Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo 2012: Day 3

I didn't want to take so long to write this post but the con really wiped me out.  I guess I should have booked one more day off work so I could catch up on some rest.  Lesson learned for next year?  Anyway, without further ado, here's my day 3.

Day 3

After the bit of a fiasco that was Saturday, we decided it was best to get up early again and head to the BMO center early.  I got up around 6 and checked the Twitter feed and saw they were advising people to be there around 9.  We got dressed, packed our stuff and checked out of the hotel and were at the grounds by 8:30.  (Yes, I remembered to wear my necklaces.)  What a difference a day makes!  The organizers had really rallied over night and things were way better.  They separated the pass holders from those buying/redeeming badges and shuffled us into the autograph/food court area to wait for the main doors to open.  The vibe in the room was a million times more positive than the day before.  We found a seat at a table with on old University friend and did a little wandering before the main doors opened.

Once the doors opened it was nice to see they had added signage on where to walk through the congested areas.  We headed straight for the Boyce Theatre so we could get a seat for the Battlestar Galactica panel at 11.  This was the one thing that D, R, J and I could NOT miss.  J and I took D and R to the BSG panel at our first con and got them hooked on the show.  It's really a tie that binds us.  Plus with Aaron Douglas there again this year we knew we had to be there.  Once again the organization improvements were very apparent.  They told people at the back of the line when the room was full well ahead of time so that they didn't wait for nothing.  Once inside we got amazing seats just on the edge of the VIP area.  The labeling on the VIP area was a little misleading and some of the volunteers had to deal with a few snarky people that they asked to move but over all it was ok.  There was a woman sitting next to me who was a media member from the US.  She had moved down a few seats and lost her Blackberry in the process.  It was great to see everyone rally around her and help to find it.  Turns out it had fallen in the crack of J's chair and we eventually found it for her right before the panel started.  She was so excited and everyone around us clapped when we found it.

The panel was just as amazing as we thought it would be.  Aaron Douglas, Katee Sackoff and Richard Hatch are amazingly funny people and they entertained us.  Richard Hatch told a story about having an intimate dream about Katee and it became a running gag through the panel.  Aaron talked about how he felt that our little con was amazingly well run and he would gladly come back every year.  So say we all!

  Once the amazing panel was over, we decided to go get something to eat.  We found a place making wraps and sandwiches that were really good and fast, despite being crazy expensive.  I was really getting tired of line ups and decided that as much as I would have loved to see Jim Cummings panel I didn't want to stand still anymore.  So we wandered, took a ton of pictures and met some amazing people.  J posed for a picture with a 4-year-old who was wearing a "Shiny, let's be bad guys" shirt.  J put his hat on the kids head for the picture and the kid was so excited.  His dad told J later that his son believed that J was the real Jayne!  I love kids at cons.

We went back to Max Brooks' booth to quiz him on my name and posed for a pic with him.  He has got to be one of he nicest people I have ever met.  I waited until his line was short before jumping in.  He was posing for pictures with his fans behind his table and that's what I expected when I got up there.  I asked if he would mind taking a pic and crouched a little so he could stay seated behind his table but he jumped up and came out from behind his booth, pushed through the crowd and posed with me in front of his table.  A moment |I won't soon forget.

I could tell that we were getting to then end of our con experience as we were all getting a little tired and grumpy.  After getting separated for a bit, we found each other in the food court and D and I decided that we would head for the Corral for the last panel of the day, Sir Patrick Stewart.  J and R decided to join us so we made the long cross of the floor to the panel area and posed for pics on the way.  We got there about half way through James Marsters panel and I was totally ok with sitting and watching him.  That man looks fabulous!  Patrick Stewart was good, but you could tell he was getting very tired after a long weekend.  Once his panel was over, the hall was closed so we had to make the long walk back to the car.  This was the moment the weight of my skirt really started to get to me.  I'm pretty impressed I made it as long as I did in that thing.  I still have welts on my sides from it three days later.  R ran to the car and grabbed my bag so I could change before the ride home.  One of the best moments of the weekend happened at a gas station on the way home when some guys ran up to R (still in his Waldo outfit) and wanted a picture.  They hadn't even heard of the Expo and thought they had won a radio contest or something.

