ZAP! KAPOW! BLAM!
Calgary Expo back with new owners
While it may not happen every year, Lindsay Thomas can often check a few names off her dream list for guests at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo.
This year, there are at least two. Elijah Wood, Frodo Baggins himself, was a last-minute addition and has been on the Calgary Expo wish list for a number of years. But for Thomas, vice-president of communications and guest acquisitions for Calgary Expo, the biggest coup this year may have been Jeff Goldblum finally saying yes. The star of Jurassic Park, the Fly, the Big Chill and Thor: Ragnarok will attend Calgary Expo Saturday for photos and a “candid chat” at the Stampede Corral. His appearance comes a few weeks after attending a fan convention in Texas.
Thomas went to the Dallas Fan Expo to meet him and admits to geeking out.
“He’s the Goldblumiest Goldblum,” says Thomas. “You watch those viral videos of him reading tweets or whatever, and that’s him. That is genuinely Jeff Goldblum. He does these really great photo ops. He just gives the fans such a great experience. I went to the Dallas show to check out how Fan Expo does their thing. I think that’s the first photo op I’ve opted to get for a very long time. I really wanted to hang onto that moment.”
Which, of course, is part of the charm of fan conventions: personal moments among a sea of thousands of fans. The Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, which runs from Thursday to Sunday at Stampede Park, is already the biggest fan convention in Western Canada and now has the potential to grow even bigger. Last year, it was acquired by Informa Exhibitions, a global company that also owns fan expos in Toronto, Tampa Bay, Orlando, Boston, Vancouver, Regina and Dallas. It’s no surprise that Goldblum is appearing in both Dallas and Calgary. The new ownership has made acquiring guests a little more flexible for the Calgary team, with celebs having the opportunity now to negotiate appearances in multiple cities.
But other than that, Thomas says it will be business as usual for Calgary Expo. Much of the team that has organized the event since 2006 is still intact.
“The goal is that the fans would have the same experience, if not better,” says Thomas. “The goal was that (Informa) would take their experience and look at our experience and put the best of both together to create even better experiences.”
Due to shifting schedules of actors and actresses, cancellations unfortunately are also part of the norm, and this year hasn’t been without its bummer news. British comedian Catherine Tate, the Walking Dead’s Khary Payton, Paul Reubens (a.k.a. Pee-wee Herman) and Michael J. Fox have all cancelled this year.
Fox was to headline Friday’s Back to the Future reunion, which will nevertheless continue with his co-stars Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson and Tom Wilson.
Calgary Expo will also feature a reunion of sorts of Princess Bride stars Cary Elwes, Wallace Shawn and Chris Sarandon, who will do photo ops together, but will also have separate events throughout the weekend. There will also be a reunion of the queens of Reign on Sunday, featuring actresses Megan Follows (who played Catherine de’ Medici), Rachel Skarsten (Elizabeth I) and Adelaide Kane (Mary, Queen of Scots).
Other high-profile guests include the original Hulk Lou Ferrigno, wrestler Chris Jericho, C3PO Anthony Daniels, Once Upon a Time’s Jennifer Morrison, Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Wil Wheaton and the Walking Dead’s Steven Ogg.
For fans of comic books and graphic novels, the Expo will have two of the most high-profile artists, including Uncanny X-Men illustrator Jim Lee and Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld.
Jason Momoa, who plays Aquaman in DC Justice League and played Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones, will also be on hand for autographs and photos. He’s not scheduled to speak at any panels or Q&As, which is unusual for a high-profile guest. This may be because of his involvement in upcoming blockbuster DC films and concerns about what, if anything, he could say about them during Q&As, Thomas says.
“I think a lot of production companies are becoming more concerned about potential leaks,” Thomas says. “I’ve seen it ramping up over the years.”
The only major logistical change this year from last will be a relocation of the artists’ alley and comic creators from the BMO Centre to the Big Four Building. Hundreds of artists, including Lee and Liefeld, will be on hand throughout the weekend, which has been the heart of comic conventions for years.
“If you’re into the artists and creators, please check out the Big Four,” Thomas says. “I want to get the word out about that as much as possible about that because Artist’s Alley is my favourite part of the show.”
The Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo runs Thursday to Saturday at Stampede Park. Visit calgaryexpo.com.