Report by Mark Newbold It’s bigger, badder and better than ever and it hit the NEC in Birmingham this past weekend. What else could it be but Memorabilia? Mark Newbold from Jedi News was there to see the sights and sounds of the show, which this year included both Sports Memorabilia AND the Birmingham Comic Con… Mark Newbold Mark – “The halls were absolutely packed! I’ve been attending Memorabilia, sometimes up to three times a year, since 1994 and this weekend felt like the show did in its heyday of the late 90’s when 17,000 people would fill the halls at the NEC. And this year there were some great names in attendance, including a handful of Star Wars guests.” Mark – “But the show isn’t just about the guests and the show exclusives, it’s about the amazing array of collectibles that are available at the event. Here’s a great example, boldly displayed on a stand in the centre of the halls. The Adidas Boba Fett hoodie. How much did I want to grab one of those for myself? A lot, but the birthday pennies didn’t quite stretch that far!” Mark – “Many of you will be familiar with Dave Tree, not only as the owner of All The Cool Stuff but also for his amazing Palitoy Archive shown back in 2007 at Celebration Europe. Dave wasn’t on the stand when I wandered past, but a colleague told me that he was off having a free massage from what must be said was a group of very attractive young ladies. I’m sure it was all innocent and perfectly harmless as I too get the odd knot in my neck muscles that needs kneading now and again…” Mark – “This is a stand which I see regularly at conventions around the country, displaying all manner of UK, European and American film posters. Drwa your eyes away from the lady in pink doing a teapot impression and towards the gorgeous French Empire Strikes Back poster, with the classic red Return of the Jedi one sheet below. Always amazing to see such fantastic goods on offer at Memorabilia.” Mark – “My Memorabilia 2011 review featured a number of images from this exhibitor and as he was there once again displaying his amazing collection of vintage Palitoy Star Wars toys I’d be a fool if I didn’t post even more. Enjoy.” Mark – “Let’s not forget, Memorabilia isn’t just about Star Wars. Here we see some droids of a non-GFFA persuasion knocking seven shades of engine oil out of each other and Doc Brown, clearly about to go back to the future, or the past or wherever he came from in his DeLorean.” Mark – “You’ll have spotted this beauty at last weekends LEGOLAND Windsor event. A full-size landspeeder that floats above the ground, therefore negating the need to fill up at the petrol station and float your way to Beggars Canyon. It’s always great to see up close, a real piece of Star Wars magic. And I simply couldn’t pass old Uncle George by without taking a shot of him in his Stormtrooper gear. An awesome figure, I really must get one of these someday. It would look great next to my Jorg Sacul Rebel Pilot figure!” Mark – “The day didn’t simply belong to Memorabilia. It was also the Birmingham Comic Convention as well, and the crowds of cosplayers were stronger than ever. In Japan and the States the cosplay scene has been strong for many years, but it’s still a developing hoby here in the UK. It ws fantastic to see the care and dedication put into the hundreds of costumes on display. Here we have Marvel Girl and Black Cat, just two examples of some really cool costumes on offer. But the parade of costumes was just beginning… Mark – “There’s always been a strong Garrison presence at Memorabilia, going back to the days before there were even any garrisons in existence. This years show brought out a huge number of troops, from various detatchments across the UK, and they gathered to parade through the halls, followed by cosplayers from other sci-fi shows, films and comics. As it does everywhere, the room stopped to enjoy the craft and dedication of these uber-fans as they paraded through the NEC. Mark – “There were a handful of Star Wars legends appearing at the event over the weekend. Christopher Muncke, Captain Khurgee from A New Hope was there, as was General Veers himself Julian Glover. Stunt legend Vic Armstrong was signing copies of his new book to long lines of fans and then around the corner… Mark – “…my good friend Richard LeParmentier. I wasn’t expecting to see Richard at the show, but thankfully for any and all Star Wars fans he came to the event and was signing away to happy fans, telling tales of hs time on the film and his wider career. Fact – the Motti choke scene is “the 37th all time great Movie Moment of all time according to a TV poll” and one of the most widely parrodied. Recently both Family Guy and Big Bang Theory have done skits on that scene. Richard has a very busy year ahead of him, as well as a glut of convention appearances and we hope to be working with him again very soon. So there you have it, the spring 2012 Memorabilia. The show will return to the NEC later in the summer and you can count on Jedi News being there to cover the activities. As ever many thanks to David Axbey of MCM Expo for his assistance. Memorabilia March 2012 Report: Copyright 2012 Jedi News. No part of this interview can be reproduced without prior written consent from Jedi News.
“Not only was it my birthday on the 31st but I was being picked up and dropped off at the NEC. Top day, made all the better by one of the busiest Memorabilia’s in recent years.”
