And that's a wrap for the Edmonton Expo 2018! For me, it was 2.5 days, 36,795 steps, 25.74 km (according to my Fitbit), and all things geeky.
Things were a bit different this year. First, the Expo was smaller--fewer halls, and fewer exhibitors. (That's probably because the Expo is now owned by Fan Expo HQ, the company behind Fan Expo Canada, among others.) There were also some notable cancellations: Jason (Aquaman) Momoa, Karl (Judge Dredd, Star Trek) Urban, Katee (Battlestar Galactica) Sackhoff, and Katie (Arrow) Cassidy. Cancellations always happen, but these were some pretty big names.
On the bright side, I got to see two of my all-time favourite voice actors, Maurice LaMarche and Kevin Conroy. Conroy is, of course, the definitive voice of Batman, going back to Batman: The Animated Series in the 1990s. If you don't know the name LaMarche, you are nonetheless familiar with his work if you've ever watched Animaniacs, The Simpsons, Futurama, or Disenchantment.
The panels with Ray Park, Brent Spiner, and John Barrowman were also highly entertaining. Barrowman's dress, in particular, was stunning. (Sorry, you hadda be there...) I also learned that moderator Tanner Zipchen is originally from Saskatoon and does not go around giving out Scene points. One of the most fascinating panels for me was hearing how junior high school teacher Scott Hebert has completely transformed his classroom into a medieval realm using the principles of gamification--something I've been interested in for a while. His talk was titled, "Press start to begin: How turning a class into a live action game changed everything." (And no, that doesn't tell you everything you need to know.)
In previous years, I unleashed my wallet, buying goodies like autographs, toys, and original art. I tried to rein it in a bit this year, buying some Steven Universe-themed items (pins, art, etc.) for my two sweet daughters who did not attend with me. (Don't tell them, but I held some items back as stocking stuffers!)
As usual, I got the Premium Package which includes a bit of swag: comic book, poster, lanyard, and TARDIS lunch box. You could also go around to vendors, getting stamps in a passport. When completed, you took your passport and got to spin the big wheel to win a prize. The result? An Expo sweatshirt (size medium). Check it out:
Would you like to have this swag package? Of course you would. Like last year, I will give this prize package to the person who pledges to give the most items to the UAlberta Campus Food Bank. Make your pledge in the comments below. The contest closes on Monday, October 1 at 12:00p.m. MDT (that's noon). Whoever has pledged the most number of items wins. (You have to show me a picture of you actually donating the items to the food bank upon pickup.) Even if you do not win, I would encourage you to still donate your pledged items to the food bank.
Why aren't you studying?
