Calgary Expo – The Weird and the Walking

As you may have noticed, Calgary was invaded this past weekend by all things geek.  The Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo ran Friday through Sunday and oh my…what a weekend it was!  There was so much to see and do that I left feeling totally overwhelmed and feeling a bit hungover even though I hadn’t had a drop of liquor to drink.

Friday night I was beyond excited to attend the Weird Al Yankovic concert.  I really didn’t know what to expect – I’ve laughed and enjoyed his work in the past but I would never have considered myself a raving fan.   Watching him sing was a musical journey through time and pop culture.   He was laying out history right before us and while yes, it was a comical performance, there were layers of truth and social commentary to it as well.

I learned that Weird Al has a ferociously loyal group of fans who knew all the lyrics and were thrilled to be in his presence.  It was heartwarming to see that this performance was genuinely enjoyed and that there’s still room in this world for someone who is not just talented but who is also willing to be himself and do his own thing.  Loved it.

 

There was so much at the Expo that if you’re a fan of anything, any tv show or comic book or video game you can think of had something at the show to represent it.  For me?  The Walking Dead is where it’s at.  I’m a big fan and was starting to get a little twitchy now that the season has wrapped.  I thought I’d have to wait until next fall for another fix.  So when I learned there was to be some of the cast on site I was thrilled!  We saw loads of Walking Dead merchandise and it really drove home to me how popular this franchise is.  We saw issue #1 of The Walking Dead Comic book listed at $3200!  Crazy!

Carol (Melissa McBride) was on site signing autographs and she is a wee tiny thing with such a gracious sentiment about her.  When you see her in real life it’s hard to ever imagine her stabbing a zombie through the eye, even a fake zombie in a tv show – it’s a testament to all the magic that goes into making the show seem feasible.

My husband bought a comic that is double signed by the creators of the story.  It’s issue #100 which is a significant book – especially significant for the character of Glen.  Since Steven Yeun who plays Glen in the show was there, it made sense for us to get him to sign it.

This is a fantastic keepsake of a great day and a favorite show.  My husband and I have spent quite a few nights snuggled up in our pjs watching The Walking Dead and now we have a collectible to remind us of the fun long after the show ends (please, let it never end!)

Norman Reedus who plays Daryl Dixon was there too but we couldn’t get near the guy.  He’s a fan favorite and boy did it show.  The line up for his autographs was full, full full and while we would have loved to have met him too we were happy with our experience and ready to call the weekend a wrap.  I thoroughly enjoyed our time at the Expo and plan to go again next year.  I could write 10 posts with everything we saw this weekend, maybe I’ll share a few more photos on my facebook page.  Did you go?  I’d love to hear about your experience in comments if you did!