What we thought of Comic Con at Utilita Arena, Newcastle

Harry Potter, The Joker, Princess Peach and Darth Vader all walk into a convention centre. No, this is not the start of a joke but instead, an accurate description of the first day of Comic-Con North East held at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena. 

On October 26 and 27, the arena was taken over by all things film, TV and video games as well as dozens of stalls selling everything from posters, key chains and t-shirts. However, the main draw is celebrities/stars selling autographs and photos for an additional fee. 

Comic Con North East 2024. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) Entry tickets for each day started at £27.50 and went up to £96 for “diamond” entry, which was essentially a fast pass to skip the queues. 

Extras to meet celebrities for photo and autograph opportunities varied but the highest was priced at around £80. 

The line up this year included The Vampire Diaries’ Paul Wesley, Pearl Mackie and Alex Kingston of Doctor Who fame and Kristan Nairn of Game of Thrones to name just a few. 

We went along for day one of the convention to see what it was all about - and I have to say it wasn’t at all what I expected. 

This being my first time at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena and my first real-time at a Comic Con convention, I was unsure what I’d find. 

Despite being someone who is quite interested in most things a comic convention embodies (that being video games, TV shows and proclaimed ‘geeky’ movies like Harry Potter) I’ve never thought about taking the leap and going somewhere like Comic Con. 

If I’m honest, I had a rather naive view that Comic Con was for mega fans only - those who would spend hours on themed outfits and dedicate most of their time to their fandom and know all the other fans in the mix. This would mean that myself and companion Chloe would stick out like sore thumbs as we did not come dressed in the theme. 

Comic Con North East 2024. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) I’m glad that was not the case as we walked through the main foyer and did spot some rather extravagant outfits but also many dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans. If anything, I was in awe at this point at the sheer talent and effort that would have had to go into making these outfits. 

You end up going through the main foyer entrance which is lined with food stalls and break areas to the main part of the arena itself. 

Taking a walk through that door and into the arena, almost aglow with fluorescent lighting, we were right at the heart of it. Stalls lined the main ‘pit’ area as far as the eyes could see as attendees, dressed to the nines, went to each one and pored through collectables. 

This is when I spotted Ross and Ashley Pickering and Kirsty Reedman who were instantly recognisable as a Ghostbusters trio. 

They told me it was “quieter” than previous conventions, but at that point, we were only a few hours into the day - meaning it could easily get busier from that point onwards. 

Ross and Ashley Pickering and Kirsty Reedman. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)Another duo I spoke to, Rheanne Morgan and Kaye Liddle who came dressed as Princess Peach and Kayne Liddle, said they "weren't planning on meeting people" but were "happy to get a chance to dress up".

After having a walk about the stalls we decided to go over to the celebrity area and see who was around. The way it works is each guest has their own desk, at which they sign items and can take selfies. You can pre-pay for these online or buy on the day. 

Rheanne Morgan and Kaye Liddle. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) After looking through the lineup, there was one star who I was eager to meet. This was Roger Clark, the voice of Arthur Morgan in the video game Red Dead Redemption 2. 

The game was an instant hit with fans when it was released six years ago almost to the day and follows outlaw Arthur and the Van Der Linde gang as the last of the old west, a prequel to the first Red Dead Redemption game from 2010. 

It was clear that Roger was a popular guest, but we joined the queue. Unfortunately, his slot came to an end just a few moments before we were able to meet him and the line got cut off. Dejected, we left the area but were told he’d be back at 1.10pm. 

To fill our time we decided to have a drink and a bit of a break - but if you’re planning on coming along I’d make sure to bring plenty of money for that too. A bottle of coke set us back just under £5 and a can of Monster was under £6. 

Cosplay competition at Comic Con North East 2024. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) These prices immediately put us off looking at what was on offer food-wise as we knew it would be massively expensive. Knowing there are dozens of families around, I cannot fathom how much a round of drinks or food would have cost them. My advice would be to bring a packed lunch and refreshments of your own. 

We then swiftly went back to Roger Clark’s desk in time for his next slot and managed to get his autograph on a print, which cost us £40 each. In particular, Roger was lovely and spent a chunk of time with each of his fans who came to see him. 

I asked how many times he had played the game himself despite being the titular character and he was happy to make small talk. Roger making time for all of us was great to see and experience first hand and it was a real treat to meet him. It was the highlight of the day for me!

Our signed Roger Clark prints. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) Even though we did just meet Roger we spent about a half hour in line queuing - and we were near the front. 

For those who were meeting Paul Wesley, the headline star, they were lined up for what had to have been an hour before they managed to see him. Although, since our queue was beside the exit for Paul’s, we were able to see all of the fans coming out. 

They had this look on their faces which was a mixture of shock, surprise and awe as they exited his tent - almost like their life wouldn’t be the same again after meeting their favourite star. This was wholesome to see as they clutched their photos on their way out, smiling and gasping to their friends that they did, in fact, just meet Stefan Salvatore in real life. 

A view of Comic Con North East 2024. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) If you’re going along, just know that if you’re looking to meet quite a few celebs then your time will most likely be spent queueing - and even then you don’t know when it will be cut off. 

Our day ended with three panels in a row. The first was Mark Williams - Arthur Weasley from Harry Potter who dished about the series and spoke of his “illustrious” career. 

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Red Dead Redemption 2 panel. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) Second was of course the Red Dead Redemption panel followed by Paul Wesley’s - definitely the one that had the most attendees. Each panel was followed by an audience Q&A which was a nice touch and made the event feel really interactive. 

Overall, I was really surprised at how good of a day I had at Comic-Con. I may not be someone who would take the time to dress up and cosplay as a character but I still enjoyed perusing the stalls and having the chance to meet some well-known stars. 

It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but the sheer joy that made the Utilita Arena come to life this weekend cannot be denied. Comic Con clearly makes thousands of people happy and long may it continue - I’ve no doubt that the next one that comes to the North East will be as well attended and put smiles on the faces of all those who go along.