The Masquerade is an annual night of cosplay culture at Fan Expo Canada and true to the record numbers the show received during the day, the nighttime celebration attracted so many participants, over seventy performing groups, that it ran over two and a half hours in length. A testimony to the show runners and their hosts, there wasn't a tedious moment and the packed house was still ready for more even as the night drew long. [More]

With greater attendance comes more costumes as one of the most famous elements of Fan Expo Canada, the cosplay of its most devoted attendees, rises in sophistication. While the Expo has always been famous for bringing together the widest gathering of fans of many diverse genres, this year also saw in increase in the sophistication of the costumes being worn. More and more participants and putting in longer hours making their wear with several sporting larger props and electronic effects. Tonight's Masquerade, the show's annual event for costumers to put on skits and routines as a social event for the community, should easily trump any that we have seen in previous years. I can't wait. Here's the fun characters I ran into just this morning. [More]

Fulfilling their wildest dreams, the organizers of this year's Fan Expo Canada event here in Toronto are having to contend with a record-breaking attendance as lines the length of many city blocks remain constantly outside the expo's entrances today, the second day of the show. Inside, the halls are packed shoulder-to-shoulder, escalators are constantly bringing in new crowds and every panel, every booth, every autograph sessions seems to be buckling under the weight of a frightening number of attendees. The exceptional part of this phenomenon is that everything is moving. The crowds are moving, the lines are moving, and yet they remain constantly long and thick. [More]

It is one of the longest lines for autographs at this year's Fan Expo Canada, so much so that the line began to block entry to other booths. No, it wasn't the stars of Tru Blood or Heroes, Battlestar Galactica or Stargate, but Montreal-based writer Ryan Sohmer and Acton, Ontario-based artist Lar Desouza. The duo are the creators of two wildly popular online comics, Least I Could Do, a strip following the adventures of a 24 year-old corporate executive and Looking For Group, a fantasy comic book series that delves deep into the humour and conventions of video game culture. Their online stories and characters have lead to a massive and very successful catalog of bound books, T-shirts, and now even figurines. [More]

The most popular way for fans to show a connection and passion for the worlds and characters they love at Fan Expo Canada is to wear them, and the easiest choice is the T-Shirt. While there are plenty of booths selling shirts with prints of star wars characters or classic movie posters (the first shirt I saw was for Corner Gas), there are just as many booths delivering a range of original designs thanks to local artists who've discovered the classic tee as the easiest way to get exposure to their work and establish a relationship with the fans they share so much in common with. [More]

Unlike most conventions, Fan Expo Canada has a strong social side. Perhaps its because it is a gathering of fans from many genres; comic books, horror, fantasy, science fiction, and video games, that so many are willing to put into the time and effort to dress up as their favorite characters. Where so many expos and trade shows are geared towards making money or fueling a sense of competition, it's incredibly rewarding to see hundreds of people merely come out with a sense of sharing their own imagination. There's no contests, no prizes, no sponsors, or product placement, and yet the halls are filled with costumes of incredible detail and effort. Complete strangers stop each other to chat and admire their costumes, to snap respectful photos and to pass on compliments. Its a shared kindness, one that is incredibly rewarding. [More]

A convention and social gathering for fans of all genres, this year’s Fan Expo Canada has, quite incredibly, grown in size and, based on the first of its three-day run, attracted larger crowds than previous years. The already massive show, which consists of smaller conventions devoted to comic books and anime, science fiction and fantasy, horror and video games, has year expanded with a new section devoted to board games and a larger schedule of sessions, talks, and celebrity signings. [More]

Today is the launch of Fan Expo Canada 2009, a massive weekend-long celebration of comic books, horror, science fiction, fantasy, and video games. Celebrities including Leonard Nimoy, Tony Curtis, Linda Hamilton, Mary McDonnell, Dave Thomas, Roger Corman, and so many more will be making appearances along side rows after rows of fantastic booths, panels, discussions, competitions, and costume displays as Canada's cosplay community comes out in full force. As in previous years I'll be navigating the crowds and hunting for cool items, and while I will be posting photos and some reports here on my blog, for more immediate action you can follow me on my Twitter account here where will will be sharing lots of fun photos and audio clips. You can follow the Expo itself on Twitter here too. [More]

The next big cat is out, but sadly only for those with Macs running on an Intel processor, meaning if you bought your Apple computer before 2006, you’ll need to sit this one out. Reaching stores today for the pleasantly low price of $35, Mac OSX version 10.6, or “Snow Leopard” will update current Mac computers to perform faster, deliver more hard drive space, offer built-in support for Microsoft Exchange, better support for Chinese input, and key new features for those with vision impairments. [More]

No? Well then its now made by Two Eggplants, a company that is marketing a line of soaps modeled after popular smartphones. The Palm Pre version (pictured) includes the screen icons and the small home button molded into the surface. It weighs 3 oz. and comes scented with a chocolate truffle fragrance although they can customize it with a choice of pizza, coca-cola, Bellini, Nutella, and even a bourbon and coke combination. Also in the company's catalog are soap versions of the iPhone, a Blackberry, iPod, and PSP. Just to be clear, I'm not endorsing the company or its store, I don't know them, just think their ideas are fun. [More]