FAN EXPO Canada 2014: An Event Agenda

Rejoice! FAN EXPO Canada is back, T-Dot (resident and visiting) peeps!

What’s “T-Dot”, you ask? Well, that’s just me shouting out the glorious city of Toronto with my best urban inflection. FAN EXPO Canada, of course, is the third largest pop culture event in North America, a worthy happening for any lover of comic books, sci-fi, horror, anime or gaming.

Now entering its 20^th year (you’re all grown up!), and boasting over 1000 exhibitors over 750,000 square feet comprised of both the north and south buildings that make up the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, FAN EXPO Canada expects to host well over 100.000 fans.

If you plan to be one of them over the next four days, follow me after the jump for a highlight list of some exciting events on a schedule brimming full of exciting events!

Look, I’m primarily a comic book fan, but I also dig the sci-fi and horror stuff to a certain extent. Luckily, FAN SXPO Canada has it all.

Checking out the schedule in advance is a must. Because the convention centre will be buzzing, you’ll need to know where you’re going, what room you need to be in and at what time, and where to find your buddies on a regular basis.

You can find the master schedule list right here. I generally print mine up in advance and highlight the programming I’m most interested in. It’s useful not just to plan your day, but there will be times when you just want to grab a cold drink (or a hot, caffeinated beverage) and just find a room to sit in and rest your weary feet whilst listening to something interesting about some fragment of pop culture.

Here are some of the events that have tickled my fancy this year. Maybe I’ll see you at one of them:

THURSDAY AUGUST 28

6:30 PM – Room 713 – Steampunk 101

You know, the Steampunk niche ain’t so niche anymore. I’ve seen its devoted fan base grow larger and larger each year. If you want to know more about this corner of pop culture, Stempunk 101 is the place to be. Of course, you could always ask Biff Bam Pop’s own Steampunk Granny, Marie Gilbert!

6:45 PM – Room 705 – Working Digitally In Comics

More of the comics we read these days are in digital form, aren’t they? Here’s how they’re made.

8:15 PM – Room 206 – Life Inside A Dalek – From The Doctor Who Society Of Canada

I’m not a huge Who fan, but I know there are a ton of you out there who are. Meet all the others here. It should be interesting.

FRIDAY AUGUST 29

11:15 AM – Room 703 – Life After Archie

Holee molee! They just killed Archie! Shake your fist at the panelists – or shake their hands as they regale you with stories of Riverdale and the fallout of the death of one of comicdom’s most beloved characters!

12:30 PM – Room 701A – Remembering The Shining With The Grady Twins

One of the all-time classic horror films! Let the Grady Twins (remember those freaky sisters from the flick?) walk you down memory lane with stories about the production. Tales of Nicholson and Kubrick? You gotta be there!

5:30 PM – Room 714 – Prisoners of Gravity 25th Anniversary Reunion

Back in the day, TVO’s Prisoners of Gravity was one of the most important pop-culture news, views, and interviews television shows to watch. Sure, maybe you have to be of a certain age to be interested in this particular event – but the importance of that show still lives on today. At 5:30, that’s where you’ll find me. Drop me a Tweet is you’re coming too: @jpfallavollita

8:00 PM – Room 105 – The Legendary Stan Lee

Maybe you’ve heard Stan “The Man” Lee talk before. If you have, you’ll probably want to hear him regale with stories again. He’s that good at it. The man’s a legend. What more needs to be said?

SATURDAY AUGUST 30

12:00 PM – Room 206 – 25^th Anniversary Of Twin Peaks Reunion

The cult classic television series that has gone on to inspire so many films and TV programming since it originally aired 25 years ago is having a reunion! Huzzah! Look for legendary actors Ray Wise (Leland Palmer), Sheryl Lee (Laura Palmer) and Sherilyn Fenn (Audrey Horn) to share thoughts and stories on the production. Biff Bam Pop’s own Editor-In-Chief, Andy Burns will be there as well – he’s got his new book, Wrapped In Plastic: Twin Peaks, set to be unveiled in 2015, didn’t ja know?!?

2:30 PM – Room 714 – DC Comics – Batman 75: The Eternal Dark Knight

Celebrate Batman’s 75^th Anniversary with the writers and artists and fans that were and still are inspired by one of the world’s greatest pop culture icons.

3:45 PM – Room 715 – The Black Museum Presents: The History of Horror On Home Video

I love archived, historical talks. And that’s what you’re gonna get here – a history of horror like only the Black Museum can present! Get educated!

Sunday August 31  

12:30 PM – Room 105 – Celebrity Q&A Session With The Star Of Arrow Stephen Amell

I’m thinking this will be a fairly popular event. How could it not be? A great series about to enter an exciting 3^rd season. A charming, funny, and genuinely likeable lead actor. Who also, you know, just happens to be not so hard on the eyes. Hell if I know, how he makes that salmon leap exercise routine look so damn easy.

5:00 PM – Room 105 – The Two Captains Patrick Stewart And William Shatner

Now that’s the way you end a convention. Beam me up to this event, Scotty! (Just make sure you beam up with your pre-purchased tickets!)

So there you have it. A small sampling of some of the more interesting scheduled events at FAN EXPO Canada this year. Well, interesting by my standards and curiosities. By no means is this an exhaustive list. I implore you: make your own.

Don’t forget to check out the available FAN EXPO Exclusives. I’ve got dibs on DC-The Multiversity #1 variant, the Image-Wayward #1 variant, the HBO Game of Thrones Lannister Shield Wall Plaque (they always pay their debts!) and the pretty awesome Nerdblock-designed Fan Expo Canada T-Shirt #1. And don’t forget to spend some time in Artist Alley and the Indy Press Pavilion – easily one of the largest and best artist collectives of any convention in any part of the world!

In the meantime, I’ll see you around, wandering the halls, floors and breakout rooms of 2014’s FAN EXPO Canada. I’ll be the hipster with the coffee in his hand. Come say “Hi”.

Enjoy the four-day event and the city!