There was something for everyone at Eastview Arena arena on Saturday, including comic artists showcasing their work, collectibles, books and plenty of video games to be had
Comic books, cards, toys and more drew fans to Eastview Arena in Barrie on Saturday for the annual Barrie ComiCon.
There was something for everyone at the Grove Street East arena on Sept. 6, including comic artists showcasing their work, collectible jewelry and plenty of video games to be had.
One of the most fascinating vendors in attendance was Jory Lane, of Camdridge, whose business, Retro Remix, offers exploded-style artwork made with video game and smartphone parts.
A lover of all things retro, Lane wanted to preserve them in a way that he would be able to look at them and commemorate them forever, rather than be just tossed in a drawer for years or thrown out.
“I also just wanted to see a lot of these products kept out of landfills because a lot of these go to recyclers, but a lot of it can’t actually be recycled, and just ends up in landfill. I really wanted to preserve them forever in a creative way,” he told BarrieToday.
It takes Lane a full day to reprocess and mount items such as a Game Boy or an iPhone.
“It really depends on the products,” he said. “Some of the older products, like an NES controller, have far less components in it, whereas something like an iPhone or a Game Boy with lots of components, can take several hours just to disassemble them.”
Meanwhile, across the room entering the event is Eva Zemaitis, 33, is decked out as an ominous Mandolorian character from Star Wars.
Upon closer inspection, though, her custom character seems almost British in a way, and ready for a spot of tea, perhaps.
All the armoured parts of her costume have been made to look as if they are constructed out of porcelain, with its traditional blue patterned line work.
“I painted all of it with one blue Sharpie that has been discontinued,” Zemaitis said. “So, I was worried that I’d run out of paint.
It took her around three months to construct her cosplay outfit.
“The longest part was painting, and all of that had to be done by hand,” Zemaitis said.
What spurred the unique idea?
“So, we’ve got a group, and we all made Mandalorians based on our Dungeons and Dragons characters,” she said. “I’m the cleric who heals people by giving them tea.”
Was she thinking of any specific kind of tea?
“It depends on what ails them,” she answered.
Fair enough.
With a steady flow of visitors to the event, this year’s Barrie ComicCon clearly appeared to be a success once again.