It was, all in all, a fabulous weekend.  I am very impressed at how the organizers rallied to fix things after disaster struck.  I got some big checks off my bucket list and I can't wait for next year!  Now to plan my cosplay....hmmm how to top Lulu.  Good thing I've got a year to go!  I'll leave you with a few more shots from Sunday.

Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo 2012: Day 2

Things were so crazy yesterday I didn't get a chance to post so be prepared for a long one about Saturday and Sunday at the Expo!

Day 2:

As tradition dictates, I got up around 6 am to start getting into my costume before everyone else as mine took longer to get ready then everyone else.  This year's line up of cosplay included me as Lulu from Final Fantasy X, J as a new and improved version of his Jayne from Firefly that he did last year, R as Waldo of Where's Waldo? fame, and D as Amy Pond from Doctor Who in "The Beast Below" episode.

We headed down to the Expo around 8:30 and there was a bit of confusion as to where we were supposed to go but we ended up herded down to the corral.  I did enjoy the pre-show entertainment in the corral, but I got separated from D, R and J.  The were sent up into the stands and I was directed to sit on the floor as it was very difficult for me to climb stairs in my costume.  Luckily I was sitting with a really nice gentleman dressed as Doctor Jones who had broken his foot.  You could see the cracks in organization beginning to form at this point.  People who were there earlier were seated higher in the Corral while those who arrived just before the doors opened got to sit on the floor much closer to the doors than those who came earlier.  There was no separation between people who had purchased advanced passes and those who still needed to purchase resulting in a bit of a cluster.  We managed to find each other when the crowd just started moving wherever they wanted to.  I got the impression there were quite a few people who were upset that they arrived early and were sent to sit higher and farther away from the doors than those who came later.  I felt really bad for the poor volunteer who was trying very hard to keep the crowd moving and seated, but he was very young and people just ignored him.

We decided that since we had done most of our important stuff the day before not to fight the crowds to much and just take the opportunity to pose for some photos and check out other people's costumes until the sea of people parted a bit.  We eventually got inside and wandered for a little bit before heading to the Boyce Theatre for the voice actors panel.  We waited to long to get in line however and didn't make it into the room.  Lesson learned.  Get in line for a panel super early or miss out.  That was totally our fault and we knew it.  So we did what any other cosplayer would do and wandered the floor trying to bring a few smiles to peoples faces.  Our plan was to have R photobomb as much as humanly possible the rest of the weekend.  People LOVED it.  We did get a little tired of hearing "Found You!" constantly all weekend, but it was all in good fun.  R even saw someone post on Tumblr later that weekend that the highlight of their Expo experience was playing Where's Waldo in the Corral and looking for him in the crowd.  Around noon-ish, J and I stepped outside to cool off a bit as I was overheating and needed a quick break.  The crowd outside was enormous!  There were thousands of people lined up down the street waiting to get in.  We headed back inside and made it to the ticket area at the main entrance to the Corral when they suddenly closed the gates in front of us.  Rumors began to circulate through the crowd.  "Oversold" and "Over-capacity" were the terms flying around.  We heard that we may not get back in.  You could feel the tension in the room beginning to mount.  I was seriously worried there was going to be a riot on there hands and we were trapped like cattle in a holding pen.  There were A TON of people jammed in that room.  I totally understand why the Fire Marshall shut things down.  My Twitter was blowing up with irate people in the line farther back.  We figured if we just waited for a bit and a few more people left we could get back inside.  I texted R and told him and D what was going on and NOT to leave the hall no matter what.  Then they closed the doors behind us as well.  I was really getting overheated now and I had no water (it was with D) and that room started to feel awfully small and really crowded.  I began to feel faint.  J inched us closer to the wall area where there were some tables set up so we would have left people around us but I was really getting worried that I was going to faint.  Just when I was about to declare a medical emergency, they opened the gates and let those of us in the "holding cell" back into the room.  We found R and D and had a happy little reunion.  Luckily we were only in that room for about 20 minutes.  We heard later that many others were not so lucky.  There were a lot of people turned away and even more who waited for 3 or 4 hours to get back in.  Let me tell you, the mood it that place changed on a dime!  People get very grumpy and short with each other.  We did our best to brighten each other's moods and those around us but it was crazy!

