The First Ever Vancouver Mega Comic-Con

On October 6 and 7, Topp Card Comics hosted the very first Vancouver Mega Comic-Con at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The convention took place on two separate floors, with gaming, celebrity autographs and events on one floor, and the main exhibition hall on the other.

I’m not much of table-top gamer, so I skipped the gaming, but I did attend several celebrity guest interviews, including an interview with Dustin Diamond, who played Screech on Saved by the Bell, an interview with Clare Kramer, who played Glory on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, and an interview with Manu Intiraymi (formerly of Star Trek: Voyager) and other cast members of his upcoming project, Odyssey.

The main exhibition hall was a hub of activity on Saturday. The many exhibitors included the Canadian comic book publisher Arcana and the local goth and steampunk boutique Venus and Mars. The main stage featured members of Academie Duello demonstrating swordplay in the morning, and members of IALARP demonstrating combat in the afternoon. The audience was invited to participate in both activities.

Also happening in the main exhibition hall on Saturday was the Creature Feature Makeup Contest, sponsored by Vancouver Makeup Effects. Contestants were arranged along one wall of the hall and attendees were able to watch them as they turned people into terrifying monsters, using makeup, prosthetics, airbrushing and other fun things. Unfortunately the judging took place during another panel I really wanted to attend, so I missed the winners being announced.

Things were considerably less bumping in the main exhibition hall on Sunday. The wrestling demonstration that was supposed to happen throughout the day didn’t happen, and with the makeup contest now over, a large portion of the exhibition floor was left empty. There were also fewer attendees, possibly because many of the celebrity interviews were repeated from the day before.

Overall though, it was an exciting convention and a fun-filled first year. I look forward to Vancouver Mega Comic-Con 2013.