Edmonton Comics & Entertainment Expo 2024 has come and gone, as it usually happens. Once again, it took three days, and those days went by quick. Every year it gets harder for me to “review” it. After all, what makes a show great? Organization — that’s for sure. But also, maybe, the level of cosplayers? And some would say, a big-name guest makes or breaks any such an event.
In many ways, this year’s event felt a bit different. Maybe a bit more subdued. But the joyful atmosphere is still there. I am still glad to be among the like-minded people. But I was also there to be critical. This year’s event once again had a plethora of cancellations, losing out some of the biggest guests. Comic book fans were the biggest losers: Charlie Cox has cancelled, and so has Vincent D’Onofrio, Fans of actions movies missed seeing Robert Patrick and the famous Animal Crossing letsplayer Danny Trejo.
Harry Potter fans missed out on seeing Matthew Lewis. Yes, those all were the biggest attractions this year, and seeing them all cancel was a big hit. Unfortunately, that happens all the time. And when a guest cancels, your ticket does not get cheaper, so there’s been some discontent among the regulars.
Thanks for me, a lifelong Star Wars fan in retirement, there was still a lot to see. Temuera Morrison, the face and the voice of Jango Fett and a few millions of clones, ended up being a headliner. He did not slack off, delivering a powerful and surprisingly authentic performance. His 45 minutes of reminiscing and, yes, singing, felt great, and left me a bit starstruck.
His panel was on a Friday evening, and on Sunday, the lightsaber-wielding fans greeted another legend from the galaxy far, far away. The legendary Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) has been doing this for longer than just about everyone in the audience has been alive, and he was in his element.
Possibly the most famous robot in all cinematic history, Daniels had a different approach to Morrison: to the obvious chagrin of some of the hosts and photographers, who were shooed away, he decided to roam the hall, speaking to fans directly. It was much closer and more personal than usually happens, and Daniels felt as engaged as ever. The actor, who felt about as eccentric as his most famous role, cracked jokes, recreated some of the famous scenes and even made a fan who came as an Ewok worship him, before requiring the whole audience to do the same. He also found the time to advertise his book, although the whole event barely lasted 30 minutes.
Animation enthusiasts had plenty to look forward to with special guests like Peter Cullen and Frank Welker, the original voices of Optimus Prime and Megatron from the iconic 80s Transformers cartoon. Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, and Phil Lamarr, known for Futurama and Family Guy, also made appearances at the expo. Gaming fans had something to look forward, too: some of the BioWare legends (local studio, after all) made an appearance and talked about Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
This month marks 37 years since Jonathan Frakes first took on the role of William T. Riker. This year, he visited Edmonton to answer fans’ questions, and as always, he was witty and engaging.
The hall layout stayed about the same, and as usual, it felt a bit weird (what’s Ebay doing here?). There were some amazing people here — artists, writers, cosplayers, etc. The 501st Legion was there with their incredible costumes and props. The Alberta Ghostbusters stole the show once again — having retro consoles with the old Ghostbusters games on was a great touch. On authentic CRT screens, too! The Northern Alberta LEGO Users Group (NALUG) once again had an incredible exhibition of their creations.
The three days I spent at the Edmonton Comics & Entertainment Expo were thoroughly enjoyable. It was fantastic to reconnect with Edmonton’s talented and enthusiastic people, all celebrating their passion for pop culture and creativity. Can’t wait for the next one!