YYC Adventures: Calgary Horror Con

Next week is the beginning of what I like to call the month of terror, or as those who are a bit more mundane like to call it October. This time of year means that the leaves on the trees are dying off and changing to brilliant hues of orange and yellow. This month also witnesses all the ghouls and goblins as they prepare for the coming of their favorite holiday All Hallows Eve better known as Halloween.

Well during the weekend that has just passed I went to witness some of the anticipation building up for this holiday. The gathering that I am talking about is called Horror-Con and is relatively new to the city of Calgary. This toddler of a convention is only a whopping two years old but already it has begun to grow support and in size.

Find out more about them here: Horror Con

The only reason that I found out about this wonderful event is because I was informed two days prior by a close friend of mine. At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to go at all but another friend agreed to go with me and then last minute my Wifey decided to join us. Boy am I ever glad that I did go but my one and only regret is not having brought a lot of cash with me.

At the event there were a significant amount of booths that were selling some really outstanding wares. Amongst the ranks of these vendors there was a booth operated by one of my friends and the reason I was intrigued enough to attend. The friend I am talking about is the lovely lady who so graciously made the cake toppers for my wedding.

Check out her wares here: Grave Digger Fashions

Or her DA account: CootieTourniquet

Besides my good friend Jace’s booth there was a great deal of other really amazing booths to see pedaling their wares. A great deal of very talented artists who have an affinity for the horror genre were all gathered together and resulted in a good time for all.

Take a Look

Even the Southern Alberta Lego User Group Calgary Chapter were at Horror-Con and representing the art of the genre through the use of lego.

Find out more about them here: Southern Alberta Lego User Group Calgary Chapter

The group that I was with even partook in one of the many stage shows that they were doing, I witnessed a very gothic singer performing his music.

One of the booths that was featured at the convention was a tattoo artist who was doing ink for those who wanted it, including my good friend Mr. Devo. Unfortunately I was not around to witness him doing this mostly because he did it on the second day of the con which I could not attend. I really wish that I had some cash to buy some of the stuff there and I know that Wifey feels the same. We did get ourselves some spookily adorable little cupcakes from one of the vendors and I collected a business card from the vendors that I did like.

This was really cool and now that I know of its existence I will watch for the Calgary Horror Convention next year.

Sincerely Urban Yeti

My time at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo

Ok so this past weekend marked the biggest event of my year The Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, or as I shall call it from now on C2E2, this is the thing I look forward to every year. For me more planning goes into this convention then almost anything else in my life. This year was shaping to be the best yet mainly because on of the actors who plays my favorite characters from my favorite show was going to be there this year. Who is this mysterious actor, why it is Adam Baldwin the who plays a man called Jayne in the amazing show firefly.

As being one of those geeks who enjoys dressing up every year, this year me and my friends decided it would be hella fun to all go dressed as the crew for an airship. We being the kind of people who do not just do anything half ass we not only made costumes to fit the roles needed upon an massive aircraft but we also developed back stories for everyone of our costumes. Myself I got the prestigious title of Airship Captain because for starters I already had most of my costume already built and because it was my idea to do the steampunk style costumes in the first place.

My Saturday started with me awaking and donning my costume, downing a very tasty timmies that was bestowed upon me by my best friend Kenneth the Third and we were of to the event that had been the predominate thought on our minds for the last three months. Things like always started slow at first with us trying to figure out which incredibly long line we were destined to stand in. Once inside we bee-lined straight for the opposite end of the hall where the actors were signing autographs.



I got my desired autograph and we all regrouped which took quite a bit of time to gather all of us into one local. We then decided since it was now quarter to noon that we should get some lunch, we have a tradition that each year we avoid waiting in the terrible line for like 40 min for food we just leave and come back after lunch. This year that was one of the most terrible ideas that we could have done, for you see this year was the first and last reunion of Star Trek: The Next Generation which means the con was ten time busier then ever before. So much so that upon arriving back we found that no one was permitted in and the fire marshals were planning on shutting the whole thing down. We waited around a bit before some people started yelling and growing angry, in fear of a riot starting we decided it would be our best interest to call it a day and head home so we don't get caught in something like that.

So on the Sunday we figured since it was so extremely busy on Saturday that we would get there two hours early instead of half an hour like we normally do. Boy was I glad that we took that coarse of action because even when we arrived so early the line was around the building. It was crazy how far the line streched so long before the event but then again this is what geekdom is about, waiting in crazy long lines to be sure that you get to where you need to. In half an hour the line had moved and we were waiting in a large holding area where me being who I am I got into a conversation and made a new friend.
Once the doors open I went on the geek shopping spree I had been planning I had a short list of what I was looking for. Since I had not been able to shop on Saturday I only had a small window of opportunity in which to find that in which I had longed for. Alas of the things I was only able to procure one of the items I was looking for which made me a little upset since I think if I had shopped last year I would have found them.
I got a chance to game in the afternoon on Sunday which made me happy because I missed a session that I had signed up for on Saturday. A impromptu film noir style shadow run revolving around a sound that can paralyze was interesting to play, it defiantly gave me some pointers on how to improve my campaigns. Followed by a star wars game where I was a part of the clone army and had to fight my way off of a federation overrun planet.
It wasn't the best expo I have been too but it wasn't the worst ether.