Heroes! Villains! Hilarity! This year’s Comic-Con in Sydney brought out everyone’s wild and wacky best. Sit back and savor Saturday’s sensational cosplays, the drool-worthy collectibles, and a surprise dance number from the most unlikely alliance!

Cosplay Photos (Click on any image for a larger view)

Booty-Swayin’, Hip-Shakin’ Craziness at the Nintendo Wii Dance Stage!

During a preview of Nintendo Wii’s “Just Dance 2017”, the crowd went bonkers as The Joker (Batman/DC Comics), Chewbacca and Han Solo (Star Wars), and Connor Kenway (Assassin’s Creed 3) got their groove on. Joker and Connor stayed focused on following the on-screen dance steps, but as you can see, Chewie and Han had their very own choreography. Have you ever seen a Wookiee twerking to Britney Spears’ song “Circus”? Have you ever seen Han Solo swivelling his smuggler backside oh-so-seductively? No? Would you like to see both of those things? Well, look no further than this video!

Daniel Portman Interview Panel (Click on any image for for a larger view)

Known by many as Podrick Payne on the TV show Game of Thrones, Daniel Portman rocked the panel stage with his witty humor and insightful advice. His biggest tip for aspiring actors: “Never stop learning. Never stop growing. Always consider yourself a student. The day you tell yourself you’ve learned everything is the day you kill your chances of getting any better.”

Club Spotlight: U.S.S. Tydirium (Click on any image for for a larger view)

Part of the official Star Trek International Fan Association, the U.S.S. Tydirium is a fun, playful, friendly place for Star Trek fans, both new and old. Craft-minded and creative folks will especially love it here– you’ll get to band together with your crewmates and build your own Star Trek props and weapons!

Shopping Spotlight (Click on any image for for a larger view)

The proprietor of The Comic Bug, Mick “Fett” Pylak, has the largest Star Wars collection in Australia– and he’s got a TV news feature to prove it! His booth pops up at various sci-fi and pop culture conventions around Australia, and specializes in rare, limited edition toys and novelties. Lego lovers will drool over the humongous Lego vehicle kits, while action figure aficionados will find mint-condition figures from a tremendous range of fandoms and eras!

At Glass Doll Films and Siren Visual, you’ll find a tantalizing spread of movies and TV series, from Hollywood, anime, and beyond. While they aren’t typically found in mainstream distribution, they’re certainly no less entertaining. In addition, they tend to be more thought-provoking, emotionally hard-hitting, and paradigm-challenging. Your friendly hosts will walk you through the collection, helping you find the ideal box set or movie to suit your specific tastes. As for me, I’m tremendously pleased by my two purchases: a Japanese animated comedy film called Thermae Romae, and Canaan, a dystopian science-fiction anime series.

Viva La Calavera has an eye-catching showcase of Mexican folk art in modern pop culture designs. Most notable are their ornate, Day of the Dead-themed stickers and decorative skulls. Visit their website to follow their traveling market stall and admire the newest designs.

What’s a day of fun without a big bag of funky-colored sweets? For maximum enjoyment, look for the Sweet and Sour candy booth at every Comic-Con. You’ll find flavorful handmade fudge, lollipops and hard candy in all shades of the rainbow, and of course their famous fruit licorice. I’m quite partial to their Sweet Strawberry licorice, myself.

Say “I love you” like a Time Lord with Gallifreyan Pendants. You can order finely crafted jewelry inscribed with a variety of fictional languages, such as Elvish, Klingonese, Dothraki, and many more. And for even more fun, they sell handmade hard candy imprinted with Gallifreyan runes!

For the discerning tabletop gamer, there’s Level Up Dice. Machine-carved and precisely weighted for ease of throwing, these stunning dice are made from semi-precious gemstones and premium metals. Browse their website to see how dice can be a luxury!

 

Have you ever looked at a delicate, masterfully folded origami artwork, and wished that you could wear it like jewelry? Well, now you can. Catamation specializes in hand-folded origami jewelry, along with striking molded resin brooches, rings and hairclips.

Food, cats, and cuteness, with a dash of joyful color– it’s all in a day’s work for illustrator Jess Chen. Her series of sushi watercolor illustrations comes with a twist, which I won’t spoil here. You can check it out at her Etsy store!

 

They’re beautifully bold, decked out with all your favorite comic heroes and villains, and useful too. What more could a comic fan ask for? Glam Comix has functional, funky gear spanning a huge range of characters and franchises.

For a soft and cuddly spin on your favorite movie, cartoon, video game and comic book characters, Will and Mabs takes the cake. Each knitted or crocheted item is unique– even if you order two or more of the same item– because they’re all made by hand.

That’s all for this year’s Oz Comic-Con in Sydney! You’ll find more upcoming Oz Comic-Con events on their website: www.ozcomiccon.com.