J really wanted to go to the Adam Baldwin panel so he and I went to line up (about an hour before it started)  We jumped in at the end of the Amanda Tapping line so we would be near the front for the next seating.  Everyone was talking about the lockdown.  At one point a very nice volunteer came by to let the people in the Amanda Tapping line know that the panel was running later starting.  He had a counter in his hand and clicked them all off and let them know that they would get in.  More confusion.  Her panel was supposed to start at 1 and it was now almost 1:30.  Then a lady came by and told everyone that the panel was full.  In fact, it seems like it was full and going for a while at that point.  I thought there was going to be another riot.  They moved us forward for the Baldwin line up.  The line started to get really long so they split it off about 15 people behind us and moved the "second line" way down the hall and closer the the Boyce than we were.  Then the rumblings started in our line that we were going to get screwed and not seated as they had us father away and potentially would forget about us.  Thank goodness there was a woman volunteer there who was very loud and very organized.  She made sure that then line was counted off correctly and told people when it was full before we had even been seated so they didn't end up waiting for no reason.  Now this is where we are considerate Con-goers.  R and D had gone to get some food and it took longer than anticipated.  When they came and counted off the line, they hadn't arrived back so they didn't come with us to the panel.  No line jumping for us. They went and watched the costume contest instead.  That way 2 people father back in the line wouldn't end up without a seat.

Adam Baldwin's panel was quite enjoyable.  He's quite a funny guy and it was neat to see him in real life.  We had great seats and i was nice to relax for a bit.  After the panel we went to the Costume Contest.  I was a little disappointed with it this year as it seemed very short and not many entrants.  (From what I heard later there were a few people who had entered but were unable to attend due to the lockdown)  There were some great costumes and some pretty awesome skits as well.  I really enjoyed the Jay and Silent Bob/Mortal Kombat crossover where Jay and Silent Bob pretended to play the game and the Mortal Kombat guys enacted it.  My favorite was the Lego Star Wars Darth Maul whose costume "fell apart" just like in the Lego games.  Fantastic!

After the contest we wandered the floor for a while more and made the decision not to leave.  Initially we had intended to leave around 4 or 5 and go back to the hotel, change and eat before the TNG EXPOsed that night, but we were worried about getting back in.  We decided not to risk it and stayed there (in costume) through the rest of the evening.  I decided to go back to Linsner and pick up my commission.  He was so gracious.  He flipped to the sketch he had done for me of Dawn and I loved it!  He asked me about what got me interested in Dawn and his artwork in general.  We talked about how I loved that he drew women "real"  I told him that my favorite piece of work was the one that showed a little tummy roll on her and that I appreciated how he made the one woman in comic books who deserved to be perfect, real.  He took my sketch out of his book and added color to it while we talked.  He didn't have to do that and I didn't pay for color.  I was so very impressed by him.  I have to admit, I was very leery to meet him.  I have loved him from afar for so long I was very worried that he would not live up to my expectations.  (They say never meet your hero's right?)  Thankfully he exceeded everything I hoped he would be.

We wandered the floor some more, met some awesome Cosplayers, posed for countless photos and had a good time.  I was amazed at how well my costume was holding up, even if my train was getting filthy from being stepped on constantly.  Around 4:30 we ran into a volunteer who loved my costume.  He asked if he could take a picture and requested that I do the victory pose.  That was the moment I came to a crushing realization.  I had spent the whole day wandering the con and I had forgotten to put on my necklaces!  I was wearing an unfinished piece of work.  How did I let that happen!

The Expo came to a close and we jumped in line for TNG EXPOsed.  We had seats way up in the nosebleeds which wasn't an issue until I realized how many stairs I would have to climb in that belt skirt.  I got quite the work out!  We settled in and waited for the show to start.  The pre-show was entertaining with a couple of Trek guests and a cute video of celebs at other cons discussing Next Gen.  Once the video ended they told us there was going to be a half hour "intermission" before the show started.  Once again, there was the threat of a riot.  People were not pleased to wait and I heard plenty of grumbling that they should have started the show later instead of having an intermission.  I was inclined to agree, but R used to time to go get me some food at the concession since I hadn't eaten at all that day and was starting to feel it again.  The show itself was fabulous.  The highlights for me were the surprise appearance of John Delancie and the "sick kid from Vancouver" Aaron Douglas.  The exchange between Douglas and Wheaton was priceless.  We really enjoyed the show.  Once it was over though, I was ready for bed!  We headed back to the hotel and called it a night.

