The queue to get into Comic-con York 2025 stretched for nearly 200 metres with children dressed as their favourite characters from the digital entertainment world and adults in elaborate costumes.
The thousands who attended were met by characters from their favourite sci-fi films and fantasy worlds and inside the Grandstand, they had three floors of stalls selling anything imaginable to do with their heroes and the chance to meet special guests.
Among them was Katie-Jane Diaz, York born and now living in Colburn north of Richmond, in her homemade Ghost costume made in four days when she was unable to work for health reasons and which she uses when visiting children in hospital.
“I just worked and worked and worked on it,” she said. “It’s very hot inside and difficult to move in but I love seeing people smile.”
Stallholder Graham Morley drew some inspiration from the Harry Potter films and books, but his Morleys Mystical Magic bath salts and liquids featured a wide arrange of characters on their lids.
His and his wife Sharon’s enterprise started when they refurbished their bathroom and took some photos of it. Friends saw their bathtime fantasy items and wanted some themselves. That sparked a business that now sees them attending one or two conventions every weekend for most of the year.
Kane Batten was more interested in promoting the subsidiary characters in computer games that support those controlled by human beings. He was dressed from head to foot as a military extra from the Halo video games. The basic costume, without its clunky parts, he uses for his other pastime of playing paintball and similar real-life games.
“York was my first convention,” he said. That was seven years ago.
Michael of Dart Armoury had a stall of costume weapons that attracted adults and children. He stressed that the weapons were all safe and he only sold to children if their parents were with them and consented to their purchase.
Although the convention was aimed at those who enjoy comics and digital entertainment, one stall featured literature classics such as Charles Dickens and Jane Austen.
“People come round the corner and say ‘O books!’ said Darren Ellis of Rotten Poetry.net. “People love us.”
Their books were mostly fantasy, science fiction and some horror novels, but also included books that had inspired films.
There was also a food and drink cafe and stalls such as Samantha Race’s Racey Cakes.
