On the 28th I went to check out the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo. My first impression? There are a ton of daring people in Calgary (and I applaud all those who went all out to wear an awesome costume). My leaving impression? There’s too many people in Calgary. The lines to get into the vendors and gaming areas were already starting to get crowded since early morning and didn’t cease going into the afternoon. At one point, the doors had to be closed to prevent a mad influx of people trying to come in. But I can’t blame them, I mean, who wouldn’t want to see the Weasley twins or Stan Lee?
After purchasing tickets and getting past the foyer alive, the halls lead to where all the action is. There was an area dedicated to allowing kids to play RPGs with each other and the winner would take home a prize. There were also a few flat screens dedicated to video games with a comfortable seating. Right next to the gaming area was the children’s area with a bouncy house (a must item for little kids). The entire room was filled with positive vibe and laughter. There were so many great costumes, from boys dressing as Batman from head to toe, to more daring costumes with ladies in Wonder woman costume, but Star Trek was the most popular.
And of course, the people you can meet at the expo. There were so many people dying to see Stan Lee. And if you don’t already know who this man is, Stan Lee, along with other artists such as Steve Ditko, created Spiderman, Hulk, Thor, Ironman, X-Men, Fantastic Four and many more. Other guests included Hayden Panettiere and Patrick Stewart. But you would have to be a big huge fan to want to take a photo with them or get their authograph because they cost $25-50, not to mention the admissions price of $25 for a day or $50 for three days.
Although it was a bit hectic, it’s great to see so many people who have similar interests to come out to celebrate artists’ talents. There’s something for everyone; children and youth can play video games and see their favorite guest, and adults can take this grand opportunity to see their favorite guest… and I guess they can play games too. Except for the crowd control, the overall event was fantastic!
I can picture something like this:
fan:”Hey Stan, are you from D.C.?”
Stan:”No, I’m from Marvel.”
and when I read kids playing with RPGs… then I look a bit right there’s the picture with those happy yellow balloons… what an interesting world we live in.