Hot on the heels of last summer’s wildly successful event, Yukon geekdom is already getting pumped for the territory’s second annual comic convention.
YukomiCon is hosted by the Yukon Comic Culture Society.
A comic convention, also known as a comic-con or just a con, is a gathering of nerds and geeks brought together by their love of not just comics, but many aspects of fan and pop culture.
“It’s for anybody that loves movies, that loves super heroes, that loves sci-fi, that likes to read graphic novels,” said society president Christi Mathews in an interview this week. “It’s all about artists, and not just comic design – all types of artists that are in that kind of genre. It’s about loving something a lot and being able to be with people that love stuff just as much as you do.”
Last year’s event attracted 800 people to the Yukon Convention Centre. This year, organizers are planning for between 1,100 to 1,300 attendees. That means a lot more of just about everything, said Mathews.
There will be a separate space for gaming tournaments, as well as larger panel discussions, film screenings and a board game cafe, she said.
“This year we’re also emphasizing kids a lot more. There were a lot of kids last year, so we’re making sure that the kids’ corner has a lot of activities for them to work on, and we’re trying to pair up some kids/parents workshops too, where you can go in and do geeky arts and crafts.”
To drum up both excitement and funds for this year’s expanded convention, the society is hosting two nights of a Star Wars burlesque performance here in Whitehorse in June.
The show, performed by the Geekenders out of Vancouver, re-enacts the classic original film on stage, plus some added sexiness and silliness.
“They’re going to act out Star Wars: A New Hope while stripping. It’s pretty awesome, isn’t it?” said Mathews.
“We’re really excited about it. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a sold-out event. We haven’t even done the advertising, and we’re already selling tickets left and right.”
This week, the society also announced additions to the roster of special guests for the main event in August.
It had previously announced the attendance of John de Lancie, most famous for his role as Q, a recurring character in many of the Star Trek franchises.
YukomiCon announced a second trekkie guest, Adrienne Wilkinson, who will play the commander in the upcoming Star Trek: Renegades television series.
“She’s not very well-known now,” said Mathews, “but about two months after ‘Con, she’s going to be probably a really big commodity.”
Other guests include Toby Proctor, who was the voice of Tuxedo Mask from the Sailor Moon television series; Conor McCreery, co-creator of the Kill Shakespeare comic series; Andy Rae, cosplayer and costume designer; and Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, director of Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines, which will be screened at the convention.
A few more special guests will be added to that list before the event, said Mathews.
“Last year, finding celebrities was like, impossible, and this year I have agents calling me left and right, trying to get people on our roster,” she said.
The society is also still looking for interested exhibitors, presenters and sponsors.
As for Mathews, she’s most excited to just be at the comic-con and experience it in person.
Last year she had to leave town unexpectedly right before the event. Her co-organizers set up a video link just so she could watch from afar.
“Last year, one of my favourite things was seeing all these little kids sword fighting throughout the entire con, in outfits. It was really just a cool thing to be a part of. Even if I wasn’t here, it was still really neat,” she said.
“I just think that’s one of the neatest parts, is all the people you get to meet, and seeing everybody having such a good time.”
Tickets for the Star Wars burlesque show are on sale now at www.yukomicon.com. The event will take place June 12 and 13 at the Yukon Convention Centre. Tickets are $35, and the event is 19+. Tickets will also be sold at Titan Gaming & Collectibles.
Tickets for YukomiCon go on sale May 1 online and at Titan. For the month of May, a three-day pass costs $55. After that, the price will rise to $60. Weekend passes for children (ages 6-11) are $20.
Single-day passes will also be available, but can only be purchased online. Visit www.yukomicon.com for details.
Contact Jacqueline Ronson at
jronson@yukon-news.com
