By LINDSAY TRAVES
Often marking the pivot from summer activities to those of the indoor variety is Fan Expo Canada, our country’s answer to the comic convention. Taking place this year from August 22- August 25, Toronto’s festival of “comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, gaming, or cosplay” sits in the sweet spot between the season of sunshine and iced coffees and the season of spooky scenes and pumpkin spice lattes. Thus, it’s an ever-appropriate gateway into the season of horror.
Things felt different this year. I’d popped into the festival expecting to start my day the way I had in years past (this being my first time returning since closures) at the back end of the north building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The zone was usually marked by a dangling “Horror Area” banner, a corner monopolized by Deadly Grounds Coffee who handed out samples of their java. It always made me feel like an expert, sitting on the hot tip that freshly made brew was awaiting me in the section I came for. When I grabbed my map and took a quick scan, I learned the horror pieces would be scattered throughout the floor.
With the designated area defunct, the horror fans dispersed among the masses like we might any other given day. For 2023, this meant more Ghostfaces peppered amongst the crowds of anime cosplayers and fans lining up to catch a glimpse of Stephen Amell. The cast of Scream (1996) was in attendance for all four days, specifically Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard and Jamie Kennedy. While their ques varied in size, their prime positioning at the end corner of the wall highlighted just how in demand these horror icons were. It took me until the end of the day to build up the nerve to line up for a quick interaction with the real Billy Loomis. I was the second last to get through the line before he had to leave for his photo ops. Stressed to make sure I didn’t accidentally bring up his movies and put him in a tight spot, I could only muster small talk about the weather. “Yeah, I guess it is chillier here in March than it is in Manhattan,” was the best I could do. Nightmare. See, as a result of the ongoing strikes, actors are unable to discuss their work and we were politely instructed not to ask them about it. The Scream panel involved chats about the cast’s friendships, a game of horror-themed Family Feud, and a warm welcome for Ontario Native, Campbell.
I fired off the photo I took of the Ghostface who rode my train to a few pals with a quip about the Scream 6 subway scene while making my way to one of the expo’s horror landmarks, the Black Fawn Distribution booth. Made visible by their ostentatious wood sign, they’re always easy to spot and they gather a crowd of horror fans looking to recapture the feeling of grabbing a title from the video store. Physical copies of Harpoon, Bite, and Vicious Fun were scanned by passers-by, many making a purchase and deciding if they should add a poster to their haul. Black Fawn hosted panels like “New World Horror” about translating scripts to screen with Chad Archibald, Matthew Ninaber, Gabriel Carrer, and Andrew Cymek. With a The Ranger coaster in hand, I made my way from the booth and through the floor, making sure to stop to get a good look at the gnarliest creations and the most intricate Jason masks I could.
Ready to ride to the south building, I grabbed a pizza slice and a diet coke (I needed to get a caffeine kick somewhere) and took the long trek across, making sure to stop to take in the overhead view of the north building, spotting Ghostface outfits like the hardest page of a Where’s Waldo? This hallway was always a good opportunity to spot the best cosplays since it was spread out and there were people walking in just two specific directions with no reason to stop. I winced at some bloody Terrifier costumes and smiled at a seven-foot demon casually making their way through. The hallways were decorated with posters for The Nun 2 which would be screening for a select few later that evening.
The south building of the con usually had a few main attractions, one being the section populated by studios and streamers promising “experiences” tied to your favourite movies and shows, another being “Artist Alley” which is a section of artists’ booths to shop surrounded by a perimeter of comics creators slinging issues, autographs, and the odd live commission. I hustled best I could to the Lionsgate booth to wink at my good pal, Billy the Puppet, who was posed against a brick wall with “Saw X” painted on it in the franchise’s signature font. Paramount was there with their “The Lodge” exhibit which had a photo op for the horror adjacent Twisted Metal (which also features our girl, Neve).
While there’s always a lot to do at the con, and usually a horror section screaming my name, Artist Alley is truly where it’s at. A high-intensity version of every craft show, flea market or fair, this massive section is overflowing with vendors showcasing pins, stickers, prints, clothing and surprising handmade items like my new pal, a knit Jason Voorhees from Inked Mom Designs. Artist Alley isn’t just the best place to drown yourself in micro-purchases, but it also serves as a litmus test of what movies, shows or comics are hitting that year. The year after Suicide Squad, renderings of Joker and Harley Quinn flooded the floor, for example. This year, the woman of the hour was Pearl, the titular lead of last year’s tale of a deranged farm girl with a red dress and an axe. Delighted, I filled my bag with Pearl stickers and waited patiently for the vendor, Sugarbones, to restock her enamel pins.
Though the horror segments seemed more sparse, the fanbase was nothing if not visible. With the cast of Scream monopolizing so much of the floor space, we were impossible to miss. Panel rooms welcomed audiences to listen to The Haunted Walk of Toronto discuss Toronto ghosts, The Horror Writers Association shared “terrifying tales” and producer, Brigitte Kingsley, hosted a panel on the “challenges associated with building a personal brand within the genres of horror and fantasy.”
Making sure I’d glanced at every bloody, toothy or witchy craft item on display, I prepared myself to leave the con with an hour to spare before I had to run. Just enough time to secure my moment with Skeet Ulrich and leave with my newest prized possession, a photo of him as Loomis licking a corn syrup solution off his fingers autographed and finished with “-Billy.”
For more on this year’s Fan Expo Canada, check out https://fanexpohq.com/fanexpocanada/.
