iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
The emirate announced a ban on single-use Styrofoam products, including cups, lids, plates, beverage containers, and food receptacles
KT APPDOWNLOAD
Straight out of the comic books
DUBAI - Superman and Batman took a swing at Darth Vader while a Nazi zombie from Hall of Duty and a guy in a Guy Fawkes mask stood watching from a distance.
From movie and television stars to Japanese Anime characters, the first day of the two-day Middle East Film and Comic Con Convention (MEFCC) was an exciting event for not just the geeks in the country. The convention, opened on Friday at Mina Seyahi, saw a huge turnout of excited comic book and superhero movie lovers belonging to all age groups.
Fans turned up in costumes of their favourite superheroes, with their faces painted and clutching on to limited edition copies of comic books hoping for autographs from celebrities like Lord of the Rings star John Rhys Davies and Max Landis from Indiana Jones.
Nineteen-year-old Saeed Al Shamsi came to Dubai from Abu Dhabi to attend the event. “I find it really exciting to be here and I am really looking forward to a Q and A with the actors who are at the Comic Con. I am also here to check out the games and Anime figures and comic books”.
The list of celebrities attending the event also included Jason Momoa from Conan the Barbarian and Game of Thrones, Laurie Holden from the “Walking Dead”, Sami Clark (Singer- Grendizer) and Lucianna Carro (“Battlestar Galactica”) among others.
“It is a very good beginning for comic films in the region,” said Sami Clark. “The demand for such material is high in the region, but creators here need to pay attention to the technical aspects of comic books and comic book movies. We need more professional producers, more schools are needed and I see a potential for success in this industry here in region. See, we have the money and the talent. The trick is to put it to good use.”
Giving a spoiler to the upcoming Peter Jackson flick ‘The Hobbit’, Davies said that the picture is going to be a game changer for the way people make films. “I am really looking forward to the movie.” Speaking to a fan about how the creators of Lord of the Rings made him look short in the movie as he played the role of Gimli the dwarf, Davies joked that his legs were chopped off.
The stars at the panel also said that they were really excited to meet their fans from Dubai. “When you meet fans, you put a face on the people who are paying for your mortgages. And the audiences are very diverse,” added Davies.
Simon Smedley, radio presenter at Dubai 92, visited the convention with his family and said: “The turnout is pretty good. I didn’t think there were so many nerds in Dubai”.
Sixteen-year-old Emirati Abdullah Buali turned up at the convention dressed as Anbu- a Japanese Anime character from Naruto. Anbu is a secret ninja who can fight without using arms.
“It is really exciting to be here and the best thing about the convention is that you get to meet a lot of people who are fans as well. It’s a great place for like-minded people,” said Buali.
Dhanusha Gokulan
More news from
The IMF predicted that oil GDP growth is expected to increase this year
Attacks increasingly getting sophisticated due to the rise of AI, expert says
Advancements in natural language processing will revolutionise human-machine interactions
The new inclusive format for the sport involves a fusion of time and strokes to achieve a Speedgolf score
With a total prize of Dh1 million offered to winners, participants at the Global Prompt Engineering Championship shared their experiences with AI
The world No 5 has emphasised the importance of establishing a solid foundation for future golfers through structural and educational gatherings
With many residents unable to travel to India during the ongoing general elections, this has become a significant concern among the diaspora