Originally published on The Nerd is the Word.ca on May 24, 2016
http://thenerdistheword.ca/index.php/2016/05/24/comiccon-2016/
A stroll through the EY Centre at Comiccon will allow you an introduction with countless celebrities of the nerdy fictional world. Much like how Santa Claus sends out his world-wide team of mall representatives, many of my favorite anime, television, film, graphic novel, book and videogame characters were walking around in the flesh, happy to introduce themselves and pose for pictures. I met many favorites, who unbeknownst to most of us, call Ottawa home.
As cool as everything was however, seeing the effort Ottawa convention goers put into transforming themselves into the amazing personalities residing within them is the best part of attending Comiccon. I realized that these heroes, villains and idols, on a daily basis, cannot reveal their amazing identities and live among us, incognito. They come out for conventions to meld into the crowd, mingle with their peers, and meet their adoring fans.
Vincent Valentine was outside, as usual, avoiding crowds, but didn’t mind posing with me! This is Kait Merciless, Cosplay Artist (facebook.com/KaitMerciless, twitter.com/KaitMerciless) This was my favorite picture of the weekend!
I of course stuck around for the main event of the convention; the Masquerade. I saw plenty of other nerdom super stars, intricately made outfits and many with original presentation styles. I must comment here on the fact that this costume contest was very poorly organized and felt more like a high school pep-rally than a professional event. The hosts, two ladies who I supposed were thrust on stage without much direction, were dragging on the event with improvised jokes that never seemed to end. What should have been minimal and entertaining banter between co-hosts, turned into nothing less than stealing the spotlight from the cosplayers. Only my interest in seeing the final contestants kept me in the room until the end.
Comiccon in Ottawa has improved with each coming and I certainly plan to attend in the next years. The fans and those who enjoy transforming into their favorite characters to bring cherished stories to life, I am sure, will be waiting eagerly for Comiccon 2017.