FAN EXPO BLOG 2012
Day 1
I arrive there about 2pm after training it in the morning from doing errands from Don Mills station going directly to the Union Station so I can walk out to the Metro Convention Centre. After my arrival there I go directly and walk briefly around and decided to go to the Space booth to see host wise who was there. I see Cynthia Loyst (former host of Sex Matters on CP24) and we talked for a bit before getting a picture two times. It was really good to see her again and give her a hug. I enjoyed talking with her. After leaving that, I go directly to the room where they were hosting the Q & A for Flashpoint, I thought I wasn't going to get in. I just managed to get in since the crowd was moving all over the place in room 716 and with people not being able to get in everyone was pretty upset that couldn't get in. It made a lot of people upset, but what made it worse was those who didn't have stamps from the Q&A you couldn't get a general autographs from Spike, Sam and Leah Kerns if you didn't have wrist bands from there. Line up was a little messy though but not as bad Criminal Minds autographs session, which I will talk later in this blog. I didn't go to many Q&A's because they were overlapping and other events were too, so I stayed for the Flashpoint Q&A's. Being part of the Q&A session from Flashpoint was very informative and they gave a little taste of what the opening scene and I have to say it was very intense episode from the clip they showed. I am very excited to see the rest when it airs. After that I took the time to look around after the autograph session and the Question and Answer period to look around at Fan Expo as myself to check out the general scene but it was just too crowded to try to see everything. I totally skipped the artists ally with many comic artists around because I took the time to see what was going on the big giantic booths in the main areas of Fan Expo. Just to maneuver was a little too hard and getting lost in the crowd with many costumed people and famous booths around with crowded lines, it was pure insanity. I had to make sure though I got to see much of it although I know I didn't get to see it all. I kind of got lost in every direction and following the crowd.
I didn't take it all in and kind of didn't really prepare myself like I did last year to run and take photos and check out all the booths.
I just wanted to see the massive line ups and crowds from top to bottom, thinking where the heck am I going to go now?
So many costumes and cosplayers there I think they out did the normal looking people than I remember last year. I wish I could possibly take all the pictures in the world for that but I was spending the hours trying to just visualizing how long the line ups for the overlapping of other Q&As that day plus buying photo ops and autographs were way out of my budget but I did kind of had to spend on one which was Gillian Anderson for the Saturday shot. I couldn't resist to get a photo op with one of my heroic and favorite character Agent Skully from The X-Files: I couldn't resist spending money on not trying to even get a photo op with her for Saturday. I had to even on a strict budget couldn't pass up a opportunity I would regret if I didn't. Totally worth it!
All in all though Fan Expo on Day 2 and my first day there was totally worth it to see what was going on. I wish though the Q&As and autograph sessions need to stop overlapping because I hate missing certain ones because the rooms get too full and the line ups are just too CRAZY! I have to sacrifice every year though missing a lot of the Q&As I would like to go to all but each one is a hour and always the next ones start in 10 minute intervals... it seems to get madder every year. Booths everywhere, over crowding and crowd maddness with communication uncertainty, holy macro. Although I will return for 2013 to see how it turns out again. Hopefully I could be a volunteer there! Cause I have what it takes to help out with the madness!
Day 2
Early morning arrival to Fan Expo by driving down there. Arrival time around the early time 10:45am/11:00am. Gets ready to show up as my normal self. But changes when I get in the building officially after joining a line up in the Metro Convention Centre with a steady line of people in a buidling, thinking to myself "holy macro" what the heck? A line up, I had a better experience last year that I didn't have to go through this massive crowd, just go in, got your ticket, got your wrist band; walk up the stairs/escalator and that was it. Done. But lucky the line up was moving and stopping, and moving again. Although my second year back, I was thinking oh wow, I though what will next year be like???? *thinking far ahead*
Anyways as the day progressed the line up wasn't that bad, but it was just madness than the previous day. As soon as I walked through the sky walk part of the Metro Convention Centre, it was just CHAOTIC, more people than the previous day. I was glad I made more time of it though to come in as my normal self and then change after that to Kato (aka the sidekick of The Green Hornet). I don't think alot of people got who I was. It was real interesting with complex faces trying to get it, but once they figured it out, mostly guys just wanted pics of me. Hahahaha, that was a interesting day. I will make sure to come back as Kato since no one didn't seem to get it at first. And since no one got it right, I may have to return as Kato once again. I find it real funny that my legs got the most attention, hopefully I may return and help out as a volunteer and if not back as Kato.
I am real glad to help out regular people and help out real good people at the expo because of the chaos there and less of crowd control.
We will see what happens 2013.
