A Roundup of Pacific Northwest Pop Culture Conventions in 2023!

We present our rundown in what’s happening in our glorious list Pacific Northwest Pop Culture Conventions.

Pacific Northwest Pop Culture Conventions
Kevin Smith is expected to return to Fan Expo Vancouver. This talent made solo appearances, and  he’s promising to return with Jason Mewes.

The season is nearly upon us for an annual run of nearly nonstop Pacific Northwest Pop Culture Conventions! From Portland to Vancouver, and back across the border, the gambit is covered. Fan Expo is in the lead because this brand is occurring on the same weekend in two different cities, with a nearly similar guest lineup.

Repeat talents like Carl Weathers, Anson Mount and Ethan Peck from the latest Star Trek are but a sampling. If the organisers are smart, they should find someone to build a real life transporter to help them and Star Trek The Next Generation’s Gates McFadden, Jonathan Frakes and Brent Spiner avoid travel fatigue as they bounce from one show to the other. Or maybe a Floo Network from Harry Potter is needed, since Matthew Lewis is as a guest. Hyperspace travel isn’t real yet, because from Star Wars, Anthony Daniels is sure to be a hit with fans!

It’s safe to say cancellations will occur because with this many guests, something is bound to happen. This year, the organisers are really covering their bases rather than to depend on figuring out something last minute.

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In 2022, Capital City Comic Con is Still Hot as Summer Winds Down

The panels at Capital City Comic Con 2022 are great for newcomers, and yes, I even presented my best of upcoming movies.

Capital City Comic Con 2022

Capital City Comic Con 2022 brought nearly every aspect of pop culture to the Convention Centre as Autumn began. Although I noticed two clubs weren’t in attendence, that’s okay because I knew what was going on (more on this later). And as for what locals can look forward to next, there’s the Ultimate Toy & Hobby Show on Oct 1st and 2nd at the Pearkes Recreation Centre!

This city had Rifflandia and Esquimalt Ribfest the previous weekends and its easy to express an opinion that locals are experiencing fatique. Brewery & the Beast occurred the same time as Cap City; it can be tough to decide on which event is worth being at since the Sun was out. The foodie in me knows the latter will return at the same time, but for the comic book and pop culture festival, it’s not likely be a regular September fixture. The organisers don’t have a date for 2023 but Candice Woodward said, “Please follow at our social media channels for updates.” She’s co-owner/operator of Cherry Bomb Toys, one of three organisations responsible for this fandom celebration.

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Capital City Comic Con 2022 Revealed: Pokémon and Star Trek to Headline.

This year, there seems to be more artists this year than ever before at Capital City Comic Con 2022. Most are local.

capital city comic con 2022 logo

Runs Sept 23 – 25, 2022
Victoria Conference Center & The Crystal Gardens
720 Douglas Street

his Fall, Capital City Comic Con 2022 is set to return to say the heat is still on in the Pacific Northwest. After three sizzling events (ECCC, RCCC and Pax) south of the border, the Downtown Victoria Business Association hopes fans far and wide will visit the Garden City and enjoy everything this event offers. After two years, the pandemic can’t put a halt to everything because people are scared of catching the covid-19 virus.

Reports are hinting at a huge Pokémon presence, with daily challenges and events for players of this seven-year-old game to enjoy. Sadly, Niantic won’t be involved, but the local community is. Facebook’s VanIsle Pokémon Go Syndicate will be running daily events for those still playing this mobile (and often non-augmented reality) game! Also, Vancouver’s Geekenders is coming to this event to present Nerdlesque: Pokemon A-Go-Go! This is a separately ticketed show available to non convention attendees, and it’s an adult show.

Also, role playing games, board games and your usual round of panels and special guests to talk about their continued work in the entertainment industry. This year’s round-up includes touring convention regulars and a full representation of comic book talents from the island. As a bonus in this updated article, we have dining guide posted on our sister blog, Two Hungry Blokes (link here)!

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A Bold New Look with Star Trek’s Strange New Worlds

Star Trek Strange New Worlds is almost a return to form even though it exists within the rebooted Kelvin timeline.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds poster features the classic USS EnterpriseStreaming on Paramount+

Some long time fans of Star Trek might investigate the latest, Strange New Worlds (SNW). It’s almost a return to form. Not everyone will take to it, and I’ve spoken to a few of my friends who are steadfast in their opinion in our nerd chats. To be specific, since it’s part of the rebooted Kelvin timeline, there’s no true link with Gene Roddenberry’s creation.

Co-showrunner Henry Alonso Myers wanted to produce Star Trek in the way it was originally done, and this series honours that aspect. The stories have given Captain Pike (Anson Mount), Spock (Ethen Peck) and crew more backstory to character development to appreciate. At least the direction is off to a good start.

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Star Trek: Prodigy is this Franchise’s Shining Light

The fact Star Trek Prodigy is developed for younger audiences makes for a better tone and escapism that Discovery lacks.

Star Trek: Prodigy (TV Series 2021– ) - IMDbNickelodeon
Paramount+

Releasing Star Trek: Prodigy in small waves is perhaps the next best thing to creating that serialised vibe past series are known for. The first five episodes set up the dynamics in a new crew of misfits who end up finding an experimental Federation starship–presumably abandoned in the Delta quadrant–and figuring out what to do with it. The hologram that helps them out is a simulacrum of Admiral Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) from Voyager. As far as artificial intelligence goes, she’s willing to ignore the fact they’re not cadets.

This series is Paramount’s answer to Star Wars: Rebels. We have Dal (Brett Gray), a 17-year-old renegade without parents. The first episode focuses on him escaping a prisoner’s life and finding the USS Protostar to hide out in. He is joined by Pog (Jason Mantzoukas), Zero (Angus Imrie), Rok-Tahk (Rylee Alazraqui) and Murf (Dee Bradley Baker), but five is not enough if they are to escape from the clutches of Diviner (John Noble). He is Gwyn’s father (Ella Purnell), the reluctant sixth member, and is a tyrant of the imprisonment colony of Tars Lamora. Sources say this character is modelled after Kahn from the movies, but I think there’s more of an Admiral Thrawn type personality behind him. He’s in search for that Federation ship. As for what he wants to do with it, that’s anybody’s guess until the next batch of episodes is out.

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