Comic Con set to attract crowds as it returns to city

Bosses are hoping to build on the success of last year’s event, with a line-up of stars already announced.

This year’s Comic Con will be held at the Guild Hall on August 1, with guests including Game of Thrones’ Ian McElhinney.

Tattooist Darren Wildman, one of the organisers, said he and his friends had previously organised Star Wars events.

The self-confessed “geek” said: “We thought we needed to step away from Star Wars and needed to do a Comic Con, and that’s how Preston Comic Con was born.”

He said last year’s event “exceeded expectations” and said this year’s would feature two actors from the Hobbit trilogy.

He said: “We’ve got a little bit more room, we have got about 70 stalls rather than 50, over two floors.

“A lot of people dress in a wide variety of weird and wonderful costumes.

“We’ve got everything from those who make them out of cardboard boxes to professional costumes.

“We have people coming to meet and greet the actors, people coming in for the stalls that sell collectables.

“It’s a very wide-ranging demographic.”

Darren, 40, who lives in Cottam, said: “I’ve always been a geek. I played a lot of football and read a lot of comics and that’s where I got into it.

“I’ve got a little boy called Neo. I named him after a movie character.”

Tickets are now on sale for this summer’s event.

Darren said: “Last year we had a really good event. We had about 2,500 people through the door and we are looking at expanding that this year.

“But safety is our main concern, we want people to have a good time in a safe environment.

“We are aiming it at families. Comic cons do cover everything from comic artists to sci-fi and films.”