#Calgary Comics and Entertainment Expo

[nscafe-firehose]

Story time...

During the start of COVID-time, I decided to I wanted to re-collect some comics I had in the early 1990s. I didn't want reprints, I wanted originals.

I wanted to go through Todd McFarlane's Marvel work, starting with Daredevil #241 thru Spider-Man #16 (and then Image's Spawn #1-#25 plus the Violator 3-issue series)... and if you know about his run there, well... there were some pricy titles to collect. However, I wanted to do it, so I did it...

Also, due to COVID-time and my disability, I haven't left the apartment aside from medical appointments, voting and a few random times going out for food and eating outdoors [for the vast majority of the time]. We're both take it quite seriously because I really don't need to get any more sick than I am already. Yes, we're always masking when not in the apartment (and sometimes in the apartment when we have contractors coming in to do work). And we're diligent about as well. We haven't gotten sick yet.

(tldr; I basically haven't left the house unless I had to since Nov. 2020)

Fast forward to 2023 and after some life altering events, we decided to order VIP passes for Calgary Comics+Entertainment Expo, all 4 days. We figured with the early access our odds of not "getting sick" were okay. And also to save my leg from too much stress, we planned to rent a wheelchair.

Fast forward to 2024 and we have our VIP passes to the Calgary Comics+Entertainment Expo... and then McFarlane was announced as a late guest. I thought to myself, sure... I'll get an autograph. I can do that.

But as time ticked on, I felt like naaaah... there are bigger fans who could use waiting in line more than myself. An autograph would be nice but I didn't need one.

Then Fan Expo runs a VIP only context to win free autographs from him. Well then! That I could sign up for. My beloved partner, also a big comics book fan (more on the X-Men side of things [and she was able to get all of the X-Men '97 guests who were here, along with the original animated series Producer and Director autographs... and a selfie with Beast!]), also entered.

We both won (of course I'd get ticket 23... she got 24).

Now I needed to pull some "cool covers" so that we could make some choices (picture 1, above).

She chose Spider-Man #12 (and diligently read that 5-book series to get prepared for the day). I wanted to do Spider-Man #8 (for the very local tie-in) but we didn't exactly need two books signed from that series. So... what to choose, what to choose...

Amazing Spider-Man #311 (and it didn't even make the short list... not in the 1st pic) got the pick. It is a cool cover to be sure but I chose it for the nod to late 1980s Cowboy/Western fashion... and since I've grown up in Calgary, I was very aware of that reference (annual cowboy cosplay celebrations tend to do that... yay Calgary Stampede! [hey, if the comic+entertainment fandom has cosplay for CCEE, why not call the say the same sort of thing for the Stampede... this isn't a negative thing]).

When I told McFarlane why I chose the book I did, I got a chuckle and an "Oh wow!".

The only downside is that due to my disability I'm unable to attend day 4 but my beloved partner gets enjoy a day without pushing me around in a wheelchair (averaging over 9000 steps each of the 3 days)... give her arms and legs a big of a break.

But we did get quite lucky in our timings for things and we appreciated the experiences.

So long as we don't "get sick" and recovery time for this body o'mine doesn't take too long, then I think we can plan to attend again next year.

[mellonposting]

good thing fili survived and got to meet pippin

[blake-allykat]

Yesterday I went to comic expo and got so many compliments on my Captain America outfit!

Dress, cardigan, boots: Torrid Helmet: made from a soldier costume helmet Shield: Spirit Halloween

Today I wore a more witchy inspired look and didn't get as many comments, but I still loved my look!

Dress and hat: Shein Corset belt: Torrid Moon belt: Hot Topic

[companionofthetimelords]

Neil Newbon Convention List for the rest of 2024 as of May 16th 2024 (I will try and update it as more cons are announced.)

