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Fan Expo

Honestly, I don’t even know where to begin here. There was so much to see and take in at this year’s FanExpo – um, comics, sci-fi, horror, video games and anime – that while walking around experiencing occasional bouts of awe, I found myself overwhelmed (in a good way though) at the size of it all.

I just wish I had more money to spend, since there was every sort of merchandise, based on the five categories mentioned above, that Icould have imagined. And it’s not like a lot of it went for cheap either. At the end of the day it didn’t really matter if you walked out of there with medieval armour or an 8×10 glossy of Carrie Fisher in her space-bikini that Jabba made her wear while she was held captive on his sand barge (I love you Princess Leia. No, Seriously) because it was kind better just being there looking and ooing and ahhing at the work that a lot of the exhibitors took the time to put together.

Rue Morgue’s area was rad, as was the zombie/gore F/X guys, not to mention the floor space dedicated to video game demos and watching people actually compete for title of best Guitar Hero in thegalaxy or something (fun to play, not so much to watch, except whenthis one guy pretty much killed at Free Bird).

I freaking love that people also took the time to costume themselves up to be everything from Imperial Troops from Star Wars to Super Mario to whatever anime I didn’t recognize (huge, pointy triangles of hair usually give it away) to Cobra Commander. Cobra Commander! The cool, old Cobra Commander with the epaulets!

But yeah, if for nothing else, come next year for the costumes. That people put that amount of time in making them just blows me away.

I don’t want to gush too, too much, but the title of the convention – FANEXPO – kinda sums up why it’s so popular it’s completely for thefans, which was clear when you saw the long list of celebrity appearances and autograph sessions (Malcolm McDowell even looksbad-ass in real life, while Adam West looked a wee bit, erm, tired).I’ve been to other conventions and whatever that have been shitty,dull, thinly veiled vendors markets parading as ‘so much more,’ butthis was the real deal. And it may have been this weird synthesis ofeverything from goth culture to comics and manga to freakshowenthusiasts and classic video game junkies, but it gelled becauseeveryone there seemed to be equally passionate about what they were in to.

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