Here's a few photo's of our Day 2:

Day 3 to come tomorrow...

Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo 2012: Day One

Today has been an absolute whirlwind of awesomeness!  J, D, R and I packed up the car and hit the very rainy road around 10:30 this morning.  The rain let up by the time we rolled into Calgary and we headed straight for the hotel to check in and get settled quickly before heading to the Expo.  I had a feeling this was going to be a pretty sweet day when Ted "The Million Dollar Man" Dibiase was sitting in the lobby.  We got checked in and unpacked and headed straight for the Expo.  Just as we were about to get back into the car, J and I ran into Jake "The Snake" Roberts.  Let me tell you, that was an interesting experience.  The man is, well, kind of an ass.  A nice ass, but and ass nonetheless.  He asked us where the sketchy area of town is, basically so he could score some drugs and then told us the story of the time he bought 30 bars of soap thinking he was getting crystal meth and ended up smoking 30 bars of actual soap.  Interesting fellow.

We then headed out to the convention, got our weekend badges and ran into an old friend while waiting for the doors to open.  Once inside, I headed straight for Linsner's table.  Happy Happy, he was there.  I paid him for my commision, got my pin up book signed and J got him to sign his Conan comic that Cary Nord had also signed last year.  I can't wait to pick up my sketch tomorrow.

We then did the slow walk/shop of the entire place.  J bought me some awesome Doctor Who fridge magnets and finally found the G.I. Joe figure he was looking for as well as a new shirt for his Jayne costume.  D found an amazing "Edward" T-shirt (with Edward J. Olmos on it) and R found a sweet Princess Bride shirt.

It took us a good couple of hours to hit every booth and check out their wares.  We finally made it over to the Autograph area and J went to talk to Vance Nevada while I lined up to meet Jim Cummings.  I love that man.  He is the Voice of my childhood.  I brought a copy of Winnie the Pooh for him to sign and he was so gracious.  He signed the book with the best autograph ever and then posed with me for a picture.  Hearing the voice of Tigger and Pooh come out of his mouth was so cool.  While I was waiting in line he actually left a message on one girl's friends voice mail in his Tigger voice.

I then had one last stop I had to make.  I brought my copy of World War Z and headed to see Max Brooks and get it signed.  He was an extremely nice person as well and told me that he "will never forget my name".  We walked past his booth a little while later and he yelled my name again.  J joked that I wanted him to remember my name so he would use it in a future novel.  How cool would that be!

We did another quick loop of the floor and then headed back to our hotel, where we ran into Jim Cummings in the lobby.  I think we are staying in a good hotel.  We took a walk and found a pub for a quick dinner and then went back to the hotel.  J saw Vance Nevada and Ted Dibiase in the lobby bar and decided to stay for a pint and R decided to go for a swim.  D and I are just laying here relaxing and exhausted.  Time to get some shut eye before getting up super early and getting all costumed up before Day 2.

Here's hoping it will be as awesome as Day 1!

Project Lulu Update

I thought I'd do a quick post updating my progress on my cosplay for this years Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo.  I decided to go with Lulu from Final Fantasy X this year as she is a character I love and I thought it would be a great challenge.  I am making this costume mostly from scratch and have been working on it bit by bit since about December.  It's taken quite some time to do the planning stages as well as collecting all the materials I need, particularly the massive amount of belts needed.  I have also managed to get almost everything I need locally, which is awesome because I love supporting local businesses.  The only things I have had to get online are my wig and contacts (currently on order).  Here's the progress with just 36 days to go!

Materials I used to construct the purple necklace.  I couldn't find the proper disk beads so I made them from Apoxy dots (for scrapbooking) glued together and then painted with a metallic pearl craft paint.

