Armageddon (convention)

Infobox Convention
name = Armageddon


caption =
status = Active
genre = Science fiction
venue =
location = Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Sydney, Melbourne
country = New Zealand
first = 1995
last =
organizer = Pulp Culture Expo Ltd
filing =
attendance = 28,000 in 2006
website = http://www.pulpexpo.com/

Armageddon is a science fiction and comics convention held in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Melbourne and Sydney (from 2008). In recent years it has also showcased computer and video gaming, animation, and consumer electronics. The convention attracts celebrity guests from popular TV shows and computer games.

History

Armageddon was first held in Auckland, New Zealand on the weekend of 2 December 1995 at the Avondale Raceway. In 1997 the convention first came to Wellington, a first Melbourne show was held in 1999, and the first Christchurch event was held in 2007.The event is a mixture of gaming, wrestling, music, anime, sci-fi, fantasy, comics and stalls.Armageddon has become the largest fantasy event in Australia/New Zealand with 28,000 attendees at the last Auckland event.The first Christchurch event was held in April 2007, and the first Melbourne event is planned for 13-14 October 2007 at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre (Jeff's Shed).

Contents

Special events that take place at Armageddon include a Dragonball Z kamehameha contest (created in NZ in 2001), Pizza Eating Contest, Pillow Fight, Black Box Session console gaming tournament, Wuss Factor (fear factor style eating contest), AMV and Cosplay, trading card tournaments, movie screenings, and celebrity panels.

Armageddon also hosts a variety of stalls run by stores and companies from all over NZ and Australia, with DVD, gaming, trading card, comic, anime, and sport memorabilia sales.

Venues and Guest appearances

*1995 (December 2-3) - Avondale Raceway, Auckland
*1996 (August 25) - Freemans Bay Community Centre, Auckland
*1997 (March 9) - Freemans Bay Community Centre, Auckland
*1997 (August 17) - Freemans Bay Community Centre, Auckland
*1997 (August 24) - Victoria University, Wellington
*1998 (March 21-22) - Alexander Raceway, Auckland
**Kurt Busiek, Mark Waid, Devin Grayson (comics)
*1998 (March 28-29) - Wellington Raceway, Wellington
**Kurt Busiek, Mark Waid, Devin Grayson (comics)
*1998 (October 3-4) - Aotea Centre, Auckland
**Joe Kelly, Steven Seagle, Chris Bachalo (comics)
*1999 (May 29-30) - Aotea Centre, Auckland
**Claudia Christian (Babylon 5), Chase Masterson (), Warren Ellis, Grant Morrison (comics)
*1999 (June 5-6) - Melbourne Expo Centre, Melbourne, Australia
**Claudia Christian (Babylon 5), Chase Masterson (), Warren Ellis, Grant Morrison (comics), Frazer Hines (Doctor Who)
*2000 (March 18-19) - Aotea Centre, Auckland
**Jeremy Bulloch (Star Wars), Lani Tupu (Farscape), Art Adams, Joyce Chin, Jeph Loeb (Comics)
*2001 (February 10-11) - Aotea Centre, Auckland
*2001 (September 15-16) - Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington
*2002 (April 12-14) - Aotea Centre, Auckland
*2002 (November 23-24) - Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington
*2003 (April 12-14) - Aotea Centre, Auckland
*2003 (September 20-22) - Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington
*2004 (April 16-18) - Aotea Centre, Auckland
*2004 (September 25-26) - Queens Wharf Events Centre, Wellington
**John Rhys-Davies, Sean Astin, Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings)
*2005 (April 16-17) - Queens Wharf Events Centre, Wellington
*2005 (October 22-24) - Aotea Centre, Auckland
**10th Anniversary Event
*2006 (April 29-30) - Queens Wharf Events Centre, Wellington
**Rooster Teeth Productions (Makers of Red vs Blue)
*2006 (October 21-23) - Aotea Centre, Auckland
**Vic Mignogna (FullMetal Alchemist)
*2007 (April 14-15) - Christchurch Convention Centre, Christchurch
*2007 (April 21-22) - TSB Arena - Wellington
**John Rhys Davies (Lord of the Rings), Aaron Douglas (Battlestar Galactica), Billy Dee Williams (Star Wars), Don S. Davis (Stargate SG-1), Crispin Freeman (anime voice acting), Yuri Lowenthal (anime voice acting)
*2007 (October 13-14) - Melbourne Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia
*2007 (October 20-22) - Aotea Centre, Auckland
** Christopher Judge (Stargate SG-1), Ellen Muth (Dead Like Me), Connor Trinneer (Star Trek Enterprise, Stargate Atlantis), Peter Woodward (Crusade), Joe Flanigan (Stargate Atlantis), Chris Rankin (Harry Potter)
*2008 (April 19-20) - TSB Arena - Wellington
**Christopher Judge (Stargate SG-1), Alexis Cruz (Stargate SG-1, Shark), Matthew John Armstrong (Heroes), Tracy Scoggins (Babylon 5)
*2008 (April 26-27) - Christchurch Convention Centre - Christchurch
**Christopher Judge (Stargate SG-1), Alexis Cruz (Stargate SG-1, Shark), Matthew John Armstrong (Heroes), Tracy Scoggins (Babylon 5), Nalini Krishan (Star Wars Episode 2)

External links

* [http://www.pulpexpo.com Official New Zealand Armageddon site]
* [http://www.armageddonexpo.com/ Official Australian Armageddon Site]
* [http://nzphotographic.exposuremanager.com/g/armageddon_auckland_2007 Official photo gallery]