Mini-Comiccon is on!

A sea of Stormtroopers, Deadpools, and other fantastic beasts flooded the halls of Palais des Congrès on Saturday, Dec. 10 for the annual Mini-Comiccon. The event mirrors the larger expo, which takes place at the same venue each summer, but offers free entry and emphasized the holiday spirit. The two-day convention’s main focus is on shopping for unique and unconventional items from artