by Jordan Danger
Photos by Chris Patten
MONTREAL COMICCON 2014: HIGHLIGHTS
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| 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.
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| 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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