Completed Necklaces.  The pearls are restrung from a necklace bought at a Thrift Store and each necklace has a magnetic clasp to keep them all properly aligned with each other and prevent twisting and spinning on the body.

To save time and major headaches I purchase a corset that I could convert to work for the costume.  You wouldn't believe how difficult it was to find one!  I wanted one with a shorter body so I wouldn't be uncomfortable as I was last year when sitting in panels.  I finally found one and even though it's not perfect, I kind of like the grey pinstripe in it.  I like how it ties in with the grey of the dress.  I added the grey trim with a hand stitch.

Finished corset and fur wrap.  I reclaimed the fur from the lining of a vest purchased at a Thrift Store.

Rough Draping...just so I could see where this is all heading.

Constructing the "lace" trim.  I debated on how to tackle the edging on the dress for quite some time.  Real lace didn't give the look of the picture I'm working off of as it is uniform and generally not the right colors I need.  I decided to make my own using a stencil to paint the desired effect on a white muslin and them outline it for more detail.

Finished sleeves and partially finished overskirt.  I just have the lace trim for the train left on this piece and then to tackle the belt skirt.  Good news is I still have enough fabric left from the skirt to use as a base for the belts so I shouldn't have any other major purchases in order to complete this one!

What's left on the to do list?

• paint and attach lace trim to train
• cut out belt skirt base and attach belts with glue and zip ties for added strength
• add 2 tiers of boning to the belt skirt for added stability, ease of movement and weight distribution
• add velcro to edges of overskirt to attach to belt skirt
• add belts to sleeves
• construct the 4 hairsticks and add to the wig (once it arrives)
• find some purple lipstick

Wish me luck!

An Open Letter To...

Dear Brad Metlzer's Decoded,
   You used to intrigue me with your wild theories and facts but now you just piss me off.  Your episode on Da Vinci stated that Da Vinci predicted the invention of fireworks.  You do realize that the Chinese invented fireworks in about the 7th Century right?  You also know that Da Vinci lived in the 15th Cenury don't you?  Have you ever heard of Marco Polo?  You do know he brought fireworks home from China in approximately the 14th Century don't you?  Please at least pretend to do a little research.
Sincerely,
   Not a History Buff, but still know more than you.
P.S.  I found out the answers to those questions in less than 5 seconds on Google and I didn't even have to leave my bedroom.


Dear Fleece Sheets,
   You are the best invention ever invented.  You keep me toasty in winter and act as a light blanket in summer.  Plus you are extra cuddly.
Sincerely,
   Not a fan of sheets, but a fan of you


Dear Cadbury Chocolate Company,
   Mini Eggs are for Easter only.  My childhood dictates this.  Please stop messing with me and pull them from the shelves year round.
Sincerely,
   Confused by your logic.


Dear General Public,
   Pajama pants are never an acceptable form of clothing outside the comfort and safety of your own home.  Unless you are in the hospital. At least put on a pair of jeans.  I might even forgive sweat pants.  I will not forgive Pajama Jeans.  The inventor of these should be strung up by their toe hairs.
Sincerely,
   Your Self Respect.


Dear Pickles,
   You Rock!  Never Change.  That is all.

Dear TARDIS Mug,
   You are the best mug ever invented.  Your tall stature and square goodness hold a an incredible amount of liquid.  Your lid ensures that you make me the best cup of tea every time.  Please don't tell the yellow "Jesus loves you, you can run but you can't hide" mug that you are my favorite.  He scares me and I think he might be capable of violence.
Sincerely,
   Thirsty

Gamer Girls

I have a bunch of posts I've been wanting to catch up on lately but something happened today that has me ranting.  I was hanging out at my local games store flipping through the latest Previews magazine and making an order when this guy came in looking for some Dungeons and Dragons stuff.  The owner of the shop had just stepped out to pick up dinner so J was running the shop and began helping him out.  He was looking for a specific tile set as he was starting a new campaign with a new group.  He was starting them off with Fourth Edition of DnD with then intention of getting them into playing Pathfinder as he was not a fan of Forth Edition.  I was just sitting quietly on the couch flipping pages in the magazine when I heard one of the most ignorant comments I've heard in a while.  He said "I've noticed a demographic change since Fourth Edition came out.  The last few groups I've played in have had a lot of...girls"  Ok, so it doesn't seem so bad when written out but the malice in his voice when he said it was what got my back up.  He was genuinely not pleased with how many female gamers there are and for some reason felt the need to blame it on the game.  Here's the thing, I'm a female gamer and I don't particularly care for Forth Edition.  I think it's a broken game and I know a ton of other gamers, male and female, who feel the same way.  So buddy, don't hide behind the game and say what you truly mean.  You don't like the fact that females have invaded your little world.  I left the store very shortly after that comment before I blew my top.

