So what did everybody think to Sheffields first Comic Con?

[lesleynile]

I went Sunday and loved it. Got my photo with Anthony which was a dream for me to finally meet him. Everything seemed pretty straight forward and well planned as its not as big as some around the country.

 

[Govermentgimp]

For it to be Bigger and better next year would be awesome, met Anthony head he signed my book and even took a photo with me free of charge, awesome guy, really enjoyed the Red Dwarf talks too, even had a nice chat with Josephine Gillan when we went outside for a smoke and she was there. Spent way too much cash but what the hell, it's only once a year. Absolutely amazing day. :)

[Murph]

I only travelled to meet Dirk, so was a pretty chilled day for me. Had a good look around the stalls and saw all the talks.

 

Did get to say Hi to Spectrum/Rachael, although I didn't have the biscuits she previously requested lol.

[bunny-summers]

I thought it was pretty good for a first show. Nice to see a few different dealers that you don't see down south. The venue staff were helpful but it was a bit quiet for a first event most likely because there wasn't really a 'headliner'. Very disappointing to see probably the most 'no posed photos' signs I have ever seen at an event though especially as it was quiet. I chose not to meet 2 guests because of this as I know the guests I wanted will do it else where which is a real shame as they made no money out of me as opposed to some but oh well. Armin was great, Chase remembered me from other events and Nick Percival signed 20 comics for me so it was a good weekend.

[Knitty Fred]

I thought it was pretty good for a first show. Nice to see a few different dealers that you don't see down south. The venue staff were helpful but it was a bit quiet for a first event most likely because there wasn't really a 'headliner'. Very disappointing to see probably the most 'no posed photos' signs I have ever seen at an event though especially as it was quiet. I chose not to meet 2 guests because of this as I know the guests I wanted will do it else where which is a real shame as they made no money out of me as opposed to some but oh well. Armin was great, Chase remembered me from other events and Nick Percival signed 20 comics for me so it was a good weekend.

 

There can be any number of reasons why a guest has a "no posed photos" sign and it's not always about queues and SM.

[Knitty Fred]

Jason from SM has said that lunchtime on Saturday the venue reached capacity with "one out one in" so sounds like it was pretty good without the "headliner" people were wanting.

[bunny-summers]

 

I thought it was pretty good for a first show. Nice to see a few different dealers that you don't see down south. The venue staff were helpful but it was a bit quiet for a first event most likely because there wasn't really a 'headliner'. Very disappointing to see probably the most 'no posed photos' signs I have ever seen at an event though especially as it was quiet. I chose not to meet 2 guests because of this as I know the guests I wanted will do it else where which is a real shame as they made no money out of me as opposed to some but oh well. Armin was great, Chase remembered me from other events and Nick Percival signed 20 comics for me so it was a good weekend.

 

There can be any number of reasons why a guest has a "no posed photos" sign and it's not always about queues and SM.

 

I know, I've been doing events for a long while now. Just seems a bit off when the guests I wanted do posed at other events, specifically SM events. But it doesn't matter now, they just lost my custom this weekend and I'll just wait it out.

[Knitty Fred]

 

 

There can be any number of reasons why a guest has a "no posed photos" sign and it's not always about queues and SM.

 

I know, I've been doing events for a long while now. Just seems a bit off when the guests I wanted do posed at other events, specifically SM events. But it doesn't matter now, they just lost my custom this weekend and I'll just wait it out.

 

 

I know at LFCC there were reports that there were people who had been happy to have the pics later had "no table photos" signs up or were doing them later on. I can't remember who on Saturday (I think it may have been Burn) didn't have one and then it did go up. I assumed it was because of a queue building but then thinking about it this may have been due to scheduled photo shoot, or just something as simple as he needed a comfort break.

[Sheppy dreamer]

Looks like it was a great show am sad I missed it

[brt1919]

I went on the Saturday at the London event & without dragging all that up again, it was horrendous. As I was in Sheffield anyway, I decided to go to this as I'm a big GOT fan & like looking (& buying) at the stalls.

