An Introduction to Fan Expo Canada
Toronto's Comics, Anime, Sci-Fi, Horror, & Video Games Convention
Jul 31, 2009
Fan Expo Canada, held in Toronto, Ontario, is Canada's largest annual convention of pop culture fandom, devoted to comic books, Japanese anime, science fiction and horror films and television shows, and console video games.
The History of Fan Expo Canada
Fan Expo Canada began as the Canadian National Comic Book Exposition in 1995. Organized by Hobby Star Marketing, the first Expo was held in Roy Thomson Hall (home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra) and had only 1400 attendees. Attendance grew rapidly each year, prompting a move to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in 1997.
Soon other convention genres were held along with the original Comic Book Expo: in 1998, the Canadian National Anime Expo was added, followed by the Canadian National Science Fiction Expo in 1999. Similarly, the Rue Morgue Festival of Fear was added for horror fans in 2004, and in 2005, Gaming Expo, for Video Game fans, made its debut.
The Expo was re-branded Fan Expo Canada in 2006, to reflect the wide range of pop culture elements, and the convention moved to the largest building in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre to accommodate greater crowds. In 2008, over 47,000 people attended Fan Expo.
Fan Expo Canada's Biggest Attractions
Fan Expo Canada is held the weekend before Labour Day weekend, usually the last weekend in August. The Expo features over 600 exhibitors and dealers covering the five fandom genres of comic books, anime, science fiction, horror, and video games. Fan Expo also gives out exclusive comics variants, commissioned especially for the event, and hosts the largest fan costume contest in North America.
In addition, Fan Expo Canada secures a wide range of personalities from the world of comics and movies for autograph signings and panel discussions. Past comics legends to visit Fan Expo have included Joe Quesada, Neal Adams, Chester Brown, Seth, and Mike Mignola, among many others.
Genre actors make regular appearances every year too, including cast members from such blockbuster franchises as Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and The Lord of the Rings. In 2009, Fan Expo Canada will host such icons as Bruce Campbell (The Evil Dead Trilogy) and Leonard Nimoy, who was last at Fan Expo in 2006, appearing with William Shatner for the fortieth anniversary of Star Trek.
Fan Expo Canada Courts Some Controversy
However, Fan Expo Canada's remarkable growth has not been without controversy. Some convention-goers have complained about Fan Expo getting too commercialized in recent years. There has also been tension reported between Fan Expo's Hobby Star Marketing and organizers of other local shows (such as Toronto Trek/Polaris, Anime North, Ad Astra and the defunct Toronto Comicon) and dealers (such as the upscale comics store The Beguiling).
There have also been some public safety concerns in previous Fan Expos. In 2004, dealers were arrested for selling illegal weapons on the convention floor, and in 2005, ticket sales were halted mid-convention over fears of overcrowding.
Fan Expo Canada 2009
The latest incarnation, Fan Expo Canada 2009, will be held August 28–30, 2009, in the South Building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
Despite some growing pains, Fan Expo Canada has quickly become one of fandom's biggest annual shows. Comics fans are still well served by it, but fans of genre film and TV, and even gamers, will find something of interest at the Expo as well – not that all those interests are mutually exclusive.
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