Shanghai Comic Con
Last weekend was the first time a Comic Con was organized in Shanghai. The entrance was not cheap (180 RMB to enter a place where the main purpose is buying things?) but I wanted to go anyway because the last time I went to a comic event was 10 years ago. Also, because I thought maybe I could find cool Chinese comics.
Comic Cons are always about much more than comic books: there are cosplay competitions, movie screenings, Q&A with authors, stands selling toys and all kinds of merchandise… but if it is a Comic Con, you would expect to find comic books there, right?
Well, it seems not always. In the Shanghai Comic Con there were only 2 lousy booths selling books that were not even special, discounted or hard to get. The rest of the place was full of toys, Avengers and IronMan (the movies) real size figurines, Star Wars stuff, videogames, and even Youku (the Chinese Youtube) had a booth. There were a lot of people dressed as comic and movie characters and that was fun, at least. The only things we bought were some American comics in Chinese translation (among them, Watchmen). Original Chinese comics? Nowhere to be seen. For the organizers the event must have been a success though, it was completely packed.
Do I sound like a grumpy old woman complaining about everything? Maybe I should stop writing and just show some pictures.
A cosplayer being interviewed.
Star Wars stuff.
Movies.
I didn’t know Deadpool was so popular, and even less so in China.
Hulk was very tired and decided to take a nap.
Have you ever been to a Comic Con?
Sí que fue raro, una convención de comics sin comics. Poco a poco.
Si te fijaste, aquí, pero sobre todo en la librería extranjera de Fuzhou rd. hay un montón de libros en plan: “El arte de fulanito”, “El arte de menganito”, son libros que explican cómo dibujar tal o cuál estilo. Por Dios, espero que se pongan a hacer pronto sus propios dibujos. Tía, una vez, me encuentro un dibujo mio (mio pero raro, le pasaba algo imperceptible), encima de la mesa de la profe de arte china, en su oficina, y pienso, ¿Qué hace mi dibu fuera de su carpeta? Y tía, que no era el mío, que me lo había copiado y ahora era suyo. Me dio un mal rollo. Era casi una copia exacta. Se sonrojó y me dijo: “Nada, que estaba probando a ver si me salía”.
Pero había un montón de tíos buenos chinos disfrazados. Sólo por eso ya valió la pena.
Sí, en la libería de Fuzhou Lu ya podían tener libros del dibujante en cuestión, en vez de “el arte de”!
Los que iban vestidos como de cavernícolas estaban de muy buen ver, sí sí.
Shanghai officially has the first western comic con in China, but Wizard World is about to have the first one in Guangzhou next week! I’m definitely going!!! :D (and I’ll post about it…)
That’s too bad they didn’t sell many comics. I will still do my best to find some at the GZ event. Cosplay is fun. I won’t be dressing up though.
And the money will be worth it for me.
I miss comic cons so much.
Any thoughts on the guests? There will be a few actors and artists at Guangzhou — one elf from the Hobbit and a Flash artist I even have some stuff to be signed.
Well, nothing is perfect but I sure do find this cool…
I hope you have a good time! And that there are more comic books than in Shanghai, haha.
Here we had an actor from the Hobbit, someone from the tv series (I think) Gotham, a couple of other actors I don’t remember, and for authors Gail Simone and I don’t remember who else. The pictures with the actors costed 800 RMB… seriously?
Gail Simone was in China?!?!
Er… yes! I didn’t see her though.
I’ve never been on a comic con or similar :(:(:(
Of course I always wanted to but Germany had these things only at too far away places so in the end I had never the chance to go. But kind of weird that in Shanghai they had barely any books/ comics to sell? How strange is that on a COMIC CON!! :D
Yes!! They should call it “MOVIES INSPIRED IN COMICS CON”!!
Or perhaps just “Movies inspired not so much comic con” :)
I’ve never been to one. I’ve always wanted to, but the idea of dressing up for it makes me feel like an idiot. And to go by not dressing up will also make me feel like an idiot. So I never went and content myself with watching animes online… :(
Hahaha, dressing up is completely optional, no one will judge you whatever you do! I didn’t dress up, but it must be fun.
I’ve never been to a Comic Con so I wouldn’t know what to expect honestly. However what is shown in your pics looks more like a big cinema complex with a lot of advertising stuff? Is that what a Cominc Con is supposed to be? I am genuinely curious.
Well, usually in a Comic Con there are definitely exhibitors showing toys and stuff related to movies and video games as people who like comics usually enjoy those other things too. There are also actors from movies and authors singing books, but there should be comic books, of course!! This Comic Con was just weird.
I have never been to a Comic Con. A couple of years ago Comic Con came to Australia and the tickets were expensive and I couldn’t afford them. But the pricier tickets where you get to meet famous movie stars and artists sold out like hot cakes. Though if I do go, I think I will be preoccupied staring at the costumes people dressed up in. From photos and the news, the costumes always look magnificent and out of this world :D
Yes, looking at the people who dressed up is always fun, hehe. In Shanghai Comic Con there were also VIP tickets and apart from that you could pay extra if you wanted to take a picture with the actors that attended (the most famous one was in The Hobbit). Even if it was an actor I liked I would definitely not pay more than 100 USD only to take a picture with him…
Haha! Good for you. It looks entertaining, but I can certainly understand the “meh” factor. Hopefully, they improve upon them as they forge into the future :)
Yes, I hope next year they have more reading materials on sale ;) I was thinking about doing cosplay next year, it surely looks fun but maybe I am a little too old for that :D
Nahhhh, never too old for dress up, right?
I have never been to a comic con before but I know they have a comic exhibition of some sort in Taipei [I have no idea is it good or bad or worth attending.] The only thing I know about comic con is that Sheldon and the other guys on The Big Bang Theory love going to them [you didn’t see them around, did you? LOL ]
Hahaha! No. they were not there :D I didn’t watch the last season of TBBT, it was removed from online portals in China :(
Actually, they show the current season in Taiwan. They also have one hour of re-runs of every weekday as well and once they are finished, they start from season one again. :)
I just read an article about this. It said that the Chinese government is cracking down on people (chiefly women) wearing revealing clothing at such events. Fines at Comic Con are being handed out for a number of “infractions,” such as showing too much cleavage, wearing sheer clothing, or exposing one’s behind. The fines start at 5000 rmb (wtf???). What did you think of the outfits there?
Oh yes I read that, but it was not on for the Comic Con, they will do it in China Joy, a video games exhibition in July.
I didn’t see anyone too naked in the Comic Con, but I am not shocked for those kind of things so maybe I didn’t notice. I did saw 4 or 5 tall and extremely handsome Chinese guys showing their abs :)_
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