I am female.  I play RPG's, video games and board games.  I love Sci-Fi and Fantasy.  I read comics.  I go to conventions.  I wait in line for every Star Wars movie every time they release or re-release one.  I cosplay.  I follow web comic.  I love Horror films.  I am not alone.

It is not Fourth Edition that has brought more girls into your little world, it's a general shift in the culture of acceptance at large.  Have you ever been to a convention?  There are some of the most beautiful and smart women you will ever meet walking the floors.  They are there because they WANT to be.  Gone are the days when hot girls in costumes at conventions are there because they are paid models who have little to no interest in the subject matter.  We know our stuff.  There are plenty of women out there who can tell you anything from when Spiderman made his first appearance in a comic to who shot first, Han or Greedo?  There are women out there who can rule's lawyer you under the table.  We are smart, educated, beautiful, confident and we are here to stay.

Do you remember when the rest of the world looked down on you for being a gamer?  When you got teased in the hallways for being a geek?  When you got excluded from a party for being a loser?  Do you remember how happy you were when you found fellow geeks who shared your loves and pains?  Do you remember when you started to feel at home?  Do you remember how happy you were when being a geek suddenly became not a bad thing and you could proudly display your action figures in your living room? All of these things made you happy.  Why in the world would you feel the need to pass all that prejudice off on women who have the same interests as you?  We female geeks have enough of a hard time talking about our interest outside of the gaming world so why should we be forced to put up with males trying to make us feel uncomfortable in what should be a safe and fun environment?  The answer is we shouldn't.

I will never let a male geek make me feel uncomfortable for doing something I enjoy.  You will not outplay me in a RPG.  Your leering will not make me go and change out of my costume while walking the convention floor.  You will not cut in front of me in line for Star Wars.  You will not jack up the price on a collectible because I KNOW what it's worth.  I will fiercely defend the right of any other female to enjoy whatever geeky pass time she chooses.

Don't be threatened by us.  Embrace the fact that we have joined your world.  There is nothing better than being able to share something you love with someone of the opposite sex.  How about a candle lit dinner and a discussion on the last episode of Battlestar Galactica?  Invite us to play Three Dragon Ante for the night, you just might be surprised.  And for the love of all things geeky, let us play in your DnD group.  We bring a different perspective to the table and can greatly enhance your gaming experience.

I am female gamer, hear me Nat 20.

Gearing up for Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo

I can't wait for this years Expo!  The line up is already huge and we are still months away!  I have a feeling that it's going to be insanely busy this year and I hope they are able to keep up with the numbers.  I had a look at the tentative layout for the show this year and I'm not sure I like them moving the guest area out of the main hall as I think it may cause some major line jams, but it might work out.  We have our tickets in hand and our hotel booked and are currently working on our cosplay for this year.  Here's a little run down of the guests so far and my thoughts.

Adam Baldwin - Excited about this one, but not as much as J!  He's decided to revamp his Jayne costume so he can get a picture with the "hero of Canton" himself.  He's currently working on recreating Vera (Jayne's gun) and if it turns out well, wants to get it autographed as well.  While I have enjoyed many of Adam Baldwin's roles, my favorite is Jayne in Firefly.  So put us down for any panel he's in as well as a photo op and autograph.

