Thursday 18 September 2014

Montreal Comiccon Highlights: 2014

by Jordan Danger
Photos by Chris Patten
MONTREAL COMICCON 2014: HIGHLIGHTS
A stunning Bishop cosplay, and moi.

This year I attended the Montreal ComicCon once again. It’s my third time at this con, and it shows no sign of slowing down. With record-setting crowds this year, the con was packed—almost overwhelmingly so—and the entire building was a-buzz with con goers. The Palais de Congres is such a great venue because it offers extensive room to chill out, so the con floor itself isn’t packed with people dragging their feet; indeed, the main mezzanine is a great place to grab some amazing cosplay shots.

COSPLAY FUN

And the cosplay was really the star of the show this con. I estimate that 1 in 4 people seem to be dressed up in some fashion; certainly I could turn in any direction at any point, and find somebody in a glorious costume. I myself attended as Jet Girl (my cosplay that debuted at Ottawa ComicCon this year) and enjoyed the thumbs-up and photo op requests from attendees.

Cosplay really is becoming a major part of conventions, and I think this is wonderful. One can only attend so many cons before you’ve bought all the merch you really need, attended all the panels you wanted to hear, and gotten all the celebrity photos you can afford. After that, the cons can get a little stale—take it from me, who has attended every con in the area for a year straight. What doesn’t get old is the fans and the cosplay.

HIDDEN GEMS IN ARTIST’S ALLEY

Also infinitely enjoyable is Artist’s Alley. This often-overlooked part of a con’s offerings was a busy place at MTL this year. Many of the artists are repeats; for instance, I see Ron + Indy regularly, and Dr Kyla’s Emporium who makes the most wonderful crocheted characters, like my Gorn who I glued to my hula girl legs on my dash and is now the famous HulaGorn.



What’s great about Artist’s Alley is that, even when you chat with an artist you’ve already met, you get an update on their world and their work. Of course, it’s also great fun to see people having custom sketches done by industry giants like Geof Isherwood and Nick Bradshaw, two highly approachable and awesome comic book artist greats. Over the course of many cons, Nick and I have become well acquainted (and I have a sketch of Rogue on roller skates to prove it), and it can be a real treat to chat with some of the men and women who bring our favourite characters to life.

me with Nick Bradshaw, Marvel's go-to guy


It’s also great fun to discover younger talent and support them with the purchase of a print or postcard. This year, Amy Spaulding and Deena Pagliarello get my vote for ‘best in show’ with their very clever takes on iconic super women.

A GOOD GEEKY TIME


We departed the con after a giant feast of sushi from the Palais’ sushi place, then headed out, full of that bright happy geek energy you can only find at a con. It’s such a joy to live in the ‘golden triangle’ and have such easy access to everything Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto; if you haven’t made the short trip down to Montreal for the con before, I heartily recommend you hit it up next year!


Jordan Danger is a veteran blogger, writer, and marketing consultant based in Ottawa, Ontario. She is also President and Editor in Chief of CapitalGeekGirls.com. Jordan blogs at GirlCrafted.com, a lifestyle blog about crafting life both literally and figuratively. She loves DIY projects, her dog, and Oxford comma

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