On Saturday the 29th April 2017 I attended Supanova Melbourne, although no longer just called Supanova I noticed that the name had changed to ‘Supanova comic-con & gaming’ another of the many changes within the industry. Supanova has always been the first event of its size to run in Melbourne each calendar year and for me it has always been an event that I go to more to catch up with friends and enjoy the atmosphere. For the last few years there have not really been any Supanova guests that I have really wanted to meet, they are starting to get bigger and bigger guests that tend to bring in a bigger than usual crowd, but unfortunately they haven’t really been guests that I have any interest in, I guess the good thing about that is that I save my money and get to enjoy the atmosphere and friendships more.
This year I attended alongside one of my best friends Jodie, we always have a good time together no matter what and this year we both had reasons to celebrate so this day was just a genuine fun enjoyable day. As we carpooled in for the day Jodie made a comment along the lines of ‘I wonder how different life would be if we had never attended that first event 12 years ago?’ this one comment seemed to stick with both of us and turned our day into one of reflection – reminiscing good times and thinking about all the amazing friendships that have come from attending events such as this.
Anyone who has ever attended an event like this knows that if you are after photographs or autographs with the guests you spend the majority of your time queuing up, as annoying as it can be I know of a lot of friendships that started that way, you line up and whilst standing there you chat to the others around you and alas friendships are formed. This event was no different we saw many friends, there was lots of hugging, catching up and just general fun between friends – friends that only really get to see each other at events like this.
Jodie and I have our system when queuing up, as she tends to end up getting more photos or autographs than I do I generally just call myself her ‘Bag Bitch’ and hold her bag and whatever other stuff she has as she gets what she is after. I’ll always remember our conversation with George Takei and his husband Brad when they were out with Supernova a few years prior – Jodie goes up for he Autograph as George signs I comment “I’m just her bag bitch” and Brad responds with “That’s okay, I’m his” and we all had a bit of a laugh. Queuing up with friends like this is just a part of the whole experience, not only do you get to keep a friend company you might get to meet a celebrity you might not normally have thought to see or speak to, I have plenty of encounters like this I’m so glad happened. Our system is not one sided though, Jodie is sometimes my ‘bag bitch’ too!
The set-up of the event this year was very different to last, it was much bigger not only taking up three building of the showgrounds like previous years but also sprouting out to a Third. The biggest building held all the Exhibitors stalls, the one size down from that held Artists Alley and the areas for Photographs and Autographs, the building used for Photos and Autos in previous years was changed to a big hall for panels – though I didn’t attend any myself. As previous years I still thought it unfortunate that the main areas for guests were away from Exhibitors so not as many people walk through there, in previous years Supanova has always been the one event that was more about the cosplaying, the actors/panels, the photographs and the autographs and people didn’t seem to spend as much at Exhibitor Stores but from what I saw this year the Exhibitor Hall was actually quite busy and I think I saw more people browsing and shopping than I have in previous years, I don’t know if this is a fact or if it was just the times I was in there, but I would like to think for the exhibitors that this was the case. Personally I have never been a big spender in Event stores but I did pay my good friend Jeff at Go Figure Collectables a visit and brought myself a Pop Figure of Slimer in the Ghostbuster Car.
Check out the Go Figure Website for more Pop Culture and Wrestling Collectables.
All round, Saturday was a pretty great day – we only had a few issues with Staff here and there and that was it and it was mostly actual staff not the volunteers, although they could possibly still just be volunteers they just have an attitude that seems to show that they are just more important than everyone else. Both Jodie and I have been attending Supanova since it first began in Melbourne in 2008 only missing maybe one or two shows, this year they changed the system slightly. We commented to a friend who was a volunteer that it would be nice if we’d been told of the change and when she spoke to a ‘staff’ member about it the response was rather rude and definitely condescending, she basically said they’d been doing it for years and everyone should know the system I couldn’t help but reply with the fact that new people would come each year and not know ‘the system’ at all. Thankfully this was the only real downside of the day.
Since I was there I did decided to get a photo with Luke Mitchell and satisfy the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fangirl in me, he was quite nice – went in for my photo and asked him if he’d pull a silly face, after the photo was taken he had me wait with him for it show on the screen and goes “Nailed it!” – I just love to do something different in my photos, after many years of just smiling in photos I needed a change and now I love my silly photos and they just that little bit different, funny and memorable!
I didn’t actually get any general event photos this year, I was too busy spending time with my amazing friends/family and just having an enjoyable time. In our day of reflection we were reminded just how amazing our friendships there and we reminisced over what we have done, there have been many things in my life I have done that I never would have thought possible back in my school days. I have such amazing friends, who love me for who I am – I learnt a long time ago that there is no reason to ever not be yourself, even if people dislike you for it, this was the case in my youth, but now I have found the most amazing family of friends to be a part of and I couldn’t be happier… we’ve had ups and downs and we might not all get to see each other as much as we’d like but when we do it’s like nothing changes we’ll always be there for each other because that is what friendship is about. There are so many friends out there that I have met through this incredible community that I am forever grateful for.
Back on to the actual event… I got to chat with my good mate Scotty at First Contact Conventions and because Jodie loves Deadpool and Scotty had a Deadpool aka Ryan Reynolds Autograph I went halves with her so she could have it. We also caught up with friends from interstate including the amazing Eugenia one of the two ladies from Women Talk Sci-Fi.
At one stage of the day whilst Jodie was queuing up for her photograph with David Boreanaz I was just wandering around having a look at the event in general when a volunteer friend of mine saw me and told me that Hunter Page-Lochard was there doing free signing for Cleverman having met Hunter at AMCE the previous year I couldn’t help by head over to say a quick hello, so I went and grabbed my friend Clare whose a big Hunter fan and we went over – Hunter is an absolute gentleman, what a sweetheart. As he got up to get a photo with someone he then stuck out from behind the table to give Clare and I hugs. Then I asked for a photo because I never got one last year and so I did and I just love Hunter, just a nice guy! He also signed a Cleverman photo for me!
All up is was a pretty great day, in fact it was kind of Amazing… the day was mostly about friendship our big dysfunctional family that we love. Reminiscing over what attending events like these mean to us and reflecting on where our lives would have been if we’d never have attended that first event over a decade ago. There are so many things to be thankful for but more than anything I am thankful for the friendships – and the memories! On a side night to top this day off perfectly Jodie and I went out for dinner after the show to celebrate things finally looking up for both of us, an interstate friend joined us and we had a great evening on top of a great day.
This post has also been published in the latest issue of GE News – Women Talk Sci-Fi
Complete Guest List: David Boreanaz, Hunter Page-Lochard, Luke Mitchell, Rebecca Breeds, Craig Parker, Luke Mitchell, Rebecca Breeds, Mehcad Brooks, Lee Majors, Nolan North, Cory Michael Smith, Marie Avgeropoulos, Tom Hopper, Darrell Pitt, Craig Parker, Austin St John, Manu Bennett, Natalie Dormer, John Jarratt, Vic Mignogna, Darrel Guilbeau, Gregory Mackay, Masako Nozawa, Claire Murray, Meredith Finch, Esad Ribic, Nolan North, Jessica Harmon, Mike Krome, Darren Close, Martin Abel, Paul Abstruse, Dean Rankine, David Yardin, David Finch, Chamba Cruz, Tom Taylor, Jodi Mcalister, Patricia Briggs, Marlee Jane Ward, Maria Lewis, Alisha Jade, Lynette Noni, Keri Arthur, Meri Amber, A.K. Wirru and Echoing Atemis.
