Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo 2019 - Preview

Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo Set To Party Like It’s 1985

by Christine Leonard

Calling all wannabe Ghostbusters, Stormtroopers and Avengers, the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo is pledging to take attendees back to the future! Already celebrating its 14th year, the highly anticipated annual event is primed to welcome an impressive roster of cultural icons and stars of silver and small screens for their 2019 edition.

“I think one of the big marquee things that we’ve got is Michael J. Fox is coming through Calgary. He was supposed to come out last year, but due to medical issues, he just couldn’t make it. He was like ‘I’ve got to make good on this promise to come out to Calgary,’” says director Kandrix Foong, who emphasizes that the Expo isn’t just about science fiction and fantasy franchises.

“The thing we’ve always done with our shows is divide and conquer. Part of our objective is – if you bring a whole family then there’s something for everyone. Dad might be a big Star Trek fan, Mom might be a Vampire Diaries fan and the kids will have other stuff that they are into, as well. So, this is not just one genre or one thing. It is definitely about entertainment in general and we definitely like the idea of exposing people to different forms and genres of entertainment.”

Capitalizing on the fandom surrounding the hottest movies and television shows of today, the Expo introduces emergent trends and artists while showcasing classic characters and treasured titles of yesteryear. It’s a balance that keeps cosplayers and collectors coming back to the four-day marathon of pop media time and again, with over 90,000 people passing through its gates in 2018.

“There’s a lot of depth in terms of the types of celebrities and guests that we bring out. I think every year we bring out 80 to 100 different kinds of guests and you just get a chance to meet the people who are actually working in this industry.”

The year 1985 will be alive and well as the cast of Back to the Future are joined by members of the original Goonies crew. Additionally, the new Hellboy David Harbour will be appearing, as will Shazam’s Zachary Levi, Dr. Who’s Catherine Tate, Baywatch babe Pam Anderson and Robocop’s Peter Weller. And, don’t forget TV’s Wonder Woman, Linda Carter will be presenting “This Life. My Music. My Story.” as a special ticketed event.

“We definitely do offer a broad mix. There are a lot of classic guests who are still very active in what they’re doing and it’s just good to see,” confirms Foong.

Fans and guests will be granted the opportunity to walk-the-walk again this year as the enormously popular POW! (Parade of Wonders) is set to saunter through Calgary’s downtown core on the morning of Friday, April 26.

“It’s like when the Flames are on a championship run, you can feel the energy and momentum throughout the city. Now you’re proud that this is what’s going on in your own backyard!”

The Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo runs from April 25 to 27 at Stampede Park (Calgary)https://www.calgaryexpo.com/en/home.html

25th, April 2019

in • Alberta, CITY

Calgary Comic Expo 2017

Calgary Comic Expo: Calling All Space Cowboys… Saddle Up!

by Christine Leonard
29 April 2017

If the old adage is to be believed, you should “never meet your heroes.” But for fans of the fastest-growing comic convention in North America, that saying could not be further from the truth. Attracting over 100,000 people in 2016, Calgary’s annual Comic & Entertainment Expo (AKA Calgary Expo) engulfs Stampede Park and transmogrifies those hallowed stomping grounds into a multimedia playground that is truly a spectacle to behold. It’s not the first space rodeo for Calgary Expo’s spokeswoman and mascot, Emily Expo, but she promises that 2017’s four day run of fandom will offer up a star-studded affair that will be the highlight of your terrestrial orbit.

“The last couple of years have been huge for us and we keep trying to present an even better experience for our attendees,” says Emily Expo. “At the moment the focus isn’t so much on size as improving the quality of the event for all. Making sure that there is something for everyone and trying to make sure that everything is well organized and goes smoothly from an operational perspective.”

Engaging with a public that has so embraced all of its colourful components, Calgary Expo has swelled beyond the scope of a self-contained entity and has extended its tendrils into the very core of the City.

“I am quite proud of us as an organization for putting on the Parade of Wonders!, which happens on the Friday morning of each Expo,” she explains. “To have all these cosplayers, and the nerds, and the geeks, and the fans parading through downtown Calgary, and showing their pride in this show that started with 3,000 people in 2006, is really quite an accomplishment!  The route is a little bit different year. We start at 8th and 8th and we still wind-up at Olympic Plaza, but due to the growth of the event and how big it is it has become a little too disruptive and we don’t want to annoy people with what we’re doing. We want to create a community thing that everybody can come and enjoy, so we worked with the City to develop a new route.”

