#and almost all of the people at the marina were introduced in a single panel

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RECAP: FAN EXPO VANCOUVER - FEBRUARY 15-17TH, 2020

Fan Expo Vancouver first started in 2012. Part of the larger Fan Expo Canada brand, the event is now held over three days and attracts tens of thousands of people every year.

I have attended every single Fan Expo Vancouver since it began. In comparison to other Fan Expo events such as the one in Toronto and recently-acquired Fan Expo Calgary, I have noticed a slight decline in programming. Compared to previous line-ups and comparable guest lists at other conventions, Vancouver just does not deliver the same experience. The guests we get are great, and it’s not easy to coordinate everyone’s schedules. But having been in place for almost a decade, I would like to see this Fan Expo offer more programming, activities, and guests. Other conventions grow every year, but Vancouver’s seems to remain stagnant.

In past years, the panels at Fan Expo were held in rooms upstairs, separate from the main exhibition hall. In 2019 and this year, the panels were all held in side areas on the showroom floor. This did give the advantage of not having to travel far for each panel, and being easy to enter or leave. I was able to check out parts of different panels at the same time or wander in and out while exploring the maze of booths. However, it did create a distracting noise issue—it was hard to hear the panelists even with mics against the sound of thousands of people exploring. This was particularly an issue with the smaller panels that were very close to high-traffic areas and/or places with specific activities happening, such as the family zone. I understand there are probably financial reasons behind this change, but I was not a fan. It created more convenience, but made the panels less enjoyable.

Another noticeable disappointment was the lack of a coat check. They had one in earlier years but have stopped for some reason. This was especially irritating in the middle of February when it was cold and rainy for most of the weekend. The Expo has always been held in a cold month – November, February, March, and April – and as next year’s event has already been announced for Feb. 13-15th, 2021, I sincerely hope they bring back the amenity. It would really beat carrying around a heavy bag and/or coat all day, especially if you’re wearing a costume or just bought something large. Why discourage shopping?

I still had a really fun time exploring and checking everything out at Fan Expo. There are no other places in Vancouver where you can meet Darth Vader and Iron Man on the same day. 

The first panel I caught was that of the iconic Brendan Fraser. Currently on Doom Patrol, Brendan is best remembered – especially if you grew up in the early 2000s – for movies like The Mummy, George of the Jungle, and of course, Looney Tunes: Back In Action. He was an unexpected and much-anticipated headlining guest this year, and his panel was the most full I saw all weekend. He brought a great deal of charisma to the Q&A portion, whether it was discussing Looney Tunes (“Bugs is great… but Daffy Duck is an asshole!”) or delivering a spot-on John Cleese impression when reminiscing on George of the Jungle. 

I next saw a small, rather interesting discussion called Ritual: Exorcism in Film and Television. As a big horror fan, this was my personal favourite panel of the weekend. I really like seeing horror as a genre represented, as well as panels that don’t revolve around specific fandoms/IP. It was hosted by Morgan Knudsen, a real-life paranormal researcher. Morgan began by discussing popular possession and demon movies like The Rite, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, and of course, The Exorcist. She then told us of real-life cases that inspired these films and the facts of what really happened. We watched videos and listened to recordings of people who had undergone actual exorcisms and were allegedly possessed. Morgan emphasized studying the evidence and coming to our own conclusion on these cases. Some of the information and especially the voices I heard made me question what was real for sure.

Madelaine Petsch, who also attended last year and is best known as Cheryl Blossom on Riverdale, was another Q&A with a huge turnout. Many of her fans also enjoy her social media and vlogging. She spoke about fond moments on the show, things she enjoyed about Vancouver, and her favourite local vegan eats. Madelaine is very charming, warm, and funny in her live interviews—definitely a convention highlight for myself and I’m sure many others. 

Christina Ricci was a surprising but very interesting addition to the lineup. As a child actress, she’s seen just about everything in Hollywood. This led to a lively discussion of her beginnings, evolution into more serious roles, and all the people she worked with along the way. Recalling her small but memorable part working with Terry Gilliam in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, she said “I had Benico del Toro whipping me with a towel and Johnny Depp’s foot in my mouth, and Terry and Johnny both telling me to bite harder… and I thought, this is my life now.” 

