Metro Toronto Convention Centre
August 28 to 30, 2009
Once again, I made it to Fan Expo again but for only for the Saturday and the Masqerade. The previous years of trying to make it for two days and communiting for 4 to 5 hours when I didn't have a place to stay overnight just did me in.
The one difference was instead of getting home around 3-4am, I left London at that time to get into Toronto as early as possible. REAL Early. Getting to Front street around 6:30am. The place was quiet compared to usual daily tussle of Fan Expo.
I entered MTCC early just to scope out the place and largely the weather outisde made it inhospital.
Where is everybody?
I got there so early the cleaners were still active bringing a floor sweeper through the doors of Dealers Room. Security was around so I kept clear to get the one shot.
First in line
Still crowds slowly as time past.
Not long the crowds came... and came they did.
I usually head to hotdog trucks outside of MTCC but even there and back were heavy lineups no matter what I did.
...
Gaming contiued in rooms as well..
Once again Chaotic was at Fan Expo... this time as a branded energy drink. With last year's big push, this was another attempt to brand the card game. Still it wasn't enough and Chaotic passed away. Not surprising considering card games here in North America has a hard time making it big like Magic the Gathering. It took years for magic to get where it is with many pitfalls. No company should be expecting to make that type of success must realize it a long haul.
Dealers Room has row after row of dealers.
It was time for Timmies and a well deserved break before the masquerade line up. I still made use of my walk as there was still the occassional cosplayer to snap a photo.
By this time, the drizzle and fog were LONG gone from downtown Toronto.
Time I headed back the sun over the tracks walkway was starting to hide behind clouds and skyscrapers. Time to desend into the South Hall and the waiting line up for the masquerade.
The line of seated people waiting for the masquerade to start snaked throughout the halway with no real boundary where the lines where. As always the handling of letting people broke down as 501 stood on both sides of the door and the entire line broke down into chaotic rush for the doors. Poorly handled there is no need for the line up. They could have opened the hall an half an hour early but they claimed they needed time to setup. AnimeNorth had the 404's open up their masquerade so majority of people were already seated an full hour before the masquerade.
Once again the masquerade was in Hall G which I grown to love. No balcony like the theatre but it seats far more. If only if main floor seating was sloped upward to give better view but it was offset with projector screens on either sides.
then the lights dimmed and began the masquerade.
Some of the acts from the masquerade stayed for photo ops after the show.
Only a few cosplayers were around as the crowd thinned.
The area once packed with fans was once again void of life.
People had long since cleared out and the walk back to Front Street had been as it had been this morning... empty.
Only a few stranglers waiting for a ride when I got to the North Entrance.
I managed to capture a busker band on Dundas before heading to bus station and home.
Domo arigato, Fan Expo fans.