York GeekFest is back – the two-day festival celebrating everything you knew about pop culture, and quite a lot you didn’t.
Held at the university it covers sci-fi and fantasy, book, movies and art, as well as featuring workshops, talks and competitions.
With loads to do, more to buy and some sights you’ll see nowhere else, it’s well worth the trip.
So here are just… seven ways to express your inner geek
1. Get your Cosplay on
See some of the best Cosplay York has to offer at the Cosplay Masquerade: last year’s entries included Connor Davenport and the country of Lichtenstein.
And get some tips on creating great cosplay outfits on a budget with York’s own Lolita Love.
2. Learn how to wield a sword
Think the stars of those blockbuster movies know how to fight? Think again.
In How Hollywood Gets Fighting So Wrong, the York School of Defence will debunk some screen combat myths. And they’ll be around giving demos of swordplay and more during the weekend.
3. Laugh with The Nerdfather
Geeks love a good laugh, and there are a couple of stand-out stand-up sets to see. One is Paul Jones, aka the Nerdfather, who riffs on fatherhood, prop making, stand-up comedy and a lifelong obsession with science fiction in his multi-media comedy extravaganza.
And Californian comic Mike Capozzola brings his Evil Cyborg Sea Monsters Comedy Show to Geekfest, a mix of stand up comedy and a slideshow cartoons about superheroes, action movies, sci-fi, monsters and secret agents.
4. Up your Quidditch game
Want to be as good at catching the Golden Snitch as Harry Potter himself? First, watch how the Quidditch experts do it as HogYork Horntails take on the Leeds Griffins in an exhibition match.
Then join the Horntails for a Quidditch workshop and get a taste of what the organisers assure us is “one of the fastest growing sports in the world”.
5. Get inside the Doctor’s head
If you’re missing your fix of all things Gallifreyan, with the new series of Doctor Who not starting till next year, stave off the cravings wit The Psychology of Doctor Who.
Can we really understand the Doctor’s moods and motivations? How does regeneration affect him? Just two of the questions addressed in this talk by Dr Sarita Robinson.
6. Draw Dennis
Talking of regeneration, a new look Dennis The Menace emerged with the relaunch of the Beano last month.
And the man responsible is Nigel Parkinson, Dennis’s official artist. He’s at Geekfest to tell you all about the comic and its new spin-off TV series, as well as teach you how to draw the little rascal and, hopefully, Gnasher.
7. Watch classic movies
Who wouldn’t want to go on a Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women? Well you can do just that, as well as meet the Teenagers From Outer Space, Cat Women Of The Moon and Zontar, the Thing from Venus – just some of the black and white films showing in the Old Cinema.
If you hanker after more modern fare, Geekfest is also screening a movie marathon of the Cornetto Trilogy: Shaun Of The Dead (inspired), Hot Fuzz (has its moments) and The World’s End (you can kip through this one).