Back on the grounds, where the Calgary Expo occupies 450,000 square feet dedicated to the arts of gaming, shopping, and celebrity-worship, it’s all too easy to lose all sense of direction and monetary prudence. But thanks to the Expo’s handy phone app, Calgary cadets are less likely to miss their window of opportunity to land amongst the stars.

“We had an app last year and we revamp it every year, as things change and develop. So, we’ll have that again this year for people who want it. It is really useful for keeping track of your schedule, especially if you’re into panels and photo ops.”

Aside from a one-off concert appearance by James Marsters at the Expo’s official After Party, the lynchpin in this year’s special programming is an appearance by the comic book culture’s middle-aged poster boy, Kevin Smith. Known for his directorial triumphs (and flops) as well as his podcasting career, and television show “Comic Book Men,” Smith will be joined by his partner in rhyme, Jay Mewes (AKA Jay), for a separately-ticked event called “Jay & Silent Bob Get Old” on April 29 at the Stampede Corral.

“I’m also super excited for Kevin Smith, because I’ve seen every movie he’s ever done and I’m a huge Jay and Silent Bob fan. I’m looking forward to hearing his stories and seeing him on stage with Jason Mewes. I think that’ll be a fantastic event. Although, definitely for a more mature audience, and not recommended for the kids. I am sure most people are aware. If you’re at all familiar with Kevin’s brand of humour, you’ll know what to expect.”

Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo runs from April 27-30 at Stampede Park.

Plumtree re-issue all three albums!!! : preview

Plumtree ‘90s Halifax pop trio re-issue all three albums on vinyl

by Christine Leonard
9 March 2017

Hindsight may be 20/20, but you can bet your boyfriend jeans that ‘90s Halifax popsters Plumtree didn’t anticipate a full-blown vinyl resurgence when they released their bomp-and-strum-filled sophomore album, Plumtree Predicts the Future, way back in 1997. Cinnamon Toast Records was a good fit for the sweetly introspective group, at the time. The existential ensemble quickly blossomed thanks to tours with the likes of Duotang, the Inbreds and Thrush Hermit, along with appearances at Halifax Pop Explosion! and Edgefest that pushed them further into the national spotlight. An original sister-act, Plumtree’s willowy emanations stem from Carla and Lynette Gillis’ (Absolutely Nothing) love of pop-punk melodies and playful rhythms. With Carla on guitars and vocals and Lynette picking up the drumsticks, Amanda Braden stepped up to provide supporting guitar and vocals while BFFs Nina Martin and Catriona Sturton would fill out the East Coast quartet, by respectively taking up the position of bassist.

It was a whirlwind decade for the band who wrote the song “Scott Pilgrim,” which inspired fan Bryan Lee O’Malley’s graphic novel and the subsequent film of the same name. Innocent despite their infamy, their kitchen haircuts and Noxzema-fresh faces declared Plumtree’s notable potential and hunger for personal liberty defined the edge of that fading millennium.

An unexpected, but well-deserved, flashback to those carefree days is set to arrive threefold. Thanks to a lavish remastering at Toronto’s Lacquer Channel, all three of Plumtree’s full-length albums are ready to roll off the line in vinyl format for the first time. Mass Teen Fainting (1995), Plumtree Predicts the Future (1997), and This Day Won’t Last At All (2000) have all be immortalized in acrylic and reissued under the auspices of Label Obscura and featuring new artwork by Yorodeo.

You can almost feel the wind in your hair as you travel down memory lane with the Gillis girls’ effortless harmonies, twisted humour and ridiculously catchy love notes echoing in your ears. Though cut short in 2000, Plumtree’s long lost oeuvre will ensure that future generations can cozy up to a career characterized by a cheeky band next-door appeal. As Ferris cautioned, “life moves pretty fast.” More so these days, but once you stop and look around you’ll discover that the biggest challenge ahead will be bringing that record player on your next road trip.