Comic Gong '18 Arrives in Wollongong. Cometh the Cosplayers!

Beer-guzzlin' Duffman and a heavily 'muscled' Deadpool were my first cosplayers to grant me a photograph.

Comic Gong is the Illawarra's foray into comic conventions. While arguably Australia's largest comic con is Oz Comic Con held in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, the fact that Wollongong has a large enough following of comic culture says a lot. We're a city of freaks and geeks in a charming, introverted, 'I wanna be in a cosplayer competition but don't wanna get on stage' kinda way.

We missed last year's con. Our first was 2016. Apparently the whole affair began in Corrimal (a small suburb just north of Wollongong) in 2012. At that stage it must have just been a few mates in stormtrooper helmets eating pizza playing video games and sharing laughs while Vader was on the john.

Spider Gwen MC'd the 18+ cosplayer competition. We saw Wonder Woman, Carl from TWD and even a gigantic Overwatch mech (see below).

Most of these individuals aren't expert special effects techs or seamstresses. They're just passionate about fiction and willing to burn themselves with hot glue guns.

The comic culture is based around fictional adventures and larger than life characters. The writers of these alternate universes create excitement and thrill through captivating characters and extraordinary adventures. Who likes this kind of otherworldly experience? Children. And adults who haven't grown up.

There were SO many kids here. These are the little guys lapping up Spidey, Powerpuff Girls and Star Wars. Who wouldn't want to read about the colourful epics of super powered heroes that can perform unbelievable feats in cities that aren't your own? Weirdos.

I grew up adoring Spider-man. My first comics were Spectacular Spider-man, Amazing Spider-man, Peter Parker Spider-man and The Sensational Spider-man. I couldn't get enough of him. Occasionally, I'd try something a bit different like X-Men, but it wouldn't stick. However, I bought my own comics when I was 13 years old. Spider-man wasn't on the big screen for another six years.

Now, we are bombarded with so many heroes on the silver screen, that it's become a genre in it's own right. In 2018, we are seeing three year old children wanting Spider-man costumes and lunchboxes. It's all so much more a part of our culture now. And people like me (and those far more ingrained) have had their quirky interests legitimised, enabling them to walk around once a year in public wearing wigs, plastic armour and a shit-ton of green body paint.

Just around the corner from the art gallery where the 18+ cosplayers were being judged, the outdoor arts precinct showcased an '80's Batmobile, a wrestling ring where a dressed up Aussie cricketer wrestled Spider-man, and some medival reenactment allowing kids to beat the hell out of armoured actors.

This young lady didn't need any additional encouragement. The soldier was brought to his knees as he begged for mercy. None was given. Subsequent photos are too gory to post on Steemit.

While I was perusing the vendor stands looking for something really unique, I came across a local Aussie writer who teamed up with Scattered Comics and an American artist to realise Fox and Hound. This was really my goal yesterday. I wanted to find something interesting and local that appealed to me. I'll be reading this comic in the upcoming week and sharing my review. It's definitely going to be for mature readers only. The book's also pretty risqué. ?

If you missed out on this year's Comic Gong, or you're in another state, the dates for 2018's upcoming Oz Comic Con are below.

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All the best,

Nick.

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