Thursday 24 May 2012

My Life Summed Up In One Weekend

Have you ever loved something so much that it becomes your life? Yes? No? Well I have. It might seem a bit odd, but I have dedicated my entire life to the Japanese creation of anime and manga (you might understand that to be Japanese cartoons and comic books, like Pokemon for example). I have been watching such shows since I was born (Cheeze TV was a godsend) and in highschool I was able to put a name to it all and from there my obsession was born. I haven’t looked back since.

Here are some pictures of just parts of my collection:





If you ask me why I like it, well, I could go on for days. I sound strange to some people because I have like an emotional and mental bond with these shows that allow me to see myself and the world clearer and accept it. I’m happiest when I am watching an anime. I’ve learnt a lot from them (my awards in English is all thanks to the influence of anime actually). Even choosing journalism as a career path boils down to this fascination I have. And actually brings me to my real point of this blog.

There is this event called Supanova that happens for one weekend usually once a year in Brisbane. There is another in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. Last year there were two put on in Brisbane however, and since it was so popular they have permanently put on a second Queensland show but in the Gold Coast in April, which the inaugural one was this year. This Supanova Expo brings the nerds and the fans together. If you like: Star Trek, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Smallville, Twilight, Harry Potter, martial arts films, novels in general, comic books (the classic stuff and the new, like Marvel for example), anime, manga, video games and more than this is the place for you! Quite literally this is a pop culture convention and you know it’s happening when there are thousands of oddly dressed people walking through the streets. Like this:







Last year was amazing because you had stars such as Colin Morgan (from channel 10’s Merlin), Christopher Lloyd (from everything that is good but is perhaps most famous for his role as the Doc in Back to the Future), Val Kilmer (Batman), Billy Boyd (Lord of the Rings), Evanna Lynch and Katie Bell (Harry Potter) and many other stars. Perhaps the most famous star was three years ago, Tom Felton who plays Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter.

But this year for me was particularly special because not only was it the first ever Supanova convention at the Gold Coast but I was a volunteer for the first time. It was definitely an amazing experience because I met so many wonderful people, and there were a lot of little perks that I appreciated after standing on my feet for hours on end.

Really though, the highlight was the stars. I meant Wil freakin’ Wheaton who plays the youngest member in Star Trek, Wesley Crusher, plays himself but evil-er in Big Bang Theory, but my personal favourite is the rival hacker to my favourite character and actor in the world in my favourite non-animated show in the world, Chaos, in Leverage. I also met the twins Oliver and James Phelps better known as Fred and George Weasley from Harry Potter. I got photos and autographs with both of them. It was awesome ^-^

Some of those aforementioned stars:


   

   

I could honestly go one forever, but my point is that it’s okay to be obsessed with something. I consider this a healthy addiction because it gives me purpose, makes me a better person who tries to understand. And because the people I surround myself with are probably the best type there are. Everything is fun but involves hard work. So if you like something this much, don’t let it take over you, just own it.

Here is a link to a video I made for my Reporting class where I had to report on an event and I of course chose the inaugural Gold Coast Supanova 2012. This’ll give you a good idea of what happens at these things.


If you're interested in attending, check out the Supanova website:

http://www.supanova.com.au//

And see if you can make it to the Brisbane one in November this year!!!

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