Apr 25th 2024 Calgary Expo Comics & Entertainment (2024) in Calgary Alberta Canada

May 3rd 2024 Fan Expo Philadelphia (2024) in Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA

Jun 7th 2024 Fan Expo Dallas (2024) in Dallas Texas USA

Jun 14th 2024 Fan Expo Boston (2024) in Boston Massachusetts USA Neil had to Cancel

Jul 4th 2024 Fan Expo Denver (2024) in Denver Colorado USA

Jul 12th 2024 Florida Supercon in Miami Florida USA

Aug 16th 2024 Fan Expo Chicago (2024) in Rosemont(Chicago) Illinois USA

Aug 22nd 2024 Fan Expo Canada (2024) in Toronto Ontario Canada

Aug 29th 2024 Dragon Con (2024) in Atlanta Georgia USA

Sep 26th 2024 FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention (2024) in Salt Lake City Utah USA

Oct 11th 2024 Retro Game Con in Syracuse New York USA

Oct 17th 2024 New York Comic Con (2024) in New York New York USA

[cinematicsstuff]

Hayden is doing a Convention tour this year ! 😯

It seems to me he has never participated in so many in such a short time...

For now, his tour is composed as follows:

- Middle East Film & Comic Con, March 3 - 5, 2023

- Megacon Orlando, March 30 - April 2, 2023

- Star Wars Celebration, London, April 7 - 10, 2023

- Calgary Comics & Entertainment Expo, April 27 - 30, 2023

- FAN EXPO Philadelphia, June 2 - 4, 2023

- FAN EXPO Dallas, June 9 - 11, 2023

- FAN EXPO Denver, June 30 - July 2, 2023

...And I bet other dates will be added later.

Why do you think Hayden is so booked this year?

Could this mean big Star Wars projects are coming for him ?🤞

[spawn-universe]

Comic book creator Todd McFarlane talks Spawn reboot, working with Ozzy and competing with the giants

Credit Calgary herald

Todd McFarlane has not forgotten the vow he made to Calgary back in 2017.

At the time, the comic book artist, producer and toy entrepreneur was a guest at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo and was asked about the long-gestating reboot of Spawn, which had spent years in developmental purgatory. He told the audience at the Stampede Corral that the film would hold its premiere in Calgary if he gets it “off the ground.

Fast-forward six years later McFarlane says the film is back on track. A-list writers Scott Silver, who co-wrote the 2019 hit Joker, and Malcolm Spellman, who created the Disney+ superhero series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, are currently working on the screenplay. Jamie Foxx has long been attached to play the lead role, a superhero/antihero that McFarlane first created at the age of 16 in his parents’ basement near Crowchild and 24th Avenue N.W.

The 1992 comic book debut, which came out on McFarlane’s Image Comics, sold more than 1.7 million copies and the Spawn series holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-running, creator-owned, superhero comic book title. There was a 1997 live-action film with Michael Jae White, which grossed more than $100 million, and an Emmy-winning animated series that ran on HBO from 1997 to 1999. The reboot has been in the works in one form or another for years.

“On the movie front, hopefully – fingers crossed – by the middle of this year we should be making a big announcement that we found our studio, we made our deal and potentially, as part of that deal, they’ve given us our production start date,” says McFarlane. “Really, all fans care about is ‘When can I go see it?’ But at least I’ve got to be able to say ‘This year. We’ve got the money, we’ve got the backing and we’ve even got a start date.'

When it does come out, McFarlane still wants to hold one of the premieres in his hometown.

“Let me tell you right now, if I possibly can, I’m putting it into the contract,” McFarlane says. “It might be the dealbreaker. And I get two premiere spots. I live in Phoenix, I think the Phoenix people will come out in droves because they did the first time we did Spawn. I think they will come out in droves and have a good time in Calgary. That’s it. There it is: If you don’t give me that, then I pull this entire deal. I’m going to see if I can negotiate that.”

McFarlane was back in Calgary this week visiting family. On Sunday, hundreds of fans showed up at Video Game Trader in Lake Bonavista for an autograph session. In 1981, the William Aberhart High School grad left Calgary at the age of 18 on a baseball scholarship to Eastern Washington University, where he studied art and design. Within a few weeks of graduation, he got his first comic book job for Marvel. He would go on to illustrate for both Marvel and DC, drawing for Batman: Year 2, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk and co-creating the Spider-Man villain/anti-hero Venom.

