Toronto ComiCon 2016

Last weekend, Toronto ComiCon 2016 presented by Fan Expo Canada made its appearance at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. It was not just another convention; it was a mecca for the geeks amongst us.

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As a comic convention frequenter, while seemingly modest in comparison to the comic convention titans in San Diego and New York, Toronto ComiCon definitely makes its mark with the intimacy the venue allows. It is the place where you can see Daleks, Kylo Ren and the Ghostbusters walk side by side, participate in free giveaways and prizes, and admire the great costumes people create in their spare time. It is a gathering of geek enthusiasts from all over the world who can dress up as their favorite characters, buy exclusive merchandise, or get an up-close look at their favorite artists’ works, meet with artists and discover new favorites in the artist alley. It is a place where people from all walks of life come together to celebrate their love for different fictional worlds. A place where Storm Troopers roam the halls as Disney princesses pose for pictures, where some may still confuse others dressed as DC or Marvel characters, all the while characters of Studio Ghibli peruse vendor booths.

Since becoming a pop culture phenomenon over the last decade, Toronto ComiCon offers fans the chance to meet and take photos with celebrities during autograph signings. To make things more exciting, fans are even given another opportunity to interact with the stars during their panels. This year featured many special guests that included: Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld, Harry Potter’s Jason Isaacs, Ghostbuster’s Ernie Hudson, Indiana Jones star Karen Allen, hit show The Flash’s Robbie Amell, Walking Dead’s Tovah Feldshuh, Starship Troopers’ Dina Meyer and Casper Van Dien, Seinfeld’s John O’Hurley, Boy Meet’s World’s Will Friedle, Jonathan Frakes (better known as Commander William Riker from Star Trek: The New Generation), Captain Canuck’s Kris Holden-Reid, the cast from shows of Dark Matter, Killjoys, Innerspace, Slasher, and the voiceover cast from the beloved Sailor Moon series.

Another highlight from Toronto ComiCon 2016 was interacting with other cosplayers. There were so many amazing costumes by creators who had dedicated much time and effort to bring their beloved characters to life.

This year, I decided to cosplay as Rufio from the movie, Hook. The most memorable moment was meeting a couple dressed as Peter Pan and a female Captain Hook and recreating a scene from the film to be captured on camera. And while I’m no expert when it comes to sewing and craftsmanship, considering this was my first time to make a costume, it was that much more gratifying when people came up to me and ask to take pictures with me.

All in all, I think this event was truly extraordinary as the ordinary was thrown out the window this weekend. Despite seeming odd on the surface, there’s no doubt that Toronto ComiCon brought together people of all ages to tour the varying dimensions of fantasy in comics and animation. Definitely looking forward to Toronto ComiCon next year, and would recommend anyone to take a sneak peek into the fantastic world of fiction.

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