Comic Con heads to Harrogate for Yorkshire's first event
Hollywood A-listers and TV stars are in North Yorkshire this weekend, for the county's first ever Comic Con event.
It is a celebration of film, television, games and comics, taking place at the Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate.
The event, which starts on Saturday 3 June, will be hosted by Fawlty Towers and Monty Python star, John Cleese.
He will be joined by other Hollywood stars including Lethal Weapon's Danny Glover, who will participate in a question and answer session.
Comic Convention, which is more commonly known as Comic Con, is a celebration of pop culture, with Andy Kleek, the event organiser describing it as a "It's a pop culture extravaganza."
He added: "I think Comic Con's have changed over the last 20 years. Originally they did start off as comic markets, but now through tv and film influence they've become a meeting ground for people who love pop culture, film and tv."
Around 5,000 people are expected across the weekend, with the event taking place across two of the centre's event halls.
It will include props from films including Ghostbusters and Harry Potter, and fans of the shows are traditionally encouraged to dress up.
Actor Danny Glover is participating this weekend, and said: "Of course I get opportunities to return photographs that fans may send me, but when you see people in person it's a different thing.
"It's live, it's live television, it's pretty amazing when you think about it."
Zach Galligan, is another actor appearing over the weekend.
He told ITV Tyne Tees: "Before I did these conventions, I really never had an idea about the impact some of the stuff that I did, and the films that I did actually had on people.
"When you come to a show like this and someone tells you, often very moving stories about how they went through a difficult period in their lives and how they watched my films to make them feel better - it's heartening but also very illuminating to know that some of the stuff I've done over the years is really a bright spot in people's lives."
Watch Jonny Blair's video report from 2 June.
More than 100 traders are expected at the Yorkshire Event Centre over the weekend, and they include Stacey Shannon.
She said: "It's one of the most accepting places I've ever been. Everybody no matter what they're into is accepted. Here in Harrogate it's just been so welcoming and it's a real family vibe."
Plans are already in action to bring Comic Con back and place Yorkshire on the Comic Con map.
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