 

Got an early bird Saturday ticket & turned up about 10am & went straight in with no problem at all. Got a couple of autographed pics with the lovely Pixie & Josephine, had a good look round the stalls before it got too hectic, had a couple of photoshoots (Pixie was kind enough to replicate her GOT 'position') & it was noticeably busier trying to get to the shoots through the throng of people & then left around 12:30 quite happy with my morning. It did look pretty busy outside when I left though, & I guess the problem is that some people want a shoot early & another later on, whereas I did what I wanted so no need to hang around any longer so in some respects I'm probably an ideal visitor, go in early, spend money & leave.

 

One 'issue' I found was with wheelchair users. Thankfully the Showmasters venues must be quite wheelchair friendly as there were a good nunmber there, but obviously the width in aisles isn't massive & couldn't easily be widened due to the big number of stalls. But wheelchair users tended to get stuck as some people coming the other way just didn't allow them any space to move seeing the user perhaps as a chance to get into a gap, & then people from the same direction tried to push round them. There's no fantastic solution sadly, though I wanted to tell the wheelchair user I was stuck behind for ages as she tried to move down an aisle to just ram the people pushing ahead of her, or pehaps buy one of the swords on show & dangle that in front!

 

Overall a really good show, & the guests were a decent enough level too, as long as there's some GOT people I'm happy, & the Dr Who queues suggested they were pretty popular too. I will now try to forget how horrendous London was & buy a ticket for next year after all!

[brt1919]

Actually to answer my own question, the answer of course is for some people to be just a touch more considerate, then we all get to where we're going a bit quicker in the long run.

[Knitty Fred]

had a couple of photoshoots (Pixie was kind enough to replicate her GOT 'position') !

 

I saw one of those when I and OH went to have ours with Virginia Hey last thing on Saturday. Had I known Pixie was going to be acrobatic in her poses (and not necessarily "that" pose) I'd have bought a photot ticket. Still something to look forward to on another occasion.

[xokimmi]

I had an amazing time, was such a great atmosphere. Ticked both London & Sheffield off my list for this year - now to book more!

[Spectrum]

Did you Murph?! Sorry to be really rubbish if you did actually introduce yourself, but I don't remember this at all - who were you?

[iamgroot]

I went Saturday and thought the whole event was excellent.

 

It got busier through the day but having the signings up in the concourse while the stalls were on the arena floor meant that those queuing for autographs never got in the way of those browsing the stalls.

 

Can't wait for next year's show.

[Murph]

Did you Murph?! Sorry to be really rubbish if you did actually introduce yourself, but I don't remember this at all - who were you?

I was just meeting Dirk, and you came over and scared him with a stack of pics

[@MsSJH]

I took fella and this was his first con - he said the only downside for him was "all the queuing" - bless him!

 

I'm so glad he didn't come to London with me... Now THAT was queuing hehehe...

[Knitty Fred]

I took fella and this was his first con - he said the only downside for him was "all the queuing" - bless him!

 

I'm so glad he didn't come to London with me... Now THAT was queuing hehehe...

 

That's one reason I had OH go buy himself a fishing stool (he walks with a stick so there was a legitimate reason rather than just boredom). I think the longest person I queued for was Dirk Benedict but I had to give up as wanted to attend the Dr Who talk on Saturday. When I came back a bit later it was just before he was disappearing off for a talk himself and was just one person in front of me.

[brt1919]

 

had a couple of photoshoots (Pixie was kind enough to replicate her GOT 'position') !

 

I saw one of those when I and OH went to have ours with Virginia Hey last thing on Saturday. Had I known Pixie was going to be acrobatic in her poses (and not necessarily "that" pose) I'd have bought a photot ticket. Still something to look forward to on another occasion.

