DARTH Vader was among the surprise star guests at a massive convention celebrating ‘geek’ culture organised by a Barnsley couple at the weekend.
About 6,000 people attended Yorkshire Cosplay Con at Sheffield Arena on Saturday and Sunday, and Welsh actor Spencer Wilding, who played Darth Vader in Star Wars film Rogue One was among the guests announced at the last minute.
“I asked him if he’d mind getting up on stage to say a few words and he said ‘you’d better let me get up on stage’,” said Jon Higson, who runs the event with his partner Kathrine Furniss, who started the annual event in response to being bullied at school.
“People were really shocked he came. Unfortunately it was very last minute so we didn’t get much chance to advertise it in advance. I think we might have had even more people there if we’d been able to.”
Another late addition to the guest list was Simon Fisher-Becker, best known as The Fat Friar in the Harry Potter film Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and Dorium Maldovar in Doctor Who.
Announced guests included voice actor Billy West, who has voiced characters including Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, Popeye and Woody Woodpecker, as well as most of the main characters in sci-fi cartoon Futurama.
“It went really well, and we’ll soon be making a start on next year’s event once we’ve recovered,” said Jon.
Organising Cosplay events (short for costume play) is a full time job for the couple, of Hickleton Court, Thurnscoe.
They are in the early stages of organising a ‘NightCon’ event later this year which will take place somewhere in Barnsley.
“That will be an event targeted at adults, more of a social event with drinking, dancing, karaoke and that sort of thing.”
That will be in addition to the annual Cosplay Ball taking place in Sheffield on September 16, and a Christmas cosplay event on November 24.
