Years ago, when it came to comics and the universes that existed within their pages, I was merely the learner. Now, having spent countless hours in stores and clearly using my time on the internet wisely, I’m the master.
The experience of Fan Expo changes over time, with your own age and interests changing as the festival does. Many show up to take pictures of those in costume, others are there for cheaper-than-usual comics and merchandise, and of course, many fellow nerds are there to have their brush with celebrity. But what is Fan Expo to those who’ve taken enough pictures throughout the years and have enough comics to last a lifetime?
It’s the weekend of August 23, and this is the test of Fan Expo for me this year. I’m alone, which means I have to find reasons to be here outside of spending time with friends. As expected, the atmosphere of Fan Expo is warm and welcoming. Here, there’s no such thing as a wrong interest or a strange look. This year Fan Expo is divided into six areas: comics, sci-fi, horror, gaming, sports, and anime, with a point of interest for anyone and everyone. After walking through sci-fi area and picking up a copy of Dark Empire II, I grab a seat and flip through the event schedule. This is when I’m approached by two upbeat cosplayers who’ve been sitting at a table near me and staring at my comic. Friendly and curious, they ask me about the comic, and where to start learning about Star Wars beyond the movies.
We have a deep, enjoyable discussion on the resurrection of the emperor and the artistic style of the comic, after which they tell me they themselves are artists and have spent the majority of their time at Fan Expo walking through Artist Alley. They convince me I’m missing out by not visiting the subsection, especially as a Star Wars fan. I decide to check it out, as it’s something I’ve never done in all my years attending.
In Artist Alley I find myself seeing not only beautifully drawn paintings, comics, and prints, but the artists themselves as well—most of them Torontonians. As I walk through the many artists there, cartoonist Shawn Daley catches my eye with his Western comic drawn in a shady, concept-art style. He welcomes me to his booth and we dive into a good talk about his experience of being an artist in Toronto and at Fan Expo. Like the other artists, Daley is here to expand his connection to the artist community.
I ask if he knows any artists who have worked on Star Wars attending the convention. Maybe, through some brilliant stroke of luck, I’ll get to meet someone who has worked on the comics I’ve been reading for so long. “Robert Bailey,” he says. “Thank me later”. Bailey turns out to be one of the main artists for the Star Wars movies, the go-to person for George Lucas when he needed art. I expect a massive lineup of fans waiting to meet him, but it’s still worth a shot. I notice Bailey’s booth, according to the map, is well beyond Artist Alley, and is instead deep within the territory of celebrity meet-ups. I make my way to booth 529 – the smallest of them all. Bailey and his wife sit up front.
“Fan Expo is wondrous and never-ending.”
I greet them, and right away, we have a connection. They are unlike anyone I’d expect to be affiliated with Star Wars. Kind and upbeat, they quickly offer me a seat and engage in conversation. Before getting to his art, I ask about the lack of people around his booth. He tells me I’m the only person who’s come to see him today. It seems Bailey has been overshadowed by the many other celebrities at Fan Expo and his appearance has been poorly advertised.
I look through his works of art — originals and those personally requested by Lucas — and it is all outstanding. Meeting Bailey not only strengthens my connection to the Star Wars universe, but this one-on-one conversation we share also helps me build a contact for the future.
“It’s extremely easy to become overlooked in such a place,” says Bailey. “But Fan Expo is wondrous and never-ending. Walk around the convention five times over and you’ll see something new every time. I just came back from the Storm trooper legion myself.” The irony isn’t lost on me. An hour later, I say my goodbyes and go on my way with a picture of myself and Bailey in my bag, having received a personal invitation to Winnipeg to sit with him at his next convention.
Fan Expo teaches me a lesson about open-mindedness this year: I have to take chances and go places I haven’t been before. This is what brings me into the same space people as the people I so greatly admire. But better late than never. It’s quite easy to get lost in the chaos of cosplay, the gaming booths, and the celebrities who charge you $80 to meet them, but it’s important to remember that Fan Expo is the best place to simply find something new.
Arian Shahnavazy
Contributor
