The MCM Comic Con London (formerly known as the London Movies, Comics, and Media Expo, London MCM Expo, and MCM London Comic Con) is a

speculative fiction Speculative fiction is an umbrella term, umbrella genre of fiction that encompasses all the subgenres that depart from Realism (arts), realism, or strictly imitating everyday reality, instead presenting fantastical, supernatural, futuristic, or ...

fan convention A fan convention (also known as a con or fan meeting) is an event in which Fan (person), fans of a particular topic gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and each other. Some also inc ...

held at ExCel London twice yearly since 2002, usually on the last weekend in May and October. The convention primarily focuses on

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

video games A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

sci-fi Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

cosplay Cosplay, a blend word of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and Fashion accessory, fashion accessories to represent a specific Character (arts), character. Cosplayers often i ...

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

and popular media.

History

The London Movies, Comics, and Media Expo was founded in early 2001 by Paul Miley (ScifiShows) and Bryan Cooney (Wolf Events). The convention is held twice each year, usually on the last full weekend of May and October. There have occasionally been exceptions to this, such as May 2009. The event started as a single day and expanded to run across three days, attracting attendance and involvement of representatives from

Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...

Twentieth Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

MVM Entertainment MVM Entertainment, also known as MVM and MVM Films, is a British licensor and distributor of Japanese animation. The company also sub-licenses anime titles from US anime companies such as Media Blasters, Geneon, Nozomi Entertainment, Urban Vis ...

Manga Entertainment Manga Entertainment was a producer, licensee, and distributor of anime in the United States and the United Kingdom. Originally founded in the UK in 1991, the UK branch became Funimation UK and Ireland in 2021, also currently known as Crunchyr ...

All the Anime Anime Limited, also known as All the Anime, is a British anime distribution company based in Glasgow, Scotland. It releases anime for British, Irish, French and other European audiences. The company was established in 2012 by Andrew Partridge, ...

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

, and '' NEO'' magazine. The Movie Comic Media (MCM) Expo Group organises the London, Birmingham, the Midlands, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Belfast, Manchester, Liverpool, Scotland, Stockholm, Malmö, Copenhagen, Belgium, and Hannover MCM Comic Cons. On 23 October 2017,

ReedPop RELX plc (pronounced "Rel-ex") is a British multinational information and analytics company headquartered in London, England. Its businesses provide scientific, technical and medical information and analytics; legal information and analytics; ...

acquired MCM and all of its events throughout the UK. Due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the October 2020 MCM London Comic Con was cancelled. It returned on 22–24 October 2021 with new safety measures in place.

Show features

Exhibit hall

The MCM London Comic Con has a large floor-space for dealer stands and exhibitors which include

media companies Mass media include the diverse arrays of media that reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit information electronically via media such as films, radio, recorded music, or television. Digital media comprises bot ...

such as

film studios A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company that makes films. Today, studios are mostly financing and distribution entities. In addition, they may have their own studio facility or facilities; howev ...

and TV stations. There is also a

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

space that includes a large stage with projection monitors on either side and seating for approximately 1,000.

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 television 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, and portfolio review sessions with video game companies.

Autographs

The event also includes an autograph area where big names in movies and TV sign items for the public.

Cosplay

Ticket holders are allowed, and in many cases encouraged, to take part in

. Cosplaying has become one of the most popular parts of the show. This can be to show off the costumer's latest work, to show devotion to their favourite characters or engage in

role-play Role-playing or roleplaying is the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to Acting, act out an adopted role. While the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' offers a definition of role-p ...

with other cosplayers in the same series, as well as to meet new people with mutual interests. The show also hosts the EuroCosplay championships which take place every October with one of the UK qualifying entries being decided at the May event.

Comic Village

Comic Village was an area of the show that was co-ordinated by Gary "Wheels" Howe, a member of the MCM Expo Group. This area had approximately 200 tables, where amateur as well as professional artists, writers and publishers sold their

comics a Media (communication), medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of Panel (comics), panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, Glo ...

as well as prints. It also had a signing area where big names in the comic industry come and meet the members of the public. Previous guests include

Gail Simone Gail Simone (born July 29, 1974) is an American writer best known for her work in comics on DC Comics, DC's ''Birds of Prey (comics), Birds of Prey'', ''Batgirl'', Dynamite Entertainment's Red Sonja, and for being the longest running female write ...

Kevin Eastman Kevin Brooks Eastman (born May 30, 1962) is an American comic book writer and artist best known for co-creating the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Peter Laird. Eastman was also formerly the editor and publisher of the magazine ''Heavy Metal ...

Frazer Irving Frazer Irving (born 1970) is a British comic book artist known for the series '' Necronauts'', published by the British magazine '' 2000 AD''. After breaking into the American market he has worked on a number of superhero titles, including a s ...

and

Antony Johnston Antony Johnston (born 25 August 1972) is a British writer of comics, video games, and novels. He is known for the post-apocalyptic comic series '' Wasteland'', the graphic novel ''The Coldest City'' (adapted for film as '' Atomic Blonde''), and ...

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 attenders can search the website and decide to go to it. Photoshoots will be more successful and likely to attract 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 Awards The Eagle Awards were a series of British awards for comic book titles and creators. They were awarded by UK fans voting for work produced during the previous year. Named after the UK's seminal boys' comic ''Eagle'', the awards were launched in ...

were founded in 1977 and were the longest-running fan-voted awards for the comic industry. They were held at the MCM London Comic Con each May from 2010 until 2012, after which they were renamed the MCM Award in 2013.
- In the following year, 2014, the Eagle Award was presented under its new name – first The Stan Lee Eagle Award and then the True Believer Comic Awards – at the

London Film and Comic Con London Film and Comic Con is a fan convention held annually in London that focuses on films, cult television, gaming, anime, cosplay and comics. It is organised by Showmasters Ltd. History and organization London Film & Comic Con began in 20 ...

."True Believers Comic Awards announce 2014 winners"
by Kevin Melrose, at CBR, 14 July 2014 They have not been awarded since.

VidfestUK

VidfestUK is an area of the expo dedicated to online visual media, such as animations, vlogs and various web series. Notable guests include YouTube partners such as

TomSka Thomas James Ridgewell (born 27 June 1990), known online as TomSka, is an English YouTuber, filmmaker, vlogger, comedian, actor, musician, and former animator. He is known for writing, directing, producing, and starring in his live-action sket ...

and MrWeebl.

MyM magazine

Now defunct MyM magazine does not have a presence at the event.

Location and dates

References

External links

*
Official MCM Comic Con website

Official MCM Expo Group website

MyM on MCM Buzz

event site website

SyFy.co.uk – London MCM Expo Review 2009

Forbidden Planet review & MCM Expo Pics and round up... 2010
{{DEFAULTSORT:MCM London Comic Con Comics conventions Multigenre conventions Fan conventions in the United Kingdom Recurring events established in 2002 Events in London 2002 establishments in England