​Text and Images by Jeanie Jean Photography

'Oh my god. I'm back,' - Charlton Heston, Planet of the Apes (1968)

The world is waking up again after being mothballed and put in a cupboard for the last two years by COVID-19. Our forced hibernation seems that it may finally be over and that means the long awaited return of the the biggest thing on the cosplay calendar, convention season is here! Hurrah, hooray!

And while The Cosplay Journal may not be there in a physical form quite yet, our team have ventured out into the con halls of the UK to find how the pandemic has effected the cosplay community and the convention scene as a whole, starting with the biggy, MCM London.

Jeanie Jean Photography headed to the first MCM since 2019 to scope out the comings, goings and excited to be backs. With a camera in hand and spring in her step, Jeanie reported back on just how good it felt to be back.

After two years of silence, I really was finally back! Once again submerged in a sea of female Lokis, Spidermen, Rapunzels, Harley Quinns, Riddlers, Hobbits and of course, Batmen. MCM London Comic Con 2021 had arrived.

The capacity for this year had been reduced by a mile due to only half of the tickets being put on sale in order to follow COVID health and safety guidelines. It was fairly simple; COVID pass or proof of vaccination otherwise no entry. It was a relief to see the ExCel not so packed in for once along with many masked (actual character masked) cosplays and The Fox, famous for its infamous claustrophobic evenings, actually taking bookings from punters, which made things all the safer.

Friday was a slow start; I could sense people were conscious about distancing and beading their eyes about the place. I wonder if they were asking themselves the same question, I was asking me: 'how do I socialise again?' I held back a little that day, only taking simple portraits and having a catch up with fellow togs and cosplayers I'd grown close with over the years.

Then Saturday and Sunday came.

I don't know if it was the anticipation leading up to the weekend, the sunshine or the freedom to charge around more space, but euphoria swarmed the dockside that day. It seemed practically everyone of all ages had taken part this year; families of Marvel characters, Ghostbuster Dads, an Indianna Jones child sprinting away from an impressively crafted running boulder, you name it!

The aura that weekend had been turned up to 11 and it was truly electrifying, a Comic Con I'll never forget!