Comic fans in Toronto have been very lucky this summer. After a fantastic Paradise Comicon and the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, it was with great fanfare that the annual Fan Expo came to town. Rather than focusing on comics, it provided an outlet for comics, sci-fi, anime, horror, and gaming fans to share their interests with one another in a large, interactive environment.

Upon entry, attendees of the three day expo were able to compete in video game tournaments, participate in workshops led by comic professionals, and meet various stars from television and movies. As your friendly neighbourhood comic enthusiast, I focused my attention on the comic aspects of the show. What follows is my personal account of a day at the Fan Expo.

Fans enter the convention centre

11:00 AM – The lineup is HUGE! Over the course of the day, thousands of people will pass through the doors of the convention centre to attend the expo. I bypass the line by flashing my press pass. Time to line up for an autograph!

11:42 – Simone Bianchi (Wolverine) is signing. I pull out a Detective Comics issue he drew the cover for. Hopefully I’ll get Paul Dini to sign it soon too. I also bring out a copy of Green Lantern #9 (vol. 4) that was signed last year by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver. Bianchi did the cover art, and upon signing it, I have my first triple authographed book. I’m ecstatic. Bianchi is a really friendly guy, and appears to be humbled by the compliments fans heap on him.

Thor celebrates upon learning that his #1 issue has been reprinted a third time

11:47 – I meet up with a few friends and we jam about the various attractions at the expo. My pal Avihayil reveals that a booth at the show is selling early-bird tickets for George A. Romero’s Diary of the Dead screening at next month’s Toronto International Film Festival. He winds up buying a ticket.

Paul Dini speaks with a fan

1:10 PM – After a long wait in line, I manage to meet Paul Dini (Detective Comics, Batman: The Animated Series) and nab his autograph. I’ll be seeing him later on at the DC Comics panel. He seems like an alright guy, but he’s no Simone Bianchi. That dude is personable!

1:30 – I meet up with my friend Moe, and we are waiting in line together to meet John Romita Sr. and John Romita Junior. We are shaking with anticipation, excited by the prospect of meeting these industry legends. Plus we drank too much coffee. I am forced to leave Moe to hold down the fort while I hit up the Marvel and DC panels.

1:44 – Uh-oh. I’m running really late for the Marvel Comics panel. CB Cebulski is hosting the session upstairs and I slip in quietly. I’m not hearing any news. Just a lot of repetition about what we already know. When the audience is given the chance to ask questions, they squander it by either asking about really random Marvel Universe minutiae or offering up that old chestnut, “How do I get a career in comics?” Do some research, pal! See how others have done it. You will notice some trends.

2:05 – It’s the DC Comics panel! Six panelists and a moderator! Dale Eaglesham, Frank Quitely, J. Torres, Karl Kerschl, Chris Sprouse, and Paul Dini. Want to hear all the spilled secrets? A separate article with some juicy videoclips and pics is coming soon.

3:06 – I run into Moe and he is wearing a wide smile. He hands me an issue of Amazing Spider-Man #500, signed by the father and son Romita team. Although the line was cut off early, the Romitas were gracious enough to stick around and continue signing. Rather than stay for the duration of the show, Moe heads off to catch a bus to Spidey’s home town – New York City .

3:11 – I missed artist Steve McNiven’s ( Civil War) signing session for the second year in a row! My copy of Civil War #1 is not getting any younger.

Frank Quitely is quite frankly a very nice guy

3:11 and five seconds – A scheduling dilemma! Do I attend a sketch competition between Simone Bianchi and David Finch, or accept a chance to meet Frank Quitely and obtain his autograph? Quitely wins out.

My copy of All Star Superman #1 gets some extra ink, and Quitely one ups Bianchi for the title of ‘warmest guest at the expo’. He’s a class act.

3:55 – I finally have time to tour the grounds of the expo! I grab some comics from the retailers and pay a special visit to the representative booth of my neighbourhood comic shop – Cyber City Comix. Owner Darryl Spiers was not around, but his friends and employees have things under control.

The independent comic artists are peddling their wares in the artist alley. There are a lot of hidden gems tucked in amongst the cruddy fantasy shlock. You just need to keep an open mind and be able to step outside your comic comfort zone. Mainstream comics are great and all, but sometimes it’s worth checking out some of the other offerings on the market. Explore!

The 501st Legion had their first international conference

4:40 – The horror section is kind of cool. Some zombies stagger past me. I check to make sure my brains are intact.

I meet up with The Comic Book Bin’s Eli Green, games editor and writer extraordinaire. He’s enjoying the gaming component at the show, and he has some fun news. He met Adam West ( Batman)!

5:02 – I’ve got about an hour until the expo shuts down. When the clock hits six, the organizers will flash the lights and all the exhibitors will board their booths up with lightning speed. Gotta keep exploring the booths!

Over at the Greg Horn booth, the master illustrator and current Ms. Marvel cover artist is selling prints and sketches. The prints are gorgeous, but I honestly don’t know where I would display an Elektra poster. Thanks anyways, Horn. He signs a copy of She-Hulk #1 for me, and I continue on my merry way.

The expo, as seen from above

5:30 – I pick up a free copy of ‘Previews’ from the Diamond Comics Distributors booth. Thanks guys.

After that, I encounter a booth that contains some Hasbro concept design artists doing free sketches! After waiting in line for a while, the clock finally ticks to…

6:00 – The sketch artists pack up their stuff when I reach the front of the line. Damn. Maybe I’ll have better luck next year.

In closing…

It was a fun show, and I met a lot of interesting people. I feel lucky to live in a city like Toronto , where the comic scene is really happening. From backroom sketch-offs in cafes, to comic related lectures and programs, to full-out comic cons and expos, Toronto is only rivaled by New York in terms of comic culture goodness.

Coming soon: A report from the DC Comics panel, with some video goodness!

===========

Avi Weinryb is an editor and feature writer at The Comic Book Bin