Fan Expo 2008 (part 2)

I've heard people complain about the commercial-run sf conventions like Fan Expo, and I can sympathize. The first thing you see when you arrive is a huge room of things to buy; the room is strategically arranged so that in order to get to any of the programming areas, you have to make your way past aisles and aisles of vendors hawking their goods.



Yes, the emphasis is on making money rather than community, but the money they make at these events helps pay for big media names like Sean Astin and Brent Spiner (pictured above). And many other well-known names in sf, comics, gaming, horror and anime.

Fan Expo is really a bunch of conventions in one, with separate programming for each theme (comics, sf, etc.). And costumes...TONS of costumes. Sometimes it seemed as if more people had costumes than not.



At first I felt nervous asking costumed people if I could take photos of them, but quickly found that no one minded.



In fact, it was clear that they WANTED to be photographed. Some of the groups were already used to being asked by the time I got to them, and immediately fell into their "official" poses:



Fan Expo was a photographer's dream. :-)

I loved all the colours, the wild hair, the different looks. In terms of people-watching, it was ideal as well as tons of fun.



There were times that I felt a bit overwhelmed by all the crowds and the "BUY BUY BUY" message, but all I had to do was focus on a smaller community or make my own within the weekend, and I started having fun again.

Like playing some games in the boardgaming area, for example:



I played three games on Friday: Men and Martinis (wasn't crazy about this game), Cover Up (pictured above, really enjoyed this game) and Star Wars Miniatures (was too much of a straight 'kill the other guys' game for me). Also got to know some people from the Toronto boardgaming society as well as Polymancer Studios (the latter told me they sometimes need artists, so who knows?).



Enjoyed chatting with some of the creators in Artists' Alley, like BenjaminRivers.com. I bought and enjoyed his graphic novel, Snow.



I also had fun talking with other people in line-ups. I took the photo above on my iPhone (we were lining up for Brent Spiner's Q&A) and e-mailed it to Jeff with a "happy anniversary" message from everyone in the picture. :-D



And I enjoyed chatting with Kristen, one of my line mates while waiting for Sean Astin's Q&A.



By the way, I was only kidding when I said people mistook me for John Kalisz when I watched his table at the convention. :-)



My Fan Expo highlights:

- Dinner with John at Fresh (Spadina & Queen location). The more I get to know John, the more I like him. I also learned more about the comics industry and comic-making process from John during the weekend.

- Q&A session with Sean Astin. Seems like a really nice guy, very down-to-earth and a tad shy. I posted a bit more about his Q&A at Waiting For Bilbo.

- Q&A session with with Brent Spiner. Excellent speaker. He would be a great stand-up comedian! Hugely entertaining, and he does a great impression of Patrick Stewart. :-)



I mentioned yesterday that some of the guests were charging $60 an autograph. It seems that most of the guests charged $25-30, not $60. Buzz Aldrin charged $239 for an autograph and a seat at a special presentation.

A comment from Tanya Huff on charging money for autographs:

"About charging money for autographs; the thing is though, authors sort of do. If you're asking me to sign a hardcover, you've already paid the $30. Now you might have only paid $1 for a used copy of a paperback or you might just be asking me to sign a program book but in the end, I suspect it evens out. When I do a signing, I am, among other things, honouring the money that's already been spent on me that I've used, in turn, to pay my bills.

As actors only really have their image to sell and their image is how they make their living... Not that some of them need the extra money but I suspect it's more retaining control of product for the more successful than about the actual cash."


A table of free comics!



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