Chris Barrie to feature at Carlisle Comic Con in 2024

Organised by Wonky Rocket Events, the convention will return to the Richard Rose Academy on Saturday, March 23 between 10.30 am and 4.30 pm.

Last year's event was very well attended by people across Cumbria, in what was its second year following the Covid pandemic and sixth year overall. 

And organiser Neil Livesey is hoping for similar success when Wonky Rocket returns to Carlisle in 2024. 

He said: "There was definitely a pent-up demand after Covid. Last year's shows were very well attended. While attendances are up, pre-sales are down because people are a bit wary about booking in advance after Covid.

"While we can guess the number of people who are going to attend, it’s better to have the money in the bank so we can get bigger and better guests."

The success in Carlisle has meant that the company has already managed to confirm two film and TV guests for March 2024, and they hope to have between six and eight in total, alongside some comic artist guests.

Chris Barrie, who is best known for his roles as Rimmer in Red Dwarf and Hillary in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, will be available for photograph opportunities alongside Chris Rankin, who played Percy Weasley in Harry Potter. 

Chris Barrie is perhaps most recognised for his role as Rimmer in Red Dwarf (Image: Facebook)

Neil said: "We’ve had Chris at some of our other shows and we’ve tried to get him to Carlisle on a number of occasions, but the dates haven’t worked out for him. We don’t normally put the tickets on sale this early for next year, or even have the date set. But we just thought, let’s get the date nailed down, and let’s see if we can get the bigger guests that we get asked for at Carlisle.

"Carlisle, over the years, has grown and grown, and it’s now our flagship show. It deserves bigger and better guests now and that’s what we’re striving for, so we’ve gone early with the prep this year.

"We’ve got a few offers out, but I’ve learned from bitter experience not to make any announcements until a contract is signed."

Cosplay competitions, which will land the winner in Carlisle £100, have become an essential part of Comic-Con events across the UK in recent years. 

Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters show off their cosplay at Carlisle Comic Con in 2023 (Image: Facebook)

And Neil is excited to return to Carlisle, where he feels the costumes on offer are some of the best he has seen in 15 years of working with Wonky Rocket Events. 

He said: "Carlisle is easily the best cosplay of all the shows we do. I know that there are some cosplay groups across Cumbria. I know, speaking to the judges, this is the most difficult one to find a winner because they’re all so good.

"I host that at the end of the day and I always make a big point of saying thank you for the effort, and it’s not just showmanship, because the judges are left scratching their heads to pick a winner.

"It goes right across the range, you get some phenomenal, almost movie-accurate costumes made by members of cosplay groups and then you also get kids who have used poster paints and empty cornflake packets to create a Star Wars costume.

"That’s what I personally like about it, you’ve got a range from DIY to the really clever stuff that’s been bought from the internet or 3D printed."

With more guest stars to be confirmed in the coming months, Carlisle Comic Con looks set to be another popular event in 2024.

Pre-booked tickets for the event cost £12 for adults and £6 for 4-15 year-olds, while under 4s go free.