It’s Twilight in ‘the Tron’ as the Armageddon Expo rolls into Hamilton for the first time this April with a host of talent including stars of the hit franchise, Twilight.

Armageddon Expo 2012 begins its Australasian tour at Claudelands Event Centre on Saturday April 14^th and Sunday April 15^th, playing host to a mesmerizing array of gamers and fans of all ages before heading to TSB Arena in Wellington on Saturday April 21^st and Sunday April 22^nd.

Event Director Bill Geradts says he’s thrilled to be bringing the expo to the city. “To say we’ve been looking forward to being hosted by our Hamilton fans is an understatement; we’ve waited a long time to bring Armageddon to Hamilton, and we’ve got some cult icons from the small and big screens coming to Claudelands to be part of it,” said Geradts.

Celebrity guests currently headed to Hamilton and Wellington include stars from the Twilight films including wolf pack duo Tinsel Korey (Emily) and Bronson Pelletier (Jared), along with Volturi vampire (Demitri) Charlie Bewley.  They’ll be joined by iconic Matt Frewer of Max Headroom fame as well as Paul McGillion (Dr. Carson Beckett) from Stargate Atlantis and John Levene (Sergeant John Benton) from the Classic Doctor Who series. Armageddon is looking at additional guests to join these amazing actors, so stay tuned.

Anime and Manga fans will be lining up to meet voice over artists Vic Mignogna of Full Metal Alchemist and Dragonball Z, the incredibly versatile Brian Beacock of Digimon, Naruto and Battle BDaman series as well as Dave Wittenburg of Naruto fame.

For die-hard Anime fans wanting to expand their creative horizons this year, the Armageddon Expo Anime Music Video competition is the perfect opportunity to share some of their favorite anime and music with others.  Cash prizes are up for grabs, and entries are being called for now.  Competitors are encouraged to check out www.armageddonexpo.com/nz for more details, as finalist videos will be played during the Armageddon Expo.

Renowned artist of Superman: Red Son and 100 Bullets, Dave Johnson is bringing his 20 years of comic and animation experience and knowledge to Armageddon Hamilton and Wellington, he is joined by international comic writer, Ron Marz; the man responsible for an epic run on ‘Green Lantern’ as well as Witchblade, Artifacts and more from DC Comics and Image comics.  Alongside him, the creators of New Zealand’s biggest online comics publisher, Beyond Reality Media are releasing their first hard cover book ‘The Complete Inspiration Duncans’ exclusively at the expo.

For those that want to challenge their stomach strength and eating dexterity, the special Twilight Fear Factor competition is the perfect opportunity to do just that.  Team Edward vs Team Jacob will compete in a testing series of eating comps that will be judged by the stars of the Twilight films attending the expo.

Whether a participant or just an enthusiast, the realms of Cosplay continue to be a ‘must be seen to be believed’ attraction of Armageddon.  The colorful Cosplay Parades, Cosplay Games, and Kamehameha Competitions are endlessly entertaining for both fans and spectators, and 2012 is the first official Trans Tasman Cosplay Competition, proudly presented by Trinity Treasures. 

Gamers will love the hugely impressive stands of PlayStation and Dell computers at Armageddon, a showcase of the latest in gaming and technology, while anyone that loves movie memorabilia, toys, guns, swords or costumes will be fascinated by the array of exhibitor stands and stalls that form the backbone of the Armageddon Expo.

From it’s inception in 1995, the Armageddon Expo has grown to become the largest fantasy event in Australasia.  With shows in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Melbourne and now Hamilton it’s clear to see the Armageddon Expo continues to embody the ever growing pulp culture phenomenon.

“Armageddon is a real melting pot of Twilighters, anime enthusiasts, comic collectors, Transformers fans and cult tv show devotees all mixed in and generally having a fantastic weekend” says Event Director Bill Geradts. 

“We see trends come and go, but with ongoing rise of festivals like ours, being considered a ‘geek’ is now more acceptable than ever - it’s even considered to be pretty ‘mainstream’ and cool!” says Bill.

Show information available at: www.armageddonexpo.com/nz

Tickets

One day entry – General Admission Tickets:

Adults (13 and above) - $20.00

Student (with ID) - $17.00

Children (5-12) - $10.00 (or free entry for one child with one full paying adult)

Family Pass (2 adults and 3 children) $45.00 ($40.00 on presale)

Two day entry – General Admission Tickets:

Adult - $35.00

Student - $30.00

Child - $15.00

Tickets available through www.ticketek.co.nz from February 1, 2012.