Supanova has been running in Brisbane since 2003, and this year proved that it only gets bigger and better with each year that goes by.

Where: Brisbane RNA Showgrounds
When: 9th to 11th April 2010
Website: http://www.supanova.com.au/

Supanova 2010 Photos

This year was the first year that Supanova in Brisbane opened it's doors for three days. While there has been a 'Preview night' each Friday before Supanova kicks off, this was the first time that Supanova opened it's doors during the day to allow for a third day of buying, cosplaying and nerd-filled fun.

The main attraction on the Friday was the opening of the Trader's hall. There was a new layout to the stalls which allowed for greater ease of access, and less awkward moments between cosplayers and other con-goers. This also let people peruse and buy items from vendors without having to fight through lines and large crowds surrounding stalls.

Friday night also contained a surprise, as Channel Ten's 7pm Project did a live segment, which saw many local cosplayers make it onto TV.

 As Supanova opened it's doors for it's second day, one thing was immediately obvious – cosplay had hit new heights in popularity. For most of the day, it seemed as though the ratio between cosplayers and non-cosplayers had evened. Almost every second person was a cosplayer.

What made this new popularity for cosplay even more astonishing, is that each and every cosplayer raised the bar higher than ever before, adding a new level of entertainment and amazement to the convention.

 It came as no surprise to hear that Supanova reached record crowds, as it was all too evident when trying to access the Madman Theatre for any major event. While this is great news for the Supanova team, it caused some problems for con-goers.

Over-crowding in the madman theatre seemed to be the major problem, with many on-lookers having to watch the Madman National Preliminary round from outside the door. It is due to this problem that an in-depth report of the Preliminary round cannot be done.

However, from what was seen from outside the theatre (Thanks to everyone doing large and spectacular cosplays!), everyone who entered supplied ample high-end competition for each other. All six contestants brought seemingly perfectly rehearsed skits to match their impressive costumes.

Congratulations go out to all contestants, but especially those that made it into the top three – Shona, Will and Tsubaki. Shona took out first place, and is now representing Queensland in the Finals.

Unfortunately, the amazement and excitement from the Madman National's was soon brought down as the Regular supanova cosplay competition was delayed for a lengthy amount of time, citing 'technical difficulties'. Jon, the host, Jacky, and a certain Time Lord, did their best to entertain the crowd to stop us all from getting restless. The 'om nom nom' kitty was greatly appreciated by the crowd to break up the tense atmosphere.

When the cosplay competition did eventually get started, the crowd was treated to a grand display of colour and creativity.

Unfortunately more difficulties were had with the cosplay contest Towards the end, as the remaining contestans were rushed. This resulted in some cosplayers being unable to perform the skits they spent large amounts of time rehearsing and perfecting.

The auditorium was once again at maximum capacity for the cosplay competition, which left many who arrived late standing outside the door. For those cosplayers who had been on stage, little could be done, as they were unable to re-enter the theatre to watch the rest of the show. Many were upset as they were unable to cheer on fellow cosplaying friends.

Each day of the convention was uncomfortably hot, with Sunday being no exception. Many cosplayers did what they could to stay in air conditioned rooms, or take refuge under any fan they could find.

Gathering under the madman theatre to prepare for going backstage proved to be a true test of strength for many cosplayers. While they are no stranger to suffering for their art, waiting in line for hours with no where to sit and little to no ventilation seemed to push things a little too far for some. Luckily, for many, the saviour came in the form of free bottles of water that were given out to save everyone from dangerous levels of dehydration.

The bottles of water were bought by Luke (AKA Zerebin), using his own money. Nothing is more impressive than seeing cosplayers looking out for each other's well-being. Many cosplayers are entirely grateful for this. It goes to show that Supanova is blessed with an outstanding team of volunteers.

There was far more to the cosplay competition, than those few negative aspects. It was once again a stunning display of artistry, costuming, craft, and design.

Congratulations is in order for not just the winners, but every cosplayer, onstage and off, who made an effort this year. It was quite a sight to see so many creations worn by so many con-goers.

Besides the few glitches experienced throughout the convention, it is hard to find fault over all. The Supanova Pop-culture Expo in Brisbane this year was a huge success, with everyone boasting high levels of fun and entertainment.