Comics And Sci-fi And Gaming, Oh My!

Posted in Events by Marina, October 9, 2010 at 8:22 pm | 210 views, 0 comments

They’re loud, hot and extremely crowded – but this type of atmosphere is exactly what geeks truly love about conventions.

On the weekend of Oct. 15-17 there will be not one, not two, but three geek conventions happening in Calgary, which begs the question… Who the heck planned for all this?!

This “Geek Weekend” we will see The Red & White Calgary Comic and Toy Expo, Con-Version (a sci-fi con) and FallCon (a board game and tabletop miniatures con).

Those with overlapping interests will make plans to go to more than just one of these events, but for many, especially those who are strapped for cash and time, will have to make their choices wisely.

Wild Gunmen has the lowdown of what you can expect at each convention, helping to guide your decision in the right direction:

Con-Version:

- This sci-fi, fantasy and horror con was founded in 1984 and has been running ever since.

- The average turn out has been 300-400 guests, however last year they hit 600 and this year they hope to break 800-1000.

- The highlight is the guest list, which includes cast members from Star Trek. You can expect to see John DeLancie, Robert Picardo , Marina Sirtis, Ethan Phillips and Chase Masterson. Some of the actors will perform and all will be part of the Q&A and autograph signings. They will also have dealer booths, gaming room, a hallway contest and more.

- The event is being held at The Quality Inn, Calgary Airport and admission is $50 at the door for the entire weekend.

- For more info: http://www.con-version.org/

Red & White Comic and Toy Expo:

- There will be over 100 dealer booths to buy comic, toys, manga and artwork from.

- There are two guests who will be doing signings: local comic book artists Riley Rossmo (Proof, Cowboy Ninja Viking) and Cary Nord (Secret Invasion: X-Men, Conan).

- A costume contest and silent auction will also be held.

- The event is only on the Sunday (Oct. 17) and will be held at the Red & White Club. Admission is $5.

- For more info: http://www.comicandtoy.ca/

FallCon:

- FallCon started as a wargamers con, but has since evolved to include a broad spectrum of games including card games, family games and strategy games.

- This con is on its 23^rd anniversary this year and has on average had about 225 attendees.

- Rather than guests and dealers, FallCon will host friendly, yet competitive game tournaments and attendees will have access to over 300 games to play.

- In addition they will announce the winner of the 2010 Canadian Game Design Award, for their game design contest and they will also have a gaming auction held on the Saturday, auctioning off 500 board games in two hours.

- The event is being held at the Marlborough Community Association Hall and admission is $45 for the entire weekend.

- For more info: http://fallcon.com/

To contact the author of this post: marina.giannitsos@wildgunmen.com