Chatham celebrated its own version of Comic-Con Saturday with the C-K Expo, held at the John D. Bradley Convention Centre.
Gamers and comic book fans from far and wide took advantage of a variety of activities, from board and video game tournaments to arcade games to cosplay, where people dress as their favourite comic book and cult show characters. Attendance figures for the event were not immediately known, but organizer Rob Bellamy said attendance at the event appeared slightly higher than last year, despite a different layout.
"Last year was kind of segregated, so this year was spread out more and the people kind of flowed more," said Bellamy. "So it didn't seem as packed but I think there was just as many people if not more."
The all-day affair featured celebrities such as cast members Richard Hatch and Jack Stauffer from the original Battlestar Galactica, as well as cast members from the Dino Thunder Power Rangers, along with the Chevrolet Impala featured in the TV series Supernatural. One addition to the event was the Mall of the Dead, which took place at the Downtown Chatham Centre and featured a zombie-themed bazaar and interactive area.
Bellamy said they will be moving forward with plans for the 2017 CK Expo.
"The interest that the community is showing is incredible," said Bellamy. "And the ideas that we've gotten plus our ideas for next year already, I do believe there's going to be an interest."
Proceeds from the expo supported Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Chatham-Kent.