FACTS 2012 after convention report

A field trip together with Nemesis today led to the FACTS (Fantasy, Anime, Comics, Toys and Science fiction) convention taking place in the city of Ghent.  This is the third year I attend the convention, and boasting around 10 to 15000 visitors it`s the biggest in the Benelux.  So armed with my Gundam Exia cap and Saint Seiya messenger bag, we where off to war...

This year, we left with a plan to get in, by leaving in Antwerp at the time the doors opened so the mass would be in by the time we got there, about 45 minutes later, with our pre-paid tickets.

How wrong we where, there was still a short que for people without tickets, and almost a 1000 shuffling inside for those that pre-ordered ones, bit like Salute.

But being the assholes that we are, we cut a corner, shifting past almost the whole qeue in one go, Qeue-busting bigstyle.  They should have put the railings better then, nah, even though I almost thought we had been busted when the Cobra Commander came marching our way.

But the halls where well filled once more

This year, it was in two halls instead of two and a half, but the removed space where mostly static displays before (like the huge AT-AT last year) and the trader selection was still awesome.

One of the many things on display, and I think the most popular and I still don`t get it how they sell, are the old school used, and sometimes not complete or paintchipped Star Wars action figures.  i think I have to bill my mom with a `You owe Me` for tossing them all out when I hit puberty (no, not last week, the first time I entered it).

Puberty... the time your hormones go through the roof... and still do when you see some of the cosplayers and store attendants.  Even at 34...

There was also a martial arts and taiko demonstration stand this year:

Amd the traditional all kinds of displays and games, don`t got to many of the videogames though, as it was really crowded due to the big stand for Assassin`s Creed and X-Com, with booth babes and all

And to finalize, some more pictures of all of the above, with snazzy comments or sort there off

Haley Quinn, looking insanely sharp as ever

King of Tokyo, a monster boardgame that had already caught my attention in the local Outpost

Memories of the very first anime I kinda followed, on french channel TF1s Club Dorothee, around 1983... Goldorak!

There is an odd Visitor in Westeros...

The World of Warcraft demonstration game, for human and Elf alike

Ever wondered what the Super Mario Posse does when not saving Princess Peach?

Logan`s Run, the `unexpected` cosplay fanclub this year.  You always seem to have one or two pop up on a convention making you go all teary eyed of fond memories

Thunderbolts Gent presented games and displays of Games Workshop, Privateer Press and Malifaux.

YES, even Hashut was present.  Chaos Dwarfs, the comeback kid`s of the past year it seems...

Now we know why Kirk wanted to keep command of the Enterprise at all costs...

Lelouch, an awesome cosplay of a great anime series, Code Geass.

I know a girl who`s now going to really wish she had taken the day off to come along...

Next stop?

Gunblade anyone?

Airbrushing Iron eerrrm `Man`

Very intresting drawing soft- and hardware, costing around 100 euros.  I`m going to do some more net research about it first, but I am seriously considering getting a copy.

I was severly tempted to shop these three babes of the Marvel verse.  Luckily sanity kicked in right on time.

So what did I buy then?

Here is the Loot picture:

Pre-ordered and already payed where the newest Magic the Gathering comic and heap of Saint Seiya The Lost Canvas (in french, potverdekke, it`s great to be a Belgian) mangas.

The planned Myth Cloth hunting wielded me with another Gold Saint, Aphrodite of Pisces, and the Grand Pope Shion model, both costing me 45 euros.

An unexpected bonus where the three Gundam Operation toybooks.  Costing 8 euro a piece, this is a box with a bound in japanese book telling about both the mission and the suit, and a model (about 5cm tall) with scenic base of said Mobile Suit (these being the Guntank, GM and Zaku II).  Great find!

So I only spend 114 euros on toys this time and about 60 euros before on the pre-orders, yay me for a rather cheap edition this year!

Oh, and something to eat of course. The hamburger bar was fully loaded with people all day, as it was placed in the smokers square...

So we went for the inhouse catering, and I must say prices where normal as you would pay in any cafeteria

But I leave this verdict to Nemesis, the resident fast food expert, and you can draw your own conclusions:

That was it for yet another great FACTS afternoon trip, and for me ther... *Silence will Fall*