Toronto Comicon 2011

Vincent Rahming
Contributor
Wizard World’s Toronto Comic Con made me feel like a kid all over again.
At Comic Con, you are allowed, and even encouraged, to unleash your inner geek. It’s a world filled with youthful explorations, with all the animated and supernatural heroes from your past and present together in one room, sometimes physically – it’s a chance to be a part of their world.

The event took place from March 18 to 20 at the Direct Energy Centre, and the line to get inside stretched around the building.  As a child, I would wake up early on Saturday mornings to catch some of my favourite cartoons on television. At Comic Con, I found myself surrounded by a massive crowd of grown-ups who also felt compelled to indulge in their nostalgia.
On the convention floor, waves of people portrayed some of the most memorable characters in cinema, from Wonder Woman to Star Wars characters. I, along with most of the crowd, got a bit more than I bargained for as an Amazonian woman came strutting through the halls in a skintight blue costume, holding a sword and suddenly flashing her thong as her cape flew upward. Needless to say there were warm smiles and blushing faces.
A few familiar favorites were a part of the event this year, one of them the iconic Billy Dee Williams, better known as Lando Calrissian from the Star Wars franchise. Dexter star Julie Benz stopped by for a Q&A, giving die-hard fans answers to their most burning questions regarding her start in WB’s Angel playing the disturbing-but-misunderstood vampire Darla.
She offered a lot of insight into how Hollywood works behind closed doors, telling us she was completely oblivious of her character’s fate one hour before she was given the final script of the fourth season of Dexter. She swore to secrecy to keep it to herself. If she thought she was taken aback, imagine the millions of viewers tuning in over a year ago with their jaws open gawking at their TV screens as the credits rolled.

Another fan favorite was Nicholas Brendon, who starred along side Sarah Michelle Gellar in the critically acclaimed Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Brendon, not shying far from his character Xander on Buffy, showed his humorous side as he talked about his favorite episodes, working with his former cast members while he was asked for on-camera shout-outs for fans far away.
He delved into his start in Hollywood, the fact he has a twin brother who also worked on the set of Buffy and the difficulties his stuttering posed to his career. Nonetheless, his humor had the crowd roaring with laughter as he commented on his endeavors since his Buffy days.
I’d say Comic Con definitely made me realize how many people are strong followers of cult classics: it was fun to watch people try on set costumes from Tron: Legacy; create their very own comic books; and collect cards and get autographs from their favorite characters.