Now the convention scene is well and truly back up and running, we’re finding ourselves zipping up and down the country to cover events far and wide. Last week it was a 3 plus hour drive north to Gateshead Unleashed, and this week a 3 plus hour drive south to Croydon and the Croydon Star Wars Charity Day, run by Smugglers Entertainment. Both events saw myself and Mark Mulcaster attending and recording episodes of Making Tracks (you can find last weeks episode here) and both enormous fun events, first-time shows for Fantha ahead of next weekend MCM Birmingham Comic Con.
The guest list for this show was superb, bringing legends of the saga to the Masonic Hall in Croydon along with guests who are fresher to the scene. With the pandemic hopefully in the rearview mirror, performers of all kinds can now get out and about to events in the UK and around the world. For example, Frank Stone of The Force Awakens and Rogue One fame has done relatively few events, while Wales Comic Con later this month will see the final event appearance of Robert Watts, the legendary producer of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies who was present atthe show.
For original trilogy autograph collectors this was like catnip; Brian Muir, Jack Klaff, Pam Rose, Garrick Hagon, Tim Rose, Simon Williamson, Hugh Spight, Glyn Baker, Cathy Munroe, Bill Hargreaves, Michael Pennington, Mike Edmonds…that is a Celebration worthy guest list right there, and if that wasn’t enough there was Aiden Cook, Frank Stone, Lewis MacLeod Russell Balough and Joe Altin to name just a few from the prequel and sequel trilogies. If you were missing an autograph, this was the place to be.
As ever, collectibles are a primary lure for attendees to come to shows, and Croydon didn’t disappoint with a heavy focus on costuming groups, Funko Pops, figures and posters of which there were many. The Solo posters inparticular were eye-catching and great to see up close and personal.
Upstairs there were a number of other stalls and guests in a beautifully lit area with circular windows, perfect for the costuming groups and cosplayers to stand in front of. Again, there were plenty of stalls to browse and enjoy, all for great prices.
Joker Squad were there, as were the Rebel Legion represented by Mark Mulcaster and co. We say it often, but it’s never anything less than a buzz to see these characters we love so much roaming the halls and stairs of conventions far and wide, and Croydon was no exception.
We managed to not only record an episode of Making Tracks at the show with myself, Mark and Paul Naylor but also grabbed some audio from a number of guests, which you’ll hear in forthcoming episodes of the show. This week we welcome Simon ‘Max Rebo’ Williamson and Rogue One and The Force Awakens actor Frank Stone, and as for the future we’ll be sure to return to Croydon Star Wars Charity Day for more great guests and a stellar Star Wars experience.
- Hardcover Book
- Christopher, Adam (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 496 Pages - 06/28/2022 (Publication Date) - Random House Worlds (Publisher)
