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A huge sci-fi and superhero comic book festival is coming to Manchester next month

Stretford Comic Fest will have a wide range of stalls showcasing comic book products and memorabilia.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 21st September 2021

Independent comic book specialists Wow Comix is teaming up with Stretford Mall to host the town’s first ‘Comic Fest’ in just a couple of weeks time.

Stretford Comic Fest will be taking over the central area of the popular shopping mall with a celebration of all things sci-fi and superhero-related, so fans of comic book pop culture can browse through a wide range of stalls showcasing comic book products and memorabilia.

There’ll be plenty of special guests appearing at the festival too, giving attendees the chance to hang out with some sci-fi stars for autograph sessions and pictures.

Visitors popping over to Stretford Mall for the first-of-its-kind festival in the town will be able to meet and greet Final Fantasy star Liam Mulvey, and the man behind cult-favourite Psycho Gran – a hugely-experienced comic illustrator who has worked for both Marvel UK and US, and many of the major UK publishing houses over the last 30 years.

Willie Coppen – who appeared in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (Episode VI) – will also be dusting off his Ewok costume and greeting families and fans in Stretford next month.

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There’ll also be appearances from actor Nathan Head (Theatre of Fear and Exorcist Chronicles), and up-and-coming fantasy author Victoria Bates. 

Independent comic book specialists Wow Comix is teaming up with Stretford Mall to host the town’s first ‘Comic Fest’ / Credit: Twitter (@StretfordMall)

Wow Comix – which started out as a ‘kitchen table business’ in 2014 – has developed a strong following thanks to its high-quality, rare and authentic collections of British and American comic books, including Marvel and DC comics, and all things superhero and sci-fi related.

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Owner John Webster and his team visited comic conventions and began building a steady following, before growing into a bricks and mortar operation in Sale.

John has organised comic festivals before – but this will be his first in Stretford.

“We’re excited to launch Stretford’s first Comic Festival next month [as] the Stretford community is fantastic [and] we’ve really enjoyed being part of it since last December,” John said.

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“We think they will really like our event as it’s a chance to find out a bit more about what we do and to interact with some exciting characters. The Comic Fest is designed to be totally inclusive, so even if you’re not a comic book enthusiast, it will be a fun day for families to come along and enjoy for free… and of course, chat to an Ewok.”

Fans of comic book pop culture can browse through a wide range of comic book products and memorabilia / Credit: piqsels | Max Pixel

Stretford Comic Fest will be taking place from 10am – 4pm on Saturday 9 October at Stretford Mall, and is free for all to attend. 

Visitors are encouraged to come dressed as their favourite comic book character, superhero / villain, or any pop culture icon and a cosplay winner will be judged on the day, taking home the ‘Best Dressed Comic Fest’ crown, as well as some fantastic prizes.

Featured Image – Flickr

What's On

Manchester’s new real-life Pac-Man experience is coming soon and you can grab early bird tickets

Danny Jones Danny Jones Real-life Pac-Man experience Manchester

Manchester already boasts a whole host of interactive games bars and activity destinations to boast, but we feel pretty confident in saying that there are very places on the planet where you can find a place to play a real-life version of Pac-Man.

First announced back in October and now scheduled to debut in March 2025, the Pac-Man Live Experience is the newest addition to Manchester’s growing entertainment scene and it’s promising to be a popular one too.

This brand-new life-sized immersive experience plunges players into the nostalgic world of the iconic video game we all know and love, only instead of using joysticks on an old-school arcade machine, they’ll physically sprint, dodge, and chomp their way through a maze.

Although the launch itself is still a few months away, the team behind this ingenious idea are getting ready for the frenzy and putting early bird tickets on sale ahead of opening day.

Credit: Concept Image (supplied)

So how does it work?

Good question: participants can gear up in a PAC vest and step into the role of the instantly recognisable yellow chomper, collecting power pellets, dodging the classic ghost characters – BLINKY, PINKY, INKY, and CLYDE – and racking up points on their way to victory.

Guided through an epic 12-level adventure, players will be led by the ‘PAC-MASTER’: a lively gameshow host who serves as commentator and referee; players will also be accompanied by immersive in-game effects like sound bites, lighting, and haptic (vibration) feedback to elevate the experience. Cool, right?

