Angela cosplayer at Fan Expo Vancouver, April 3 2015. Ryan Ingram photo.
Recap – Fan Expo Vancouver Day 1, April 3 2015
– text and photos by Ryan Ingram
Like a looming zombie outbreak, the opening hours of Fan Expo Vancouver on Good Friday seemed too calm to be true. The inevitable hordes of fans threatened to show up any minute, seeking a nerdy indoor sanctuary from the rain.
This year’s edition of the three-day event has dozens of comic, anime and game creators, professional cosplayers and celebrity guests, including William Shatner and Carrie Fisher (as well as a few that have cancelled). But it was slim pickings for the first couple hours of day one of the convention, while the crowds outside were still being herded into the Vancouver Convention Centre.
The lone celebrity guests to face the masses was The Walking Dead cast member Scott Wilson (Hershel), who was caught fist-bumping with his fans.
Walking Dead’s Scott Wilson at Fan Expo Vancouver 2015. Ryan Ingram photo.
Traffic in the row of comic book artists was light, but small line-ups were starting to form for Steven McNiven (Civil War, Old Man Logan), Kaare Andrews (Spider-Man: Reign, Iron Fist) and Ramon Perez (A Tale of Sand, Hawkeye).
While the crowds seemed sparse to begin with it, as I made my exit, the convention floor rows started to clog up. The biggest crowds were scooping up vinyl toys, scouring back issues and picking up nerd swag. There was also a strong cosplay presence early on in the first day. (An early personal favorite had to be Squirrel Girl, even though my blurry photo doesn’t do her justice.)
Squirrel Girl cosplayer at Fan Expo Vancouver 2015. Ryan Ingram photo.
The best is likely yet to come - and the crowds are likely to get bigger – as Fan Expo runs Saturday from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Visit fanexpovancouver.com for more info.
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