was the eldest son of William Craig of Craigfintray, or Craigston, in Aberdeenshire, but beyond the fact that he was in some way related to the Craigfintray family nothing regarding his birth is known with certainty... , Johnny Harris Johnny Harris Johnny Harris may refer to:*Johnny Harris , Scottish born composer, producer, arranger, conductor and musical director*Johnny Harris , soap opera character* Johnny Harris , English actor... , Craig Olejnik Craig Olejnik Craig Olejnik is a Canadian actor. He is best known as the lead actor in the television series The Listener as Toby Logan, a paramedic with the power to read minds by hearing others' thoughts and seeing events that have happened to them from their point of view... |
| Expo 20 | October 28-30, 2011 | ExCeL London | TBA | Salli Richardson Salli Richardson Salli Elise Richardson-Whitfield is an American television and film actress. She is known for her role on Eureka and her voice acting on Gargoyles.-Early life:... - Stargate Stargate Stargate is a adventure military science fiction franchise, initially conceived by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The first film in the franchise was simply titled Stargate. It was originally released on October 28, 1994, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco, and became a hit, grossing nearly... , Eureka Eureka (TV series) Eureka is an American science fiction television series that premiered on Syfy on July 18, 2006. Since then four seasons have aired, and a fifth is currently being filmed. The second half of season 4 began on SyFy on July 11, 2011 and ended on September 19, 2011... , I Am Legend I Am Legend (film) I Am Legend is a 2007 post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Will Smith. It is the third feature film adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name, following 1964's The Last Man on Earth and 1971's The Omega Man. Smith plays virologist Robert... ; Jonathon Young - Nikola Tesla Nikola Tesla Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer... in Sanctuary, Eureka Eureka (TV series) Eureka is an American science fiction television series that premiered on Syfy on July 18, 2006. Since then four seasons have aired, and a fifth is currently being filmed. The second half of season 4 began on SyFy on July 11, 2011 and ended on September 19, 2011... , Stargate: Atlantis Stargate Atlantis Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself... Vic Mignogna Vic Mignogna Victor Joseph "Vic" Mignogna is an American Anime Award winning voice actor and musician who has done voice work for many anime series, movies, and video games... - the voice of Edward Elric Edward Elric , commonly nicknamed , is a fictional character and the main character of the Fullmetal Alchemist anime and manga series created by Hiromu Arakawa. Edward, titled , is the youngest State Alchemist in the history of the fictional country of Amestris... , Ikkaku Madarame and many many others;Agam Darshi Agam Darshi Agam Darshi is an English-born actress, now based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.-Early life:Agam Darshi was born Agamdeep Darshi in Birmingham, UK. At a very young age she and her family moved to Canada. At the age of 14 she left home and moved to Calgary, to pursue a career of acting -... - Sanctuary; Jamie Paglia - Writer/Producer/Creator of Eureka Eureka (TV series) Eureka is an American science fiction television series that premiered on Syfy on July 18, 2006. Since then four seasons have aired, and a fifth is currently being filmed. The second half of season 4 began on SyFy on July 11, 2011 and ended on September 19, 2011... ; Alexa Havins Alexa Havins Alexa Carole Havins is an American actress. 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The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from... ; Eve Myles Eve Myles Eve Myles is an award winning Welsh actress of stage and screen. She is best known to Welsh audiences for her portrayal of Ceri Owen in the BBC Wales drama Belonging, and to audiences worldwide for her role as Gwen Cooper in the science fiction show Torchwood, a spin-off from Doctor Who.-Personal... - Torchwood Torchwood Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. 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He was designed by Akihiko Yoshida, and voiced by Gideon Emery and Hiroaki Hirata in the English and Japanese versions respectively... and Fenris Characters of Dragon Age This list of characters describes notable characters who appear in the Dragon Age universe. This list describes only major protagonists, antagonists, and party members that appear in the series, although these storylines feature much larger supporting casts consisting of dozens of minor... ; Adam Howden Adam Howden A British video game actor who also appeared in several live action shows.Adam Howden was relatively unknown until 2011, when he landed his breakout role as Anders in Dragon Age 2. In May, he announced via his Twitter that he would be playing Shulk, the protagonist of the Wii RPG, Xenoblade... - the voice of Shulk and (DA 2) Anders Characters of Dragon Age This list of characters describes notable characters who appear in the Dragon Age universe. This list describes only major protagonists, antagonists, and party members that appear in the series, although these storylines feature much larger supporting casts consisting of dozens of minor... ; Peter F. Hamilton Peter F. Hamilton Peter F. Hamilton is a British author. He is best known for writing space opera. As of the publication of his tenth novel in 2004, his works had sold over two million copies worldwide.- Biography :... (Saturday only) Britain's Number 1 Sci-Fi Writer. List accurate as of 29th September 2011. |