CAPE NERDS GEEK OUT

CAPETONIANS geeked out at the biggest nerd festival in the city, Cape Town Comic Con.

The four day event, which began on 1 May and wrapped up on Sunday was sold out in its entirety, and had many attendees dressing up in their favourite cartoon and comics characters.

The convention also showcased just how much Cape Town loves celebrating their favourite shows, movies, anime, games, comics, and cosplay (costume play).

Cathy Chadwick, 55, who had a four-day pass to the convention, was kitted out in her Maleficent cosplay on Saturday, and said that it had taken her a year to pull together, from its conception to finalising the full costume.

“It’s taken me a year, from conception to cutting it out, glueing it together, having the wrong glue, and then having to re-glue everything. It is such a learning curve, figuring out what products to use.

“This [her wings] are made out of aerothene, there were 1480 feathers, but I’ve lost quite a few. This is really my first cosplay that I've built on my own… Diablo [the bird] is made out of newspaper and sticky tape, the back feathers on him are made out of hadeda feathers."

She joked that she does blame her son for getting her involved in cosplaying as he “dragged me along”.

She adds: “I am a crafty person by nature, and this keeps me out of mischief. Sitting at home at night, and making costumes… I just absolutely love it.

“Yesterday I came as Pitbull, the rapper, and people ignored me, but I had to change into my (Lord of the Rings) Witch-King of Angmar costume, and then as I was walking around… the attention that I got?! When people come up and ask you for a photograph? Wow."

The jol peaked on Sunday, May the Fourth - annual Star Wars Day - as Emperor Palpatine actor Ian McDiarmid took the stage. 

The veteran Scottish actor has played the role of the saga's ultimate film in four of the nine main movies. 

Alongside McDiarmid in attendance at the convention this year was American actor, Michael Trucco, known for his performances in “Battlestar Galactica”, and “Law and Order: SVU”.

Other people spotted at the convention included comedian and actor Siv Ngesi as well as MMA fighter and UFC champion, Dricus du Plessis.