But he is arguably still best known for creating Spawn and for co-founding Image Comics in 1992, which also became home to Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore’s Walking Dead comic-book series. In 1994, he revolutionized the toy industry with the realistic action figures he created for McFarlane Toys. In 1999, he won an Emmy for the animated Spawn series and earned a Grammy nod for directing Pearl Jam’s animated video for Do The Evolution. The following year, he won a Grammy for directing the video for Korn’s Freak on a Leash.

Late last year, he returned to the medium to direct the video for Ozzy Osbourne’s Patient Number Nine, which resulted in a lengthy feature in Rolling Stone magazine about McFarlane’s work in music videos.

“The request came from (Ozzy’s wife) Sharon Osbourne,” McFarlane says. “I knew her from the past. We had done some stuff with toys and comic books with her and had always done well. In the pre-preparation for shooting, I was dealing mostly with the record label and Sharon. I’m sure she showed everything to Ozzy to get the sign-off. The day of the shoot, that dude was a pro. It’s one thing I’ve always been super impressed with for all the music videos I’ve been involved with. When you say ‘Action,’ all of them are performers. They know what to do when they are on stage. This switch goes on and they just do it. At that point when we shot it, I think it was about a week before his back surgery. He just had pretty extensive back surgery and was living in severe pain. You could see he was in pain and his mobility was limited and all that. So he paced himself, which is what a smart person would do. But when I said ‘Action,’ he turned into the 25, 30-year-old Ozzy.”

On top of the promising developments in the Spawn reboot, McFarlane has continued to find success in both the comic book and toy worlds. He credits the relatively small group of people he works with for the company’s David-versus-Goliath success.

“I’ve got a good core of people,” he says. “We’re scrappy. We’re the Bad News Bears of our industry.”

In 2021, Spawn beat out behemoths DC Comics and Marvel to become the No. 1 selling comic book. That same year, his Spawn spinoff titles – Scorched, Gunslinger Spawn and King Spawn – broke sales records. Last year, the crossover Batman Spawn title became a bestseller.

McFarlane Toys’ beat out Fortune 500 companies such as Hasbro and Mattel with the bestselling action-figure line of 2021. The company is currently licensed to create figures for Black Adam, Shazam, The Flash and Batman movies for the DC Multiverse, James Cameron’s Avatar, Dune and even Ted Lasso.

“Their size is their blessing and their curse,” says McFarlane about the giant corporations he competes with. “I could say the same thing about my smallness: it’s my blessing and my curse. Here’s the blessing: I can move quick, I can move fast. Here’s their curse: They are so big and bloated, they can’t move fast. If I see an opening, I can see that opening way faster than they can get into it. I’m not trying to compete, let’s say on the toy front, directly with what the giants are doing. I’m not trying to slay the giants, that’s not the victory. The victory is saying: Where have they left the gap?”

[gloriousgwendolinechristie]

Gwendoline Christie is coming to Calgary Expo

The headmistress is heading for the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo.

Gwendoline Christie, who plays Principal Larissa Weems, aka the headmistress of Nevermore Academy in the hit Netflix series Wednesday, is coming to the Calgary Expo in late April.

Christie also played Brienne of Tarth on Game of Thrones and Captain Phasma in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, in addition to roles on Severance, The Sandman and The Last Jedi.

Other announced guests include fellow Star Wars alumni Hayden Christiansen, Emily Swallow and Vivien Lyra Blair, Wednesday's Christina Ricci, Vincent D'Onofrio, Shazam! star Zach Levi and director Sam Raimi, among others.

The Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo takes place April 27-30.

CTVNews.ca

[brickbybrickstucktogether]

Picked up some new art at the Calgary Comic + Entertainment Expo (2024)...

[nscafe-firehose]

We decided on some prints from the Calgary Comic+Entertainment Expo framed... good results!

[brookston]

Holidays 4.25

Holidays

Anti-Nuclear Day

ANZAC Day (Australia, New Zealand)

Carnation Day (Portugal)

Dandelion Day

Day of the Circassian Flag

DNA Day

Duck Appreciation Society Day

East Meets West Day (a.k.a. Elbe Day)

Flag Day (Faroe Islands, Eswatini, f.k.a. Swaziland)

Freedom Day (Portugal)

Free Love Day

Get On Board Day

Hairstylist Appreciation Day

Hayek Day

Hostile Aggressive Parenting Awareness Day

Hubble Telescope Day

Hug A Plumber Day

International Amigurumi Day

International Delegate’s Day

International Financial Independence Awareness Day

Liberation Day (Italy, Portugal, South Georgia)

License Plate Day

Mahavir Jayanti (Parts of India)

Malaria Awareness Day

Military Foundation Day (North Korea)

National Airhorn Day

National Amigurumi Day

National Christian College Day

National Crayola Day

National Darts Day

National Financial Awareness Day

National Lingerie Day

National Mani-Pedi Day

National Plumber’s Day

National Quote Day

National Telephone Day

Parental Alienation Awareness Day

Perfect Date Day (Not Too Hot, Not Too Cold; in film “Miss Congeniality”)

People’s Army Foundation Day (North Korea)

Plastic Grocery Bag Day

Poetry Day (Ireland)

Portugal Day (Portugal)

Radunitsa (Ancestors Veneration Day; Belarus)

Red Hat Society Day

Revolution Day (Timor-Leste)

Secotorial Government Holiday (Jordan)

Sinai Liberation Day (Egypt)

Tag des Baumes (Arbor Day; Germany)

20-Something Service Day

Whip-Poor-Will Day (Pennsylvania)

World DNA Day

World Malaria Day (UN)

World Penguin Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Crotilla Day

National Zucchini Bread Day

4th & Last Thursday in April

Dining Out For Life [Last Thursday]

Gathering of Nations (Native American Pow Wow) [begins 4th Thursday thru Saturday]

International Girls in ICT Day (4th Thursday]

Love Your Thighs Day [4th Thursday]

Pay It Forward Day [Last Thursday]

Poem in Your Pocket Day [Last Thursday]

Sumardagurinn Fyrsti (1st Day of Summer; Iceland) [Thursday after 4.18]

Support Teen Literature Day [Thursday of Library Week]

Take Action for Libraries Day [Thursday of Library Week]

Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work Day [4th Thursday]

Teach Your Children to Save Day [4th Thursday]

Thank You Thursday [6 Days Before 1st Wednesday in May]

Throwback Thursday [Every Thursday]

Weekly Holidays beginning April 25 (4th Week)

Gathering of Nations Pow Wow [thru 4.27]

National Write Your Book in a Weekend Weekends [thru 4.28] (also in Feb, Sep & Nov)

Independence & Related Days

Copan (Declared; 2011) [unrecognized]

Novaland (Declared; 2014) [unrecognized]

Principality of Martin Presidia (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Yom HaAtzma’ut [יוֹם הָעַצְמָאוּת] (Israeli Independence Day observed) [5 Iyar]

Festivals Beginning April 25, 2024

Atlanta Film Festival (Atlanta, Georgia) [thru 5.5]

Bern Geranium Market [Bärner Graniummärit] (Bern, Switzerland)

Beaufort Wine & Food (Beaufort, North Carolina) [thru 4.28]

Buenos Aires International Book Fair (Buenos Aires, Argentina) [thru 5.13]

Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival (Williamsburg, Virginia) [thru 6.13]

Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo (Calgary, Canada) [thru 4.28]

Gathering of Nations (Albuquerque, New Mexico) [thru 4.27]

Gauge County Maple Festival (Chardon, Ohio) [thru 4.28]

Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival (Marshfield, Missouri) [thru 4.27]

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (New Orleans, Louisiana) [thru 5.5]

San Francisco International Film Festival (San Francisco, California) [thru 4.28]

Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival (Shepherd, Michigan) [thru 4.28]

Vidalia Onion Festival (Vidalie, Oregon) [thru 4.28]

Washington State Apple Blossom Festival (Wenatchee, Washington) [thru 5.5]

World Dog Show (Zagreb, Croatia) [thru 4.28]

Feast Days

Adonia (Greek women's festival)

Anianus of Alexandria (Christian; Saint)

Aristides (Positivist; Saint)

Blessing of the Wheat (Ancient Hungary)

Canadanaigua (festival of lights, ritual of harvest and thanksgiving; Native American)

Cy Twombly (Artology)

Festival of Robigalia (Ancient Rome)

Giovanni Battista Piamarta (Christian; Saint)

Heribald (Christian; Saint)

Ivo (Christian; Saint)

Karel Appel (Artology)

Kebius of Cornwall (Christian; Saint)

Major Rogation (Western Christianity)

Mark the Evangelist (Christian; Saint)

Maughold of Isle of Man (Christian; Saint)

Mr. Hooper (Muppetism)

Mr. T Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Phaebadius, Bishop of Agen (Christian; Saint)

Philo and Agathopodes (Christian; Saint)

Quarks (Muppetism)

The Robigalia (Ancient Roman Grain & Corn Festival)

Walpurgisnacht, Day III (Pagan)

World Penguin Day (Pastafarian)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Lucky Day (Philippines) [21 of 71]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [24 of 57]

Premieres

Abusement Park (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1947)

Baby Mama (Film; 2009)

Big Chief Ugh-Amugh-Ugh (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1938)

Big River (Broadway Musical; 1985)

The Big Short, by Michael Lewis (Book; 2010)

Drooler’s Delight (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1949)

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (Film; 2008)

Homage to Catalonia, by George Orwell (Memoir; 1938)

Infest, by Papa Roach (Album; 2000)

Let’s Eat (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1932)

Let’s Stick Together (Disney Cartoon; 1952)

Manhattan (Film; 1979)

Nuts and Volts (WB LT Cartoon; 1964)

The Old Curiosity Shop, by Charles Dickens (Novel; 1840)

The Other Woman (Film; 2014)

Piére li Houyeû (Peter the Miner), by Eugène Ysaÿe (Opera; 1931)

Polar Playmates (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1946)

Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe (Novel; 1719)

Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion (Film; 1997)

The Sky is Falling (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1947)

The Stupidstitious Cat (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1947)

That’s My Pup (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1953)

Turandot, by Giacomo Puccini (Opera; 1926)

Valse Trust, by Jean Sibelius (Orchestral Work; 1904)

We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, by Bruce Springsteen (Album; 2006)

Westward Whoa (WB LT Cartoon; 1936)

Where the Buffalo Roam (Film; 1980)

Today’s Name Days

Erwin, Markus (Austria)

Marko (Bulgaria)

Franka, Marko, Maroje (Croatia)

Marek (Czech Republic)

Markus (Denmark)

Marek, Margo, Margus, Mark, Marko, Markus (Estonia)

Markku, Marko, Markus (Finland)

Marc (France)

Erwin, Markus (Germany)

Markela, Markos, Nike, Niki (Greece)

Márk (Hungary)

Franco, Marco (Italy)

Barbala, Līksma, Liksme, Marks, Markus (Latvia)

Gražvyda, Gražvydė, Morkus, Tolmantas, Žadmantė (Lithuania)

Mark, Markus (Norway)

Jarosław, Marek, Wasyl (Poland)

Marcu, Vasile (Romania)

Marek (Slovakia)

Marcos (Spain)

Markus (Sweden)

Mark, Marko (Ukraine)

Marc, Marcel, Marcella, Marcia, Marcila, Marco, Marcos, Marcus, Marcy, Maricela, Mario, Marisol, Mark, Markus, Marsha (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 116 of 2024; 250 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of week 17 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Saille (Willow) [Day 12 of 28]

Chinese: Month 3 (Wu-Chen), Day 17 (Ji-Wei)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 17 Nisan 5784

Islamic: 16 Shawwal 1445

J Cal: 26 Cyan; Fryday [25 of 30]

Julian: 12 April 2024

Moon: 97%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 4 Caesar (5th Month) [Cimon]

Runic Half Month: Lagu (Flowing Water) [Day 1 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 38 of 92)

Week: 4th Week of April

Zodiac: Taurus (Day 6 of 31)

Calendar Changes

Lagu (Flowing Water) [Half-Month 9 of 24; Runic Half-Months] (thru 5.12)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 4.25

Holidays

Anti-Nuclear Day

ANZAC Day (Australia, New Zealand)

Carnation Day (Portugal)

Dandelion Day

Day of the Circassian Flag

DNA Day

Duck Appreciation Society Day

East Meets West Day (a.k.a. Elbe Day)

Flag Day (Faroe Islands, Eswatini, f.k.a. Swaziland)

Freedom Day (Portugal)

Free Love Day

Get On Board Day

Hairstylist Appreciation Day

Hayek Day

Hostile Aggressive Parenting Awareness Day

Hubble Telescope Day

Hug A Plumber Day

International Amigurumi Day

International Delegate’s Day

International Financial Independence Awareness Day

Liberation Day (Italy, Portugal, South Georgia)

License Plate Day

Mahavir Jayanti (Parts of India)

Malaria Awareness Day

Military Foundation Day (North Korea)

National Airhorn Day

National Amigurumi Day

National Christian College Day

National Crayola Day

National Darts Day

National Financial Awareness Day

National Lingerie Day

National Mani-Pedi Day

National Plumber’s Day

National Quote Day

National Telephone Day

Parental Alienation Awareness Day

Perfect Date Day (Not Too Hot, Not Too Cold; in film “Miss Congeniality”)

People’s Army Foundation Day (North Korea)

Plastic Grocery Bag Day

Poetry Day (Ireland)

Portugal Day (Portugal)

Radunitsa (Ancestors Veneration Day; Belarus)

Red Hat Society Day

Revolution Day (Timor-Leste)

Secotorial Government Holiday (Jordan)

Sinai Liberation Day (Egypt)

Tag des Baumes (Arbor Day; Germany)

20-Something Service Day

Whip-Poor-Will Day (Pennsylvania)

World DNA Day

World Malaria Day (UN)

World Penguin Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Crotilla Day

National Zucchini Bread Day

4th & Last Thursday in April

Dining Out For Life [Last Thursday]

Gathering of Nations (Native American Pow Wow) [begins 4th Thursday thru Saturday]

International Girls in ICT Day (4th Thursday]

Love Your Thighs Day [4th Thursday]

Pay It Forward Day [Last Thursday]

Poem in Your Pocket Day [Last Thursday]

Sumardagurinn Fyrsti (1st Day of Summer; Iceland) [Thursday after 4.18]

Support Teen Literature Day [Thursday of Library Week]

Take Action for Libraries Day [Thursday of Library Week]

Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work Day [4th Thursday]

Teach Your Children to Save Day [4th Thursday]

Thank You Thursday [6 Days Before 1st Wednesday in May]

Throwback Thursday [Every Thursday]

Weekly Holidays beginning April 25 (4th Week)

Gathering of Nations Pow Wow [thru 4.27]

National Write Your Book in a Weekend Weekends [thru 4.28] (also in Feb, Sep & Nov)

Independence & Related Days

Copan (Declared; 2011) [unrecognized]

Novaland (Declared; 2014) [unrecognized]

Principality of Martin Presidia (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Yom HaAtzma’ut [יוֹם הָעַצְמָאוּת] (Israeli Independence Day observed) [5 Iyar]

Festivals Beginning April 25, 2024

Atlanta Film Festival (Atlanta, Georgia) [thru 5.5]

Bern Geranium Market [Bärner Graniummärit] (Bern, Switzerland)

Beaufort Wine & Food (Beaufort, North Carolina) [thru 4.28]

Buenos Aires International Book Fair (Buenos Aires, Argentina) [thru 5.13]

Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival (Williamsburg, Virginia) [thru 6.13]

Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo (Calgary, Canada) [thru 4.28]

Gathering of Nations (Albuquerque, New Mexico) [thru 4.27]

Gauge County Maple Festival (Chardon, Ohio) [thru 4.28]

Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival (Marshfield, Missouri) [thru 4.27]

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (New Orleans, Louisiana) [thru 5.5]

San Francisco International Film Festival (San Francisco, California) [thru 4.28]

Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival (Shepherd, Michigan) [thru 4.28]

Vidalia Onion Festival (Vidalie, Oregon) [thru 4.28]

Washington State Apple Blossom Festival (Wenatchee, Washington) [thru 5.5]

World Dog Show (Zagreb, Croatia) [thru 4.28]

Feast Days

Adonia (Greek women's festival)

Anianus of Alexandria (Christian; Saint)

Aristides (Positivist; Saint)

Blessing of the Wheat (Ancient Hungary)

Canadanaigua (festival of lights, ritual of harvest and thanksgiving; Native American)

Cy Twombly (Artology)

Festival of Robigalia (Ancient Rome)

Giovanni Battista Piamarta (Christian; Saint)

Heribald (Christian; Saint)

Ivo (Christian; Saint)

Karel Appel (Artology)

Kebius of Cornwall (Christian; Saint)

Major Rogation (Western Christianity)

Mark the Evangelist (Christian; Saint)

Maughold of Isle of Man (Christian; Saint)

Mr. Hooper (Muppetism)

Mr. T Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Phaebadius, Bishop of Agen (Christian; Saint)

Philo and Agathopodes (Christian; Saint)

Quarks (Muppetism)

The Robigalia (Ancient Roman Grain & Corn Festival)

Walpurgisnacht, Day III (Pagan)

World Penguin Day (Pastafarian)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Lucky Day (Philippines) [21 of 71]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [24 of 57]

Premieres

Abusement Park (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1947)

Baby Mama (Film; 2009)

Big Chief Ugh-Amugh-Ugh (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1938)

Big River (Broadway Musical; 1985)

The Big Short, by Michael Lewis (Book; 2010)

Drooler’s Delight (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1949)

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (Film; 2008)

Homage to Catalonia, by George Orwell (Memoir; 1938)

Infest, by Papa Roach (Album; 2000)

Let’s Eat (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1932)

Let’s Stick Together (Disney Cartoon; 1952)

Manhattan (Film; 1979)

Nuts and Volts (WB LT Cartoon; 1964)

The Old Curiosity Shop, by Charles Dickens (Novel; 1840)

The Other Woman (Film; 2014)

Piére li Houyeû (Peter the Miner), by Eugène Ysaÿe (Opera; 1931)

Polar Playmates (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1946)

Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe (Novel; 1719)

Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion (Film; 1997)

The Sky is Falling (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1947)

The Stupidstitious Cat (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1947)

That’s My Pup (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1953)

Turandot, by Giacomo Puccini (Opera; 1926)

Valse Trust, by Jean Sibelius (Orchestral Work; 1904)

We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, by Bruce Springsteen (Album; 2006)

Westward Whoa (WB LT Cartoon; 1936)

Where the Buffalo Roam (Film; 1980)

Today’s Name Days

Erwin, Markus (Austria)

Marko (Bulgaria)

Franka, Marko, Maroje (Croatia)

Marek (Czech Republic)

Markus (Denmark)

Marek, Margo, Margus, Mark, Marko, Markus (Estonia)

Markku, Marko, Markus (Finland)

Marc (France)

Erwin, Markus (Germany)

Markela, Markos, Nike, Niki (Greece)

Márk (Hungary)

Franco, Marco (Italy)

Barbala, Līksma, Liksme, Marks, Markus (Latvia)

Gražvyda, Gražvydė, Morkus, Tolmantas, Žadmantė (Lithuania)

Mark, Markus (Norway)

Jarosław, Marek, Wasyl (Poland)

Marcu, Vasile (Romania)

Marek (Slovakia)

Marcos (Spain)

Markus (Sweden)

Mark, Marko (Ukraine)

Marc, Marcel, Marcella, Marcia, Marcila, Marco, Marcos, Marcus, Marcy, Maricela, Mario, Marisol, Mark, Markus, Marsha (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 116 of 2024; 250 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of week 17 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Saille (Willow) [Day 12 of 28]

Chinese: Month 3 (Wu-Chen), Day 17 (Ji-Wei)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 17 Nisan 5784

Islamic: 16 Shawwal 1445

J Cal: 26 Cyan; Fryday [25 of 30]

Julian: 12 April 2024

Moon: 97%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 4 Caesar (5th Month) [Cimon]

Runic Half Month: Lagu (Flowing Water) [Day 1 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 38 of 92)

Week: 4th Week of April

Zodiac: Taurus (Day 6 of 31)

Calendar Changes

Lagu (Flowing Water) [Half-Month 9 of 24; Runic Half-Months] (thru 5.12)

[hawkstonedraws]

It’s con season again! That magical time of the year where you can purchase my comics in person and breathe random people’s face-gases at no extra charge! Two Gargoyles Comics is at P09 and Artwork and Cute Things is close by at A5109 in the Big Four Building during the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo!

[shamelessrabbithole]

Hi, do you happen to know what Comic Con event can will be attending next? I know he has a few coming up.

Yes, these are his upcoming cities and dates for the foreseeable future.

Apr 25th: Calgary Expo Comics & Entertainment (2024) Calgary

May 3rd: Fan Expo Philadelphia (2024) Philadelphia

May 11th: Infinity Con (2024) Düsseldorf

June 14th: Fan Expo Boston (2024) Boston

August 16th: Fan Expo Chicago (2024) Chicago

August 24th: Fan Expo Canada (2024) Toronto

October 17th: New York Comic Con (2024) New York

[six-of-ravens]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[lemonjuice978]

My first Convention experience

I wouldnt consider myself to be a convention connoisseur, but ever since my first time attending one, I have craved to visit another.

In 2018, I visited the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo with my dad. I had been actively involved in (video game specifically) fandoms and was thrilled to experience the booths and cosplayers. Though I don’t remember much, I will do my best to recite my memories.

One thing that’s stood out in my memory was a guy on some small stage yelling that he liked my sweater. It was merch my parents had bought me for Overwatch, my chosen interest at the time, and my poor shy self didn’t know how to respond to an adult man yelling compliments at me. The whole con was very positive and accomodating, this just being one positive encounter out of many.

I was still pretty young attending this convention and had no idea how a lot of the services worked, so when I got to the booth of a voice actor I recognized, I was thrilled and put my book up on her table as if expecting her to sign it. I still cringe at the memory and people telling me that signings were a paid thing, along with the months of regret and embarassment that followed the encounter. 

The convention had a lot of celebrities that, at the time, I did not recognize. I’ll include a photo of the guest list, which looking back on I am shocked at the status of some of these individuals. I was in the same hall as some of my current voice acting idols that I didn’t even know existed at the time, which is a crazy concept. I do, however, remember the insanely long lines to meet any of these people, and questioning why anyone would wait that long just to meet some guy.

The one thing I brought home from the convention was a (pressumably) handmade wallet themed after harry potter. I used this for years and looking back at it, the craftsmanship of whoever created it is astounding and deserves to be selling a lot more than at a convention.

If I do attend another convention in the future, I want to participate in the cosplay culture. I remember seeing batmans and anime girls while wandering my first con 5 years ago, and since then I have been inspired to want to become my favourite characters and show them off at a comic or gaming convention. Participating in the fandom has always been the best part of taking interest in media, and I know that if I get the chance to see more conventions (especially in the US) I want to get as involved as I can.

Reflecting back on my first con experience has been fairly sentimental, and is fairly astonishing seeing what I got to see when I was little, along with how much of the day I just don’t remember. I recommend a convention trip at least once to anyone who involves themselves in media, because you honestly never know what you’re going to experience there.