The wait is finally over. Toronto Comicon (presented by FAN EXPO CANADA) kicks off this afternoon at 4:00PM.
Over the next three days, cosplayers, cinephiles, enthusiasts, nerds, fangirls, fanboys, newbies, and pop culture junkies will descend on the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in downtown Toronto.
If you’ve never been to a con before, these events can be overwhelming. The show covers every aspect of fandom: gaming, movies, TV, anime, cosplay and more. But here’s the gist of it: you, along with tens of thousands of people, walk around an enormous venue taking in the unbelievable sights until your eyes feel ready to burst. Toronto Comicon’s attractions include panel discussions, Q&As, workshops, presentations, photo ops, exhibitors, and of course, celebrity guests. There’s nowhere else in the world where you can find Hellboy (Ron Perlman), Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), and Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) in one room together. And as far as Toronto Comicon oddities go, that celebrity hodgepodge is just the tip of the iceberg.
Toronto Comicon is where internet fan culture comes to life – minus the trolls. You can shop, you can get your merch signed, and you can take photos with your favourite celebs. But the best part is walking around the showroom floor and interreacting with diehard fans. You can feel the show’s positive vibe the minute you walk through the door. Toronto Comicon always reminds me that, no matter how obscure the comic book, TV series, video game or movie, somewhere out in the furthest corners of the internet, there’s an obsessive fanbase. And the strong sense of community on display always hits me with the warm fuzzies.
It’s not uncommon to see Darth Vader and Kylo Ren marching by with a squad of Stormtroopers behind them. And don’t be shocked to turn around and see a flock of Pokémon characters posing for a group photo. I’ve even seen a Dalek having a hip-hop dance-off – which is wild seeing as they don’t have arms and legs. But who am I to judge? Toronto Comicon is a place where anything can happen.
After attending enough cons, the absurd becomes routine, but it never gets old.
Toronto Comicon Show dates and times:
Friday, March 15, 2019 4:00PM – 9:00PM
Saturday, March 16, 2019 10:00AM – 7:00PM
Sunday, March 17, 2019 10:00AM – 5:00PM
Highlighted guests include:
RON PERLMAN (Hellboy, Sons of Anarchy)
JOHN RHYS-DAVIES (Lord of the Rings)
TOMMY FLANAGAN (Sons of Anarchy)
RYAN HURST (Sons of Anarchy)
DAN FOGLER (Fantastic Beasts)
JOHN DE LANCIE (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
CORBIN BERNSEN (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Major League, Psych)
JALEEL WHITE (Family Matters, Sonic the Hedgehog)
EMMA CAULFIELD (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
JEN COHN (Overwatch)
ANJALI BHIMANI (Overwatch)
TORONTO COMICON 2019 HIGHLIGHTED PROGRAMMING INCLUDES:
CELEBRITY Q&As
AUTOGRAPHS & PHOTO OPS
COSPLAY RED CARPET
WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS
SORTING HAT CEREMONY
QUIDDITCH MATCHES WITH QUIDDITCH CANADA
PRINCESSES’ STORYTIME, SING A LONGS AND MEET AND GREETS
JOHN WILLIAMS SCORE COMMEMORATION WITH BRIGIT O’REGAN
ARTIST ALLEY
OVER 150,000 SQ. FT. OF SHOPPING MADNESS
About Toronto Comicon
Toronto Comicon presented by FAN EXPO Canada™ is a pop culture convention for fans of comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, and gaming. The three-day extravaganza is packed with exciting family-friendly activities and celebrities. This year’s highlights include celebrity guest appearances by Ron Perlman, Tommy Flanagan and Ryan Hurst (Sons of Anarchy), Jaleel White (Family Matters), John Rhys-Davies (Lord of the Rings franchise), Dan Fogler (Fantastic Beasts), John de Lancie and Corbin Bernsen (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Emma Caulfield (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Jen Cohn and Anjali Bhimani (Overwatch), and more. This year’s show takes place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from March 15-17, 2019.
