UK Comic Cruise Day 1 - The Boat (Going)

Okay, so there was two conventions I never thought I would be doing - not that I never wanted to do them, it's just I thought I would never get the opportunity and these were - firstly a convention on a boat (I guess that one never crossed my mind, as any I knew about was often leaving and travelling in another far off part of the world like Barbados) and secondly a convention in a foreign land (maybe I could have gone to one in America if I suddenly come into money), fortunately the good people of District 13 who run the Hull and Bridlington Comic Cons did this event that was leaving via P&O Ferry in my hometown and would be a 3 day (which in hours is actually closer to two days) thing with a Comic Con going on the boat, a day at Dutch Comic Con and a Comic Con coming back on the boat (and since it was leaving Saturday evening and getting back 7.30am Monday, I don't really have to miss any of my self employed work), and all this was for a very reasonable £89 pp (entry ticket to the Dutch Comic Con was included).

For these very reasons it's kind of two separate cons which is why I have decided to break it into two blog entries (the comic con on the ship going - which is this entry - and the Dutch Comic Con as well as the return leg). I think I was that excited about going I reckon I was in the first handful of people who booked even though the initial announced guests where all those I have met before - which always leads to the decision of whether to get another item signed by them, thankfully, there was Ian McNeice, I had met him 2009 (at Collectormania Midlands) which was before his Doctor Who appearance(s) as Winston Churchill and also somebody I regret not having a Mad Max 2 poster for her to sign - Virginia Hey - when I was first met her (which was a very positive experience as was McNeice) and I decided not to get anything from any of the other guests which included Sarah Louise Madison (who was the first person to sign my Doctor Who poster which I keep harping on about don't I, way back in 2015) and Simon Fisher Becker (another person who was in Doctor Who as well as Harry Potter).

Arriving to the port it was through customs (obviously) and a lot of people cosplaying got their weapons confiscated (though weirdly later people had prop weapons that you think would have also been confiscated), and kept getting asked whether we had knives or alcohol by numerous people, even checking the seal on my coke bottles hadn't been broke and once on the boat we fairly easily found our cabin once on (I attended this with my 20 year old Nephew, Dominic, so if I keep mentioning that name it's who I am referring too) and after settling in found the 2 floor bar was an easy walk to the floors underneath us (literally the stairs about 30 seconds from our door took us to here the comic con was) - already there was a stall selling some figures and such as well as reserved areas for the signers which were booth tables and though stuff was sort of happening it all started properly at 8 o'clock (this is the night) with an introduction and then a joint talk including Ian McNeice, Sarah Louise Madison and Hugh Mitchell, which on the case of McNeice only touched slightly on his varied career (he was obviously has a much longer filmography then the other two), but it was fun enough.

I only caught bits of the next which Simon Fisher-Becker's one man show "My Dalek Has Another Puncture" as I was in and out to get graphs but it seemed enjoyable of the parts I saw. I hate to say this but even compared to last year he has put on more weight and am slightly worried for the guy's life!

The first person I met was Ian McNeice, who like last time was a very friendly chap, he signed my Doctor Who poster (The 24th) where he played Winston Churchill during the Matt Smith era (The main episode that features him his great)

and a close up of the signature

and then I showed him my Chirashi for Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and he signed it for a reduced cost, he loved this Chirashi and even wants me to send me him a copy (though I may just buy him one and send it to him), even writing down (likely his agents) address, but that is something I will do. I also talked to him about some of his other movies - The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill But Came Down A Mountain and Top Secret!

Next up was Virginia Hey who after saying Hello said "I have met you before haven't it" which is in fact true (Horror Fest in Hull 2015, also where I met Sarah Louise Madison), however when I first met her she said the exact thing but I must say this time she even made reference to thinking that last time she met me that she thought we had met before, so yes this looks like she has a pretty amazing memory.

We talked for absolutely ages but very little about her work, we talked about the interesting logistics of the Comic Con Cruise and a time she met somebody in the lift and expected her to remember her 15 years later, and it was time for her to pack up and the weirdest part was she didn't think I was there to get anything signed, so she happily talked to me for ages without trying to make a sale

However I did have this cool Mad Max 2 poster from Germany, which I originally was planning on getting multiple names on but she wrote such a cool long message that I do really like it as it is.

And sadly that was it for guests I wanted to meet, the others there I had nothing that I wanted signed by them, I would happily got stuff signed by guests if I had never met them before), and it was time to watch the Cosplay costume and there was loads and loads of entries from a 13 year old Flash to a Dark Alice to Joker and Captain Jack Sparrow (a guarantee at any comic con!) and the MCs had a good banter going

I had a couple of beers watching all this and then it was time for bed at gone midnight knowing there would be a full day ahead tomorrow...