The striking Arcade Arena will feature two massive PAC-MAN courts projected onto the floor, while dynamic visuals transform the walls, fully immersing participants in the retro arcade universe. There’s no need for headsets either, so players can embark on a multi-sensory adventure, seamlessly blending the real world with augmented reality.

Created by Tom Lionetti-Maguire, the CEO and Founder of Little Lion Entertainment – the same team behind The Crystal Maze Live Experience, Tomb Raider, and Chaos Karts to the likes of London and more recently Manchester –

The whole thing has been brought to life in partnership with Bandai Namco Entertainment, lending the proper licensing to make the experience feel both fun and authentic. It’s the real deal.

Credit: Supplied

Early bird tickets for Pac-Man Live Manchester

If you’re not sold on playing a human-sized, real-life game of Pac-Man in a huge augmented-reality arena right here in Manchester then we don’t know what to tell you, to be honest – all we know is that we’ll be first in line when it arrives.

The Pac-Man Live Experience comes to the Arcade Arena on 22 March next year in line with the game’s 40th anniversary, and they’re inviting players of all ages and providing engaging gameplay for younger participants while delivering a nostalgic throwback that parents and grandparents will cherish.

Better yet, if you book during the early bird window, you can access discount ticket prices from just £25 per person too.

Early bird tickets go on sale at 12 noon today (Thursday, 21 November) – you can grab yours HERE.

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Featured Images — Supplied

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Blood Brothers at Palace Theatre, Manchester – a timeless classic

Greg James Greg James Sean Jones and Joe Slight in Blood Brothers in Manchester. Credit: Jack Merriman

Bill Kenwright’s production of Blood Brothers surpassed 10,000 performances in London’s West End making it one of only three musicals ever to achieve that monumental milestone – and now it’s visiting us here in Manchester.

“Oh Bright New Day”, Blood Brothers has just landed back at the Palace Theatre. This musical written by Willy Russell is a British piece of theatre that is a staple in the musical theatre tapestry of our country. 

For anyone who is unfamiliar with this iconic story, it is an emotional tale of two twins who are separated at birth and grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with the most fateful of consequences.

The story’s central character, Mrs Johnston is the linchpin in this whole story and carries us through the show.

This role has been played by many superb women over the years including Mel C, Kiki Dee, Barbara Dickson and nearly all of the Nolan Sisters. This time, Mrs Johnston is performed by Vivienne Carlyle who provides a lovely maternal performance. 

The other two lead roles are Mickey and Eddie, played by Sean Jones and Joe Sleight respectively.

These are really complex roles to play as the actors have to portray the characters from early school years to grown adults.

The cast of Blood Brothers in Manchester. Credit: Jack Merriman
The cast of Blood Brothers in Manchester. Credit: Jack Merriman
Sean Jones, Gemma Brodrick and Joe Slight in Blood Brothers in Manchester. Credit: Jack Merriman
Sean Jones, Gemma Brodrick and Joe Slight in Blood Brothers in Manchester. Credit: Jack Merriman

Sean Jones has been playing the role of Mickey now for nearly 25 years and so he is no stranger to this character. And I must say, he still fantastically plays the part, even when playing young Mickey, and the show really takes off when he enters the stage.

Joe Sleight is someone who I had not seen in the role of Eddie before and he gave just as strong a performance as Jones. He offered a real contrast to his counterpart with a really beautiful, touching performance. 

The whole ensemble did a gorgeous job of helping to carry these characters throughout the musical, showing a real flair for multi-roling and beautiful musicality in the group numbers too. 

Something which elevates this already gripping story though is the music. There are many recurring musical motifs throughout the show that on the surface may come off as repetitive but they offer perspective on how things can evolve and change over time.

Of course the song though that everybody is perhaps familiar with is the power ballad, ‘Tell Me It’s Not True’. This is the climax of the show and what a climax it is. There’s not a dry eye in the house when we reach this point of the story, I can assure you! 

So, whether you are returning to watch this show again, perhaps know the story from studying it in English GCSE or seeing it for the first time, it will always be an absolutely timeless classic.

Blood Brothers is on at the Palace Theatre in Manchester until Saturday 30 November. Tickets are available HERE.

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Featured image: Jack Merriman

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