Photos: Fan Expo Vancouver 2012 is a visual extravaganza

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      Finding your way to the first-ever Fan Expo Vancouver (held on April 21 and 22 at the Vancouver Convention Centre) was simple. If your geekdar kicked into high gear when you suddenly started seeing Jedi Knights, X-Men, Mario Bros., or Gothic Lolitas traipsing about as if they were on a pilgrimage, you were on the right track.

      As much as celebrities from Batman's Adam West and Burt Ward to comic book artists were a big draw, a significant chunk of the entertainment came from the cosplay patrons themselves.

      Characters from Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel and DC comics, Game of Thrones, Ghostbusters, Reboot, Labyrinth, G-Force: Guardians of Space, Halo, Tin Tin, anime series, video games, and much, much more all converged in one deliriously heady, visually overloaded, freaky mashup.

      Here's just a sample of what was on view.

      You can follow Craig Takeuchi on Twitter at twitter.com/cinecraig.

      Comments

      4 Comments

      Nancy Bragg

      Apr 23, 2012 at 8:40pm

      I arrived at Fanexpo at 11 am (about 200 already waiting) I was so VERY looking forward to being able to see, be in the same room as the Star Trek people, the original Batman & Robin, Kevin Sorbo
      so DISAPPOINTED, and so DISORGANIZED. I wasn't wasting my time waiting outside.
      I WENT HOME, THIS SPOILED MY BIRTHDAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH

      Martin Dunphy

      Apr 23, 2012 at 11:55pm

      I went with my sons in the afternoon on Saturday and was told by convention-centre workers that we couldn't come in because it was sold-out for the day. No one from the event was upstairs or outside, just convention-centre workers and security guards who knew nothing about the event. Another worker told me the fire marshall was allowing no more people to enter. Yet another said she had no idea what was going on. One security guard was handing out forms that he said had to be filled out and brought in the next morning for Sunday tickets. When I looked at it closely, it was merely an application to get on a contact list for future event information. And there were no signs ANYWHERE.
      No one knew if there would be more tickets sold as the day went on and people left. One man said we could wait in an unorganized-looking lineup of hopefuls, "but there's no guarantee you'll get in today".
      I snuck in the centre and went downstairs to the ticket sellers and asked if there would be any more sold that day. Even they had no idea.
      Back outside, they finally let in, at 4 p.m., a bunch of people who had been waiting for who knows how long. And the tickets? Day just about done, full price, no discount, even though most of the "stars" had left for the day, many other events were over, and even some of the merch dealers were packing up.
      Lovely. Great organization, great empathy. Outside were people who had driven in from the Valley, probably some from the Island, etcetera, with kids. No advance warning to get there first thing in the a.m. or risk disappointment. No announcement that tickets were limited.
      Most of them were told to come back Sunday first thing in the morning. Easy to say to someone who spent all that money on the ferry getting there and who had to return home that night.
      I'm sure lots of people had a great time there. I'm equally sure that many had ruined days and deep disappointment.
      Next time, please, PLEASE, get it right.

      Baron Taylor

      Aug 26, 2012 at 6:45pm

      Bring back the Star Trek convention for 2013