Con season in the GTA officially kicked off last weekend with three nerd-filled days of Toronto Comicon 2024. Taking over the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the event played host to thousands of fans of numerous fandoms and a handful of celebrities. There’s a lot to cover from the weekend. Let’s go.
Two of the best things on offer at this year’s Toronto Comicon were the vendors and merchants. Limited in space due to just being in the north building, there weren’t as many vendors as there would be at, say, Fan Expo Canada, but the variety on display last weekend was nice. There’s been a large influx of booths selling crystals, candles, and other witchy items, which is a surprise but a welcome one. My favorite booths at the con were those selling custom LEGO minifigs and those selling awesome yet affordable anime statues!
Of course, Artist Alley is always a good time as well. After just one pass-through, my hands were full of art, and I had a significantly lighter wallet. I saw many of my convention favorites this year, like Kay Pop Art, ViviDoodles, Brian Hoang, and Gillian Newland. I also discovered new (to me) artists like Warlock Skateboards, who does cool horror-inspired skate decks, and Monowian, who has art ranging in themes from pop culture to hip-hop and amazing portraits.
One of the biggest changes this year had to do with the con-famous food court, which is home to the $8 pizza slice. The food court was moved off the floor and into a panel room, opening up so much more space on the con floor. This was a great decision and smart move from the convention and I hope they continue to explore this idea with future events. The food court itself had a good variety of choices, the biggest being Pizza Pizza and a hot dog stand. While the prices are astronomical, it’s pretty good con food.
RELATED: Exclusive: Jeremy Haun Talks Todd McFarlane’s ‘King Spawn’
Unfortunately, there were a few bumps in the crowded road that was Toronto Comicon 2024. First of all, the convention seemed overcrowded, especially on Saturday. But even on Friday and Sunday (non-peak days), it got challenging to move at times. Saturday tickets sold out rather quickly, so the convention started selling “Saturday After 2 PM” and “After 3 PM” tickets when those sold out. I believe this contributed to the overwhelming crowd. Next year, the showrunners might want to explore using the south building of the Convention Centre instead as it’s much bigger.
In addition to a crowded event, there were also issues with theft. Over 100 phones were reportedly stolen throughout the 3-day event. The convention already implemented a mandatory bag check for attendees, so perhaps checks should have happened for those leaving once organizers caught wind of the thefts. Either way, I hope this spree inspires some change from the security front.
One of the more persistent issues I faced, which isn’t exclusive to just Toronto Comicon, was the communication discrepancies between staff, volunteers, and security. There were reports of some security staff being rather unkind to attendees with accessibility issues. Moving forward, more intensive info meetings and sensitivity training might be an asset.
All that being said, I had a fun time at Toronto Comicon 2024. The guests offered a little of everything for everyone. I spent most of my time in the vendor’s area and had a blast. I hope the variety continues because do we really need 57 different Funko vendors? While the weekend wasn’t without its issues, I hope that the showrunners will listen to fans’ concerns so that the next convention can be even more amazing.
