'A celebration of pop culture': 60,000 fans expected at Montreal Comiccon this weekend

People dressed as characters from Star Wars attend Comiccon in Montreal, Saturday, July 15, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Jedis, superheroes, Vikings and video game characters took over the Palais des congrès on Saturday for the second day of the Montreal Comiccon. Thousands of people, often in costume, were able to meet their favourite stars or share their love of geek culture.

For its 13th edition, Comiccon occupied three floors of the Palais des congrès for the first time.

The first was dedicated to the various collectibles exhibitors and vendors, the second to the conference rooms, and the third to the celebrity autograph and photo sessions.

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For Jean-François Hétu, dressed in an impressive Ghostbusters outfit resembling those featured in the Ghostbusters movie, taking part in Comiccon was a dream come true. He spent several months making his costume.

"It took seven months to make them. We order the parts from all over the world to try and find the best prices," he said. "I've wanted to do this project for 30 years, ever since I was a little boy. Now that it's done, I'm all worked up. I didn't sleep well last night just because I was so excited to come here."

Hétu was accompanied by his son, Vincent, who wore the same costume. "I wanted to be with my dad, to be able to participate with him," said the young boy, noting that he was looking forward to playing in the arcades.

People dressed as Arrow, the Flash and Supergirl attend Comiccon in Montreal, Saturday, July 15, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

The second floor dedicated to Comiccon was packed with booths offering plush toys, posters, handbags and various items bearing the effigy of comic book heroes, as well as small and large screens. The famous car from the film "Back to the Future" was on display, and photographed by several visitors. Batman and his life-size "Batmobile" also attracted attention.

"I'd done Comiccon in France, in Paris, so this is the first year I'm doing it here, and it's absolutely nothing like it. It's absolutely giant here compared to Paris," said Sébastien Luca, who arrived in Quebec two years ago.

"I'm here to share a bit of geek culture with my daughter," he added, with three-year-old Rose perched on his shoulders.

Characters from the video game Genshin Impact pose at Comiccon in Montreal, Saturday, July 15, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Japanese Anime characters were also prominent among the costumes worn by Comiccon visitors.

In particular, Lea Gongo was dressed as Asuka, a character from the anime Evangelion. "She's the love of my life. I grew up listening to this anime," she said.

For their part, three friends chose to dress up in the image of the three main characters in the Totally Spies series, a project they'd been toying with since the 2019 Comiccon.

"I used to listen to this when I was young, it's like remembering nostalgia. You can see it when you walk around, too," said Corine Boucher, dressed in the tight green Sam the Spy outfit.

A person dressed as Spiderman wait in line at Comiccon in Montreal, Saturday, July 15, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Comiccon spokesman Jason Rockman says he's proud to be part of the event's organization.

"It's really a celebration of pop culture, it's a family event. We've had generations coming to this event for 13 years, and we've seen families grow up here," said Rockman, who brought his children, now teenagers, to the event when they were three and five.

Despite the 60 guests of honour expected at Comiccon, the real celebrities of the event remain the "cosplayers" — people dressed up as various characters, according to Rockman.

"They're the ones who have the most photos taken of them, they're the ones who make all their costumes by hand. And it's really impressive when you see what they can do themselves. It's not something they buy," he said.

The "Masquerade," a costume contest, concludes the day's activities on Saturday.

Comiccon expects to welcome a total of nearly 60,000 people over the weekend.

"Typically, Sunday is a little quieter, but this year I don't think so," said the event's spokesperson, seeing the large crowds entering the Comiccon site in the morning on Saturday.

STAR WARS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Comiccon offers a variety of activities and conferences, including a Star Wars music concert on Saturday morning.

A large section of the Comiccon showroom was animated by characters from the famous franchise, including Darth Vader and Stormtrooper.

Marie-Chrystine Barbeau dresses as Ashoka Tano from Star Wars poses at Comiccon in Montreal, Saturday, July 15, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

A little further on, Jason Moreau commanded a robot of the R2-D2 character, who looked like he'd stepped off a film set. Moreau is a member of the Astromech club, which builds Star Wars robots.

"Most of them are made using 3D printers," he said. "We walk around with the robots, people love it, kids go nuts. It's really fun."

"It's really worth it for the joy we bring to kids [and] grown-ups too," Moreau added.

Comiccon is also a very lucrative event, especially for retailers.

"It's a busy three days. Yesterday [Friday] was crazy. too," said Kristina Foley, creator of small business Fox and Feather creations. "I love it; this is my sixth Comiccon, and it's still one of the best fairs I do in a year," she said.

To meet your favourite celebrities, you also have to pull out your wallet. For example, to get an autograph and a photo of Christina Ricci, who played Wednesday in the 1991 film The Addams Family, you'll have to pay close to $100.

Several other well-known actors are also expected to attend over the weekend, including Jamie Campbell Bower (Stranger Things), Tom Welling (Lucifer) and Emily Swallow (The Mandalorian).

This report was written with the financial assistance of the Meta Exchange and The Canadian Press for news.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 15, 2023.