SUPER HEROES INVADE CALGARY
Spider-Gwen, left, and Spider-Man joined hundreds of attendees on the opening day of the 12th Annual Comic & Entertainment Expo at Stampede Park.
Blame Drunken Master.
“Here I was, this Calgary-born kid watching all these Chinese movies,” says Kandrix Foong, a self-described martial arts and comic book nerd, of the above Jackie Chan film and others starring the likes of Jet Li.
“I spent my childhood dreaming of being a stunt man or a comic book artist, but I didn’t have the physique to do stunts and wasn’t that talented at drawing.”
Instead, the 39-year-old son of Chinese immigrants first became a graphic artist and then a vice-president with local pizza company Coco Brooks. Until a few years ago, that is, when his “crazy little passion” began getting bigger and bigger.
“I slowly realized that this could be a full-time thing,” he says of the once-fledgling sideline gig he embarked on 12 years ago, today known as the annual Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo (calgaryexpo.com). “Now, I’m the drunken nerd,” says Foong with a laugh. “But the funny thing is, I don’t drink.”
While I sort of get Foong’s humour, I’m the first to admit I do not get his love for martial arts films, comic books and anything else of that nature. I don’t know who Steven Yuen is, couldn’t single Kristian Nairn out of a police lineup and think that the large banner in the BMO Centre for Bob Morley is an unfortunate typo.
My lack of knowledge is fine for the thousands of fans who will descend this weekend on Stampede Park for the big event.
They’re likely very happy that not everyone shares their fluency in, and passion for, zombies, hobbits and dressing up like super heroes in a somewhat deviant-sounding pastime called cosplay.
It means less competition to meet and get their photos taken with the stars of some of their favourite TV shows, films and podcasts.
Plus, judging by a few interactions I have Thursday down at Stampede Park as vendors and volunteers are busy setting up for its opening in a few hours, they’re an awfully nice bunch.
“I don’t care that much about all the celebrities,” says 22-yearold Bernadette Johnson, one of the Expo’s more than 600 volunteers. “I just love being around all the fans, sharing the fun and energy.”
Touring me around before the doors open and the fan floodgates open — the event has attracted more than 100,000 over its three-day weekend the past few years — Alex Kingcott does a great job of communicating both its attraction for fans as well as its benefits for the greater community.
“It fills more than 1,000 hotel rooms, with those fans spending their money in the city over the three days,” says Kingcott, the Expo’s publicist. “Just our crew and celebrities alone, we fill up an entire hotel.”
It also draws vendors from across the country, who make all three of Foong’s shows — Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon — a must-attend.
“This gives us a boost yearround,” says Kyle Elliott of Edmonton-based Maverick Autographs and Collectibles, as he sets up his autographed baseballs, bobble-heads and other assorted sports and pop culture paraphernalia. “It’s a community of people who share similar passions.”
As she guides me past booths selling everything from wood signs reading “Break Off In Case of Vampire,” to Spider-Man suits for tots, Kingcott talks about the changing demographics of Expo attendees over the years.
“There used to be more males than females, but now it’s an almost 50-50 split,” she says, adding that it attracts “kids” of all ages. “There’s really something here for everyone.”
Just then, we make our way to the “Signing Hall,” where by Friday, the likes of Bob Morley (he stars in the sci-fi TV series The 100) and Games of Thrones’ star Kristian Nairn will start joining up with movie stars John Cusack, Jeremy Renner and Billy Dee Williams.
John Cusack, Jeremy Renner and Billy Dee Williams? Hmm, maybe there is something for everyone.