Canadian Mom: Calgary Comic Expo 2012

I've just spent an incredible weekend with my three daughters. I was a giggling teenager again and I loved every minute of it. Last year I went with my youngest daughter to the Comic Expo, not my cup of tea but I knew she was very excited about it. We weren't even there half an hour before I had to visit a bank machine and replenish my wallet. She wanted to see William Shatner but I really didn't want to pay the autograph fee. I found it strange that a star would ask for money for his signature. I've since learned that this is common practise at these things. When we left, I was exhausted and broke and she was excited and anxious for the next year. I nodded and said, "Sure I'll bring you again." Inside I was hoping that, maybe, it would slip her mind over the course of the year. Then I saw the guests for the 2012 Comic Expo and I forgot that I was an over forty mom and screamed like a school girl.

Spike was going to be there! I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer, thanks to my oldest daughter, and Spike is one of my favourite characters (in my opinion the best vampire ever). Yes, James Marsters was just one of several guests that I wanted to see. So, I bought weekend passes for the four of us and on Friday we headed down to the Stampeded grounds and explored everything.

There were artist booths, great for Rachel who is going to be starting her second year of her Bachelor of Fine Arts program in the fall. There was a reptile display which Rebekah loved and got her picture taken with Buffy the boa constrictor. There were ponies, ponies everywhere for Kayla who stocked up on old ponies I'm sure my nieces had twenty years ago when they were kids. And there was James Marsters sitting at a table signing autographs for me to admire from afar. We did get his autograph and I must say he was the nicest person. He shook my hand and talked to my girls and made us all feel special. I think I probably looked silly as I stood there not knowing what to say. (Schoolgirl giggly goof!) My kids met Jim Cummings, voice of Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Dark Wing Duck, etc., (Rebekah was beside herself), Tara Strong, voice of Twilight Sparkle (Kayla spent Sunday afternoon at the Brony Panel), and many very talented artists.

The hilite for a lot of people was the reunion of the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast but I was never a huge Trekkie fan but that didn't matter. There seemed to be so many different stars that everyone that went was satisfied. There was James and Oliver Phelps (the Weasley twins in Harry Potter), Hayden Panettiere (the cheerleader in Heroes), Michael Rooker (the Walking Dead), Adam Baldwin (Jane in Firefly), Stan Lee (comic book legend), and so many more. The costumes people made and wore were fantastic. The panels that we could go to and ask questions of the stars were fun. There was just too many great things going on that I changed my mind about these things and will most definitely going back next year.

I posted some pictures and hope that you enjoy them and would like to say, if you ever get a chance to go to one of these comic expos GO. You'll feel like a kid again and have so much fun even though I could probably now sleep for a week and am broke for a couple of months. It was worth it!