Culture

The 16 nerdiest sights of FanExpo

From closed-casket coffin rides to cross-dressing superhero buffs, the 2010 FanExpo is a mosaic of weird

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A videographer tries to instruct a giggling group of costumed anime fans

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An exhibition of latex masks made to resemble famous horror movie monsters. The people running the booth said they avoided licensing problems by naming their creations, some of which bore a striking resemblance to Freddy Krueger, “Frankie” or “some burned guy.”

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The lines to get in were long, but there was always impromptu entertainment, like this anime fan striking a pose for a photographer

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One of the conference rooms where dozens of people, mostly middle-aged men, sit in fold-out chairs and slouch over role-playing games

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A exhibition booth featuring Dean Stockwell—better known as Al from the ’80s sci-fi show Quantum Leap and Brother Cavil from Battlestar Galactica—was one of the few without a line

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An anime cosplayer poses for a photo in front of a giant Thor poster while holding a replica of Captain America’s shield

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Convention goers who couldn’t fit into the tiny food court eat pizza in queues set up for autograph lines

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Leuis Guillen, a gamer and karate teacher from Vaughan, dressed as Squall, a character from Final Fantasy VIII

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A model wearing part of Robin’s utility belt strikes a sultry pose across the hood of the iconic 1960s Batmobile.

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Two volunteers/actors from Troma entertainment discuss DVD prices with a dreadlocked fan

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Claudie Scott-Buccleuch and Holly Mcgilis pose in their anime character costumes

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One of the many storm troopers at the convention stands stoically under a model of the Millennium Falcon

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FanExpo: freaks, nerds and corporate takeover—Are bigger comic cons better? Veterans Stan Lee and Lloyd Kaufman tackle the issue


A bassist and guitarist dressed as characters from the graphic novel Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, now a blockbuster film

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Louis Girard (front, right), of gaming magazine Polymancer Studios, plays ‘Stone Age,’ a resource-management game that’s meant to simulate cave men owning businesses

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A Batman enthusiast in full costume drives his custom-built Batmobile past a cheering crowd outside the convention centre

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A mother and daughter dance along with a new Nintendo Wii game

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