 

 

To be fair, I did ask her before the show if she was ok with doing 'that pose' as didn't think it entirely appropriate to put her on the spot there & then as a 'no' can be a bit awkward. But she was game for it & both her & Josephine looked like they were having a great time. i really wish I'd asked if they'd mind nipping to the iron Throne for a quick pic after but decided not to push my luck! But both were lovely guests.

[Knitty Fred]

 

 

had a couple of photoshoots (Pixie was kind enough to replicate her GOT 'position') !

 

I saw one of those when I and OH went to have ours with Virginia Hey last thing on Saturday. Had I known Pixie was going to be acrobatic in her poses (and not necessarily "that" pose) I'd have bought a photot ticket. Still something to look forward to on another occasion.

 

 

To be fair, I did ask her before the show if she was ok with doing 'that pose' as didn't think it entirely appropriate to put her on the spot there & then as a 'no' can be a bit awkward. But she was game for it & both her & Josephine looked like they were having a great time. i really wish I'd asked if they'd mind nipping to the iron Throne for a quick pic after but decided not to push my luck! But both were lovely guests.

 

 

You'd probably been out of luck because it wouldn't have been an authorised prop shoot. LFCC didn't have any photoshoots guests with the Iron Throne either.

[treebeard]

just a little line i know some of you were disappointed with no pose signs ,but found if i approached when they were not busy they were happy too. chase masterson posed 3 times till i finally got it right.sorry you were upset

[stubie doo]

I did early bird sunday, had a walk down stalls, back up to pick up a sketch from lee sullivan, straight to sylvester to get it signed, next terry molloy then louise jamerson.

then rusty goffe who had nobody in his line, then finally bonnie langford.

I was all done before half 9.

many had nobody in line at points.

 

it was my first con and I had a great time, kinda wish I did saturday as well now.

think i'll do both next year :)

[BasG]

just a little line i know some of you were disappointed with no pose signs ,but found if i approached when they were not busy they were happy too. chase masterson posed 3 times till i finally got it right.sorry you were upset

Chase was doing posed photos in Glasgow on the Saturday but when I met her on the Sunday there was a sign that said 'no posed photos'. I asked Kristian Nairn for a photo (he had no sign)on the Saturday and he referred me to the photo shoot he was doing later that day. The next day both Finn Jones and Kristian had 'no posed photos' sign. I think, as mentioned by a previous poster, it is becoming more and more common and I believe all guests have a right to refuse it. Asking for a photo despite there being a sign can be embarrassing for both the guest and yourself, I have done it twice as I had missed the sign on both occasions.

Edited September 2, 2014 by BasG

[dazzlerjames]

There are a number of reasons why some guests don't do photos, the American guests tend to be used to charging for posed photos at the desk and because the UK events don't work like that then it tends t be no posed photos. Several guests the weekend got tired (some are quite old) and so asked to go no posed photos later in the day and some guests change the sign depending how busy they are. Others, such as Kristian last week in Glasgow just aren't very well.

 

Its the people who chase the guests as they're walking to and from their desk for photos that are worse!!

[Samphirette]

It does surprise me how often people think it's because the guest is being rude or particular, but there are often health reasons. Moving and/or positioning over a desk is awkward when it's being asked for regularly. Having headache triggers is impossible - and there are guests who have been fine one day but feel unwell the next.

 

I have bad hips/back and on the occasions I've been asked to stand up and down throughout a day to take photos for a guest I can empathise totally with why they can't do that plus signing the next day. It certainly messes me up.

 

Even if a guest has agreed to do an official photoshoot they know they can psych themselves up that it's for a certain amount of time and that the photographer can set the lighting if needed. Then it's the one time it only takes place during the day and they are done and comfortable.

 

The problem I find is when people see the "no posed photo signs" think oh I'll ask anyway and the guest feels put on the spot. Sometimes they don't feel able to say no. If I was a guest with my health I'd be one of those that would have no choice but to have the sign up. Then I guess I'd be deemed as being grumpy.

Edited September 3, 2014 by Samphirette