Montreal Comic-Con 2012

So on Saturday, September 15th, I attended Montreal Comic-Con. I didn't have any particular expectations; I just wanted to shop, attend some panels, and enjoy myself.

I arrived at 8:45am at the Palais des Congrès, and there were so many people waiting to get inside. Luckily, the line moved quite a bit during the time I was waiting, and I was even able to get upstairs, after getting stamped, into a holding area until 10 am, which is when the convention starts.

I followed the mob of people to the dealer's area, and it was huge. It was definitely going to take me all day to get through it, but I only browsed through 3 aisles until I left to go attend Johnny Yong Bosch's panel at 11 am. I got there 20 minutes before the start, and JYB was saying how we were so early. I apologized, and he said he didn't mind, it's just that they were still setting up. Check out the pre-panel footage here. I wasn't particularly a fan of JYB before this panel because I haven't really played (besides some Sengoku Basara) or watched any anime that he voice acted in. However, I was smiling throughout his entire panel, and loved every second of it. I'm his fan for life now. <3

After the panel, I decided to go for lunch, since I was getting really hungry, and I didn't eat breakfast that morning since I wanted to be in line early. I noticed that there was a Noobox in the PDC, and since I love noodles, I decided to try it out. You place an order by filling out a card, and then give it to the cashier. It asks for all kinds of things like what kind of vegetables you want, what meat you want, what sauce, etc. With a drink, it came just under $10, and despite the price tag, I was able to finish it all with ease (vs other noodle places like Thai Express, which is super difficult to eat all by myself). I really recommend it if you ever pass by one.

Soya buckwheat noodles in black bean sauce with beef, baby corn, broccoli, and shallots. I love my baby corn. <3

After eating lunch, it was time to get back into the dealer's area for round 2. I did so much shopping. Bought mangas, artwork, t-shirts, earrings, etc. I didn't really take many pictures, but I had to take pictures of the Batmobile and The Mystery Machine. It's not often you get to see iconic cartoon vehicles in real life. 

Best picture I could get of the Batmobile with a Batman statue without having to pay money.  The thing behind the red curtains is part of the display at Halloween Expert where it pops out of a hearse every once in awhile.

The Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo!

Before I went to my next panel, I went to get autographs from JYB. My sister got a couple of things signed, including a picture of him, and I decided to buy all of Eyeshine's CDs (the band that JYB is part of).

Me, JYB, and my sister. It totally looks like I'm touching JYB's butt, but I'm not. I didn't actually touch him, only my left arm did. Maybe I should have touched him. >.<

One more picture with Eyeshine (JYB + Maurice). This one is up on their Facebook page. 

With that out of the way, I headed to the Assassin's Creed panel about how to build a huge world and keep it cohesive. The line-up for this panel was huge, and I wasn't sure my sister and I were even going to get in. We ended up sitting almost all the way in the back, and at least 100 people were refused because there was just no space in the room. The panel was surprisingly boring. They just talked about how they have this database with rules that people need to follow so that the same information isn't said twice, and that any mini story made must be consistent with everything else. They also talked about how Assassin's Creed sold xx million copies, and how it's branched off into online games and comics, etc. I was hoping to learn more about how they came up with the concept for Assassin's Creed, rather than what they actually talked about. It was nice to know that they never thought the game would be this popular. I think this panel was good for those who want to create something similar to Assassin's Creed in the sense that they want to make a super expansive game, and want to make sure how to stay cohesive with many minds working on many different things about it.

With that panel over, it was time to do some last minute shopping until the Reboot panel. I finally got around to the Artist's Alley, and found my favourite local comic author, Simon Banville.

Getting an autograph from Simon Banville!

Simon Banville writes and illustrates the comic strip "Asymptote" in the free metro newspaper "24h". I really like how his 4-panel comic strips reflect daily events, and just everyday moments of life like trying to find a job or being rebellious at school. All the characters are simple and unique and easy to relate to. Every time I come to Montreal Comic-Con, I'm always looking for the Asymptote booth. I think it's important to support local talent when you can.

After feeling satisfied with the shopping I've done in the Dealer's area, I went to line up for the Reboot panel. The line-up for this panel was longer than the staff expected, so rooms had to be switched so that the Reboot panel could get a bigger room. If you watched TV as a kid in the 90s, then you've seen Reboot. Obviously, the show is not recent, but it's so nostalgic, and it was nice to see so many fans here in Montreal. Once everyone was able to get into the panel (with quite a few on the floor), the panel started, and it was amazing. I really liked how they talked about their beginnings where they were hiring people just to do a crazy amount of animation, and how artists and the like thought that their jobs would be taken away by computers, making people disinterested in the project. Then someone asked about how Reboot was influenced by BS&P (Broadcast Standard & Practices), which led to them explaining how they couldn't make anything violent, so guns shooting bullets wasn't allowed, so they made guns shooting bubbles, and shooting inflatables boats that said "BS&P approved". They also talked about how they got Gillian Anderson (Scully from X-Files) to voice her own binome, and this was possible because she was a fan of the show. They also talked about how they were always under the gun in terms of time at the beginning, and made the series episodic in the first 2 seasons to make sure it got approval from BS&P and ABC, who was showing Reboot at the time. They talked about how they weren't expecting to do a 3rd season, since they kind of ended the 2nd season with Bob being shot into the Web. They then said that from Season 3 and on, it represented a lot more of what they wanted the series to be in the first place with the balance of comedy and dark tones, and overarching stories across many episodes. They also said how they know how the series will end after "The Hunt", and are waiting for the day when they can finally tell that story. This was the best panel to end Montreal Comic-Con with, and I wish it kept going for another 30 minutes because I was learning so much about the tidbits that I would have never noticed. I'm excited to watch Reboot all over again to look for all these things. I hope they come back next year to do a Reboot panel again. 

Overall, my experience at Montreal Comic-Con 2012 was pretty good. Lots of things to buy, interesting panels to attend, and of course, lots and lots of cosplays (which I think everyone expects from a con). This is most likely the last con of 2012 I'll be attending, unless there happens to be a mini Montreal Comic-Con in December.

Until next year Montreal Comic-Con!