The final big panel of the day was a Star Trek: The Next Generation reunion with LeVar Burton and Marina Sirtis. Any Trek actors are always a draw, and this was quite a popular panel as well. Although Marina has been to Fan Expo in the past, LeVar quipped that it had been decades since he’d been to this city. “The last time I was in Vancouver, Alan Thicke was still on TV.”

Although I was unable to attend Sunday, the day was filled with activity and celebrity panels. Highlights included Q&As with Smallville’s own Superman Tom Welling, The Mandalorian’s Giancarlo Esposito, cult film legend Bruce Campbell, The X-Files’ William B. Davis and Nicholas Lea, and Oscar Nunez and Brian Baumgartner of The Office. 

On Monday, I checked out Geeks vs Nerds – a live debate where two groups square off on a particular aspect of pop culture. In this case, it was who’s cuter: Baby Yoda or Baby Groot? There was a series of arguments and rebuttals, often punctured with impressions, insults, and singing to heighten the geeky atmosphere. The winner (narrowly, Baby Groot) was decided by audience applause. This was a very lively and hilarious show that attracted a wandering crowd—who could resist the cuteness of either of those aliens?

As always, there was a large assortment of booths, with exhibitors from all over Canada and even internationally. All sorts of collector’s items were for sale – comics, action figures, clothing, artwork, and even weapons. The Artist Alley featured a variety of creators selling their own prints, commissions, jewelry, plushies, and more. Adjacent to Artist Alley were rows of comic creators – professional artists in the industry, meeting fans, selling books, and even doing sketches.

One of the most prominent (and recurring) attractions was the Vancouver chapter of the 501st Legion – dedicated Star Wars cosplayers. Running a large charity booth, fans could get photos with stormtroopers, Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, BB-8, R2-D2, and other iconic characters. At one point they led a large, ominous march through the expo halls, as if the whole place was under invasion by the First Order. There are lots of cool costumes at this convention, but these people really commit. 

There were lots of cosplay meetups throughout the day from a variety of fandoms, and even a red carpet! It was by far the best place to get some great photos as a cosplayer or observer, and to show off and meet with like-minded fans. Everyone enjoyed this, but especially the children. My favourite part of every Expo is seeing kids get pictures and high fives from superheroes or other fun characters, especially when the kid is also dressed up. 

New to this year’s event was Podcast Alley, an area of booths and live tapings for local podcasts and their hosts. Guests this year included Warriors Bards ’n Brews, Fear of Science, Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby, Dark Poutine, Drinking and Screaming, Geeks vs Nerds, and Politicoast. There were even workshops on the nature of podcasting and how to create one yourself. I think this was a great way to bring in some local talent and introduce fans to new podcasts, or even to the medium of podcasting in general.

Also in its inaugural year was the “Family Zone.” This was a wide open space with areas for kids to play in; one place had giant cardboard blocks. The Sorting Ceremony – a Harry Potter-themed activity in which kids could find out their Hogwarts House via a talking “hat” (person in a costume) – took place here. There was also a few “Dance Parties” complete with pop music. As a young adult with no kids, I was probably not the target audience for the Family Zone. It was very popular throughout the weekend with children, and I think parents enjoyed it. But as the floor was already crowded – especially with the panels being hosted there – I did feel it took away space from potential exhibitors, stores, and artists. It’s good to give kids (and their parents!) a place to hang out, but I don’t think it did much for the majority of attendees. 

I finished the day with live improv by The Fictionals. The staging was hosted and led by Daniel Chai, who also led many of the panels throughout the weekend. Using traditional improv methods (audience suggestions and the classic “Freeze!” exercise), the group finished the convention with extremely spontaneous laughs. 

Overall, it was another successful time at Vancouver’s largest fandom convention. There are definitely aspects I’d like to see changed and improved on in the future. Still, it’s one of my favourite weekends of the year and I’m excited to see what’s in store for 2021!

Written by: Cazzy Lewchuk

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