Greetings true believers! Today was day 1 of the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. With an estimated attendance of over 15,000 people this weekend halls D and E of the BMO Roundup Center were packed. If you couldn’t beam down today, here’s a recap of what you missed:
It all started with the costumes. So far I counted 4 wookies, 5 Links, 3 Wolverines and more Storm Troopers than you can count. As years past the costumes were all amazing, there was tons of originality and creativity put into the costumes. My personal favourite was the little boy wearing the R2D2 costume, it had blinking lights and everything.
There was also a ton of celebrity appearances. Spock was there, so was Lando and Captain Spalding. I also saw Data, some werewolves and Captain Kirk’s murderer! Celebrities definitely ruled the Expo this year. We were fortunate enough to see 2 panels, Horror Icons and X-Men. Both had legends in their genres and kept us laughing and entertained (especially when Malcolm McDowell jokingly shot down a couple of the questions asked!).
Leonard Nimoy’s panel was PACKED – with an overflow room required. He was white hatted by the Mayor during the event, and although we couldn’t get into watch, we saw him speak logically on the big screen inside the expo.
Having attended the expo in the past, I noticed some huge improvements this year: most importantly space (not like the universe, but actual floor room). With the expansion into another hall there was a lot more room to walk around, relax and take a break. And most importantly, it didn’t always feel like I was a cow being herded. I was able to take in more of the sights and sounds and the room allowed me to stop to take some neat pictures. Food availability also increased this year – with 2 extra food locations and an expanded Coco Brooks.
A new feature, Horror took the stage for new showcases. Troma Entertainment was new this year, probably the biggest name in low budget horror films. Screamfest brought their infamous haunted house right from COP, and Ravenous EFX from Edmonton brought some amazing costumes right from movie sets. My favourite was Alice’s costume from the Resident Evil series.
The day was definitely packed full of fun, and I’m looking forward to day two on Sunday. What to look forward to Sunday? More celebs, costumes and shopping! The Twilight panel is taking place (Go Team Wolfpack) and Brent Spiner will take the stage to talk about his role as Data on Star Trek: TNG.
And as an added suggestion, if you purchased a photo-op with Leonard Nimoy try lining up early. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a lineup that long before, it even extended outside of the BMO Centre.
Halloween is one of my favourite holidays. After all, who doesn’t like a good little scare every now and then? Calgary has a great set of events scheduled for the weeks leading up to Halloween in October, from haunted houses to monster mashes. Here’s a round up of Calgary’s best Halloween Haunts: