Vulcans, vampires big hits at Calgary comic book expo

CALGARY — Twilight fans, as passionate as they are, were eclipsed by Trekkies on Saturday as the beloved Leonard Nimoy, Mr. Spock from the original Star Trek series, was the show’s largest draw — among over 100 big names from Hollywood and the comic book/pop culture world — at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo.

Fans stood in huge lines approximately two hours long to get Nimoy’s autograph and Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier showed up to present everybody’s favourite Vulcan with a White Hat, Calgary’s version of the key to the city.

Flanked by Storm troopers a la Star Wars, Star Trek’s rival for sci-fi supremacy, Bronconnier approached Nimoy as Darth Vader’s theme song was piped through the house speakers, to the amusement of the crowd.

“It only seems logical to me,” said Bronconnier, imitating Mr. Spock, “that when we have an icon such as Mr. Nimoy visiting us, that we would bestow upon him something that he couldn’t find in space. A Smithbilt cowboy hat!”

Clearly enjoying the affair, Nimoy played to the crowd: “Wouldn’t that be awesome?” he said. “Leonard Nimoy as Mayor of Calgary and (William) Shatner (Star Trek’s Captain Kirk) as Governor General! Come on!”

Nimoy was referring to the recent move by a group on Facebook, 20,000 strong, that’s trying to have Shatner made Canada’s next Governor General.

Twilight fans were in full force at the exhibition Saturday: Christine Davison is such a hardcore fan of the vampire movie franchise that she has the family crest of the lead character, Edward, the dreamy, eternally teenage vampire, tattooed on her back.

The 37-year-old has read all the books and she made the pilgrimage to Vancouver twice, when the movies were being shot, hoping to meet a few of the stars, which she managed to do.

“The story between Bella and Edward, I just love it,” she gushes when asked what it is about Twilight that sends her to such extremes. “It’s like a new Romeo and Juliet.”

Such a fan is Davison, from Strathmore, Alta., that she even converted her eight-year-old son and her husband, Jason Davison, 39, to the ranks of Twilight fandom.

“I’ve enjoyed meeting all the characters,” says Jason. “She always freaks out and I stay calm, so I’m the one that gets to talk to them.”

Of course, the Davisons were in line Saturday to meet two of Twilight’s “wolf-packers,” the hunky, frequently shirtless werewolves of the romantic fantasy/horror series aimed at young females, which has become a pop culture sensation.

Davison paid $25 a piece for two autographed pictures of Alex Meraz (the hotheaded wolf-packer) and Edmonton-born Tyson Houseman, who had a small role in the second movie, New Moon. Houseman’s character, Quil Ateara, will also appear in the upcoming Eclipse, (where we’ll see him become a werewolf for the first time).

Davison was also scheduled be at the BMO Round Up Centre on the Stampede grounds Sunday, when Peter Facinelli, who plays the father of Edward’s vampire family, will be on hand for Day 2.

They won’t be the only “Twi-hards” there, though. Not by a long shot. This franchise has a lock on the hearts of little girls everywhere.

“My heart is like, woah!” said an excited Samantha Sperle, after she and her nine-year-old sister got an autograph from Meraz. She added: “My friends are incredibly, intensely in love with them,” and she was certain they would be making their way to the Expo, too, over the weekend — among up to 15,000 fans that are expected to attend the event.

Still relatively new to the Twilight phenomenon, Houseman, 20, admitted that he finds the whole thing “overwhelming.”

Having moved to Vancouver in 2008 to try to make it as actor, the New Moon audition was the first of his career. “I really didn’t expect to get anything out of it,” he said. “But I got the call back . . . and it just started this whole whirlwind. It’s a lot to take in.”

Since appearing in New Moon, Houseman says he’s become accustomed to “screaming little girls.”

As part of Twilight’s promotion, he’s been to a couple of other comic conventions but, as an Alberta lad, attending the Calgary Expo is a special experience.

“I’m really excited,” he said. “I’m trying to make a point of telling everyone that I’m actually from Edmonton, in case they don’t know . . .

“It’s fun meeting all the fans. They’re the greatest part of it and they’re the ones driving the whole phenomenon, so it’s fun to hang out with them.”

Calgary Herald

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