Robert Englund - I have to admit, I didn't watch the Nightmare on Elmstreet movies when I was young.  J bought them all a few years ago and we had a big marathon one day.  I loved them!  But I'm not ashamed to admit that when I went to sleep that night, Freddy tried to get me.  What a testament to a great actor that the character he brought to life can actually haunt the dreams of those who saw his performance.  One of my favorite rolls of his was in a short film he did for the Masters of Horror series called "Dance of the Dead" which is based on an amazing short story by Richard Matheson.  While it may not be the best film ever made, Englund was fabulous as the creepy M.C. who brought the dead back to dance for the living in a macabre affair.  Worth the watch if you haven't seen it.  Not sure if we'll do much more than glance at him from a distance, but that will depend on what the schedule of panels looks like.

Tom Felton - Good old Draco Malfoy.  I think it's cool that they got him and I did love the books and enjoyed the movies, but I think I'll skip the lines on this one.

Gil Gerard - Buck Rogers!  Once again, cool they got him, but not for me.

Richard Hatch - the original Apollo in Battlestar Galactica and Tom Zarek in the reboot.  Excited about this one and I never miss a Battlestar panel!

James Marsters - SQUEEEEEE!!!  In case you couldn't tell, I'm a little excited about this one.  I loved him in Buffy/Angel as the bad ass yet lovable Spike.  I loved him even more in Torchwood as Captian John Hart.  He's sexy, a great actor and has an incredible voice.  I've heard rumors of a nightclub performance after the show one night and I might just have to find that one and swoon a bit.  Panel- check, autograph - probable

Jasika Nicole - of Fringe fame.  Believe it or not, I never got into that show...weird because it's right up my alley.  I watched it pretty faithfully in the beginning but life got in the way of a few episodes and I quickly got lost in the intricate plot.  I'll probably skip this one, but once again, kudos to the Expo for the score.

John Noble - Currently on Fringe as well.  From what I have seen of the show, I love his bumbling confused genius character.  But to me, he will always be the incredible Steward of Gondor!  He'll get a walk by and a huge grin from me.

Hayden Panettiere - Save the Cheerleader, Save the World.  I loved Heroes in the beginning like many others did and yet somewhere along the way, I just stopped watching.  I don't know how this show went off the rails so far and I still have no idea how it ended.  Great score by the expo for all the fanboys!  Walk by for me.

David Prowse - the man behind the mask.  He had to cancel last year so I'm happy they got him back this year.  It'll be neat to see him and hear his stories as I'm sure he's got some interesting ones.  Panel for me.

Katee Sackoff - Can't miss for me!  Glad they were able to get her after last years cancellation.  When I first started with the reboot, I wasn't sure how I felt about them changing Starbuck to a woman.  After watching her in this role for about five minutes however, I was hooked!  She is brilliant.  I know she doesn't count towards my Cylon collection, but I think I'll got for an autograph anyway.  You'll also find me at her panel.  Gotta love Starbuck!

Arthur Suydam - I am a comic lover, but I don't know them well enough often to know the names of artist or creators off the top of my head.  This is an exception.  I loved Marvel Zombies!  I have a zombie Spiderman costume I've been working on for a few years now and one day I'll finish it.  (My nephews laughed at this one as the foundation of it is a costume I bought in the children's department and, yes, it fits me)  I might have to brave the line ups on this one for an autograph.

Amanda Tapping - Another great female guest.  While many know her from Stargate, I love her as the no nonsense Dr. Helen Magnus on Sanctuary.  I also love her 100% Canadian stance and the fact that she has helped create such a successful Canadian Sci-fi show.  Panel is likely on this one.

Adam West - What a cool guest this is.  I don't know if I'm enough of a fan to stand in what is sure to be an incredibly long line, but I will likely take in the panel.  I do love how he is more than willing to poke fun at himself and the persona he has created.

Wil Wheaton -  Just announced today and I'm excited about this one.  I love that he's just as much of a geek as the rest of us!  I follow his Twitter feed and have read his blog and I can't wait to see this panel.  My love is this man is not based on his acting, although I have enjoyed much of his work, but rather on how human he is and how much he shares with his fans.  I could picture sitting across a gaming table from him and having a great time.  The only thing that would make this better was if Aaron Douglas was there as well.  I love watching their "frenemy" fights on Twitter.

So far so good with the guests this year.  I'm excited that the Expo has become so successful that they are able to score such awesome guests.  It's only up from here I think!  My only concern is that there might be too much awesome stuff for me to do that I can't fit it into one weekend.