Highlights of the 2012 edition of Montreal Comiccon
William Shatner
With a career trajectory erratic enough to have been charted on sheets of bad acid, William Shatner — or Capt. James Tiberius Kirk from the original Star Trek series — has gone from sci-fi heartthrob to B-movie regular to celebrated actor and geek icon.
Patrick Stewart
As Capt. Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Patrick Stewart’s cerebral Shakespearean gravitas stands a stark contrast to Shatner’s primal virility. It should be interesting to see them on stage together in the separately ticketed Reunion of the Generations event on Saturday.
Malcolm McDowell
The celebrated actor, whose patented mischievous glower frequently makes him look like Dennis the Menace just killed your pet, will host a screening of Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, the film that launched him to stardom. (See story on A27)
Mike Mignola
Creator of the Hellboy comic book, Mike Mignola’s chunky, atmospheric and instantly recognizable style looks like someone carved a gothic headstone out of human teeth and chunks of obsidian. Be sure to take a look at the exclusive art he created for Comiccon, with Hellboy eating poutine.
James Marsters
From Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Spike to Torchwood, James Marsters has made his mark on genre projects of all kinds. Along with his celebrity panel and signing, he’ll also be performing a concert Friday evening, at a separately ticketed event.
The cast of Warehouse 13
SyFy’s hit show imagines what would happen if an episode of Museum Secrets hit its head on Excalibur. Stars Saul Rubinek, Aaron Ashmore and Eddie McClintock will all make appearances.
Tom Savini
In the ’80s, it was nearly impossible to watch a horror film that wasn’t covered in effects artist Tom Savini’s bloody fingerprints, like evidence in a cinematic genocide. He’s especially known for his work with zombie movie pioneer George Romero, and has since become and accomplished director and actor.
Ben Templesmith
The unsettling art of Ben Templesmith, perhaps most famous for 30 Days of Night and Fell, looks like something you’d find smeared on a wall in a psych ward, but in a good way.
The Mystery Machine
Alongside the Batmobile from Tim Burton’s 1989 film and the car from ’70s cop show Starsky and Hutch, fans will be able to take photos with a re-creation of the van from Scooby Doo. Be warned; in real life, the tie-dyed hippie vehicle looks a bit like something you’d use to drug a Transformer.
Wil Wheaton
Once young Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation and now an idol in the geek community for his acting and writing on tech, gaming and all things nerdy, Wil Wheaton is perhaps the closest thing secular humanists raised on Gene Roddenberry have to a deity. Most mind-blowing of all, this fan of all things geek’s first nerdy memory was watching rival franchise Star Wars. For dates, times and ticket information for these and all other Montreal Comiccon events, visit www.montrealcomiccon.com.