Yeah, I’m a bit late with my Supanova round-up but it was hard to maintain enthusiasm for the event after the disaster experience this year. To be honest, as soon as I started to pick the thread known as ‘management,’ that particular article sucked all of my Supanova focus and attention. It required extra care to ensure everything was verified and followed-up. But there was a downside: It took all the focus off the positive experience of Supanova; the artists, the creators, the cosplayers, the displays. And for that, I am sorry.
So, without further ado… To the positive contributors of Supanova: The Artistes.
Artists
The majority of Artists’ Alley is filled with fan-art, used to gain your attention before sharing their own independent work. It’s a tough market, made tougher by the plethora of great artists all vying for your geeky eye in a small market space.
There were plenty of artists catching the spawnlings’ eyes; mostly because the dominant theme this year seemed to be Pokémon. Don’t get me wrong—I love my Growlithe like any member of the EG Family, but it is hard to stand out when you are the third Pikachu poster I have seen in this aisle alone.
However, there were some artists who DID stand out due to their personal touches.
Foxeaf
This artist was super-fast with her sketching and really knew her characters. She had a beautiful soft touch, adding an ethereal look to her art. Check out her Deviant Art gallery for more examples.
Sam Ding
Now I am not into skin-inking myself (can’t agree on a design for longer than a week) but I do love the style taken by Sam Ding Art. Here is a solid collection of fandom, presented in both color and form perfect for body art. This picture of Thor is only an example of the work you’ll find on their website.
Scheree
At first, it was the cute fox on the table. Then I saw the comic characters, with their big eyes and goofy grins. And while I was charmed by the sweet whimsical artwork, it’s the simple fox I keep thinking of. I can’t put my finger on it, but the fox keeps jumping through my memory of Artists Alley. You can see more of the fox in Scheree’s short animation Stampede of the Fox, found in her online portfolio. There are a whole bunch of short videos in the gallery, but the most emotional is Broken. Good strong tug on the heartstrings there.
Merchants
Again, fan-art is a big drawcard for the merchants but there are still some unique touches that stand out.
Granny Fi’s Toy Cupboard
Nostalgia is a powerful motivator for sales at conventions. I remember wandering the markets with my grandmother when I was about four-years-old, and always looking for the perfect soft toy on which to spend my birthday money. I never did find it…because Granny Fi’s Toy Cupboard wasn’t open for business yet! If it had been, I would have a room full of dragons, goblins, and other creatures. I still might…
Pirate-Dragon
Full disclosure: I’ve known Megs at Pirate-Dragon for years but that doesn’t make me appreciate her punch-card stitch artwork any less. Megs has designed her own patterns for each punch-card and is now selling them in kits to do yourself. I loved punch-card stitching as a kid and the spawnlings are pretty excited to give it a go themselves with a TARDIS or Captain America Shield.
Writers
Supanova had a pretty good selection of writers this year. While QBD Bookshop had some well-known authors in the Main Hall, I found new faces at the end of Artists’ Alley with some fresh stories to tell.
Zombie RiZing (Series) by Matt J Pike
Great new series of books aimed at kids. All about zombies. Yes—a Zombies-themed book for kids. And it’s really good! Check out my review for GeekMom (over… here).
Night Witches by Mirren Hogan
This was one of EG Dad’s ‘finds’, securing his place as my personal assistant for many conventions to come! Night Witches is a fictional story based on the experiences of the infamous Russian World War II pilots of the same name. The stories about these female pilots are fascinating on their own, but Mirren Hogan has taken them and built a story based on historical research and beautiful empathy towards these war-time heroes. I have a full review and interview with the author coming soon—Stay tuned!
Cosplay
And what would a convention be without the amazing cosplay?!?! This year, one of my favorite cosplay families presented their Scooby Doo Gang ‘Mystery Machine’ as an exhibit. It was an absolutely amazing fit-out. You may recognize Doug and his family from GeekDad Cosplay Family Spotlight: 5NOVCreations. Well, I would say Doug outdid himself this time with the van but I have just seen his WIP for upcoming Oz Comic Con… Doug is about to raise the bar again.
You didn’t need to bring your own wheels to stand-out with the cosplay. I always love seeing families come together with team cosplay. I’m also a fan of the huge makeup jobs (mostly because I am a dismal failure at it myself) and the personal twists on old favorites. Have a look through the gallery below; the photos have also been shared in a Facebook album on the GeekMom page. If you see yourself in the photos on Facebook, please tag your name there so we can meet the creators behind the art.
There are plenty of big and small conventions happening all around the world. GeekMom and GeekDad are attending many of them; from panels to media coverage. GeekMom Patricia Vollmer was recently at Denver Comic Con, and GeekDad Will James is getting excited for SDCC 2017. Keep an eye out for updates on our social media and say hi when you see us!
Disclaimer: EG Mum attended Sydney Supanova 2017 on a media pass for Sunday June 18. EG Mum received review copies of Zombie RiZing Book One and Night Witches. EG spawnlings received small Pokemon sketches from Foxeaf after we had exchanged business details. EG Mum did not receive any other incentives. EG Mum really hates talking about herself in the third person but hey–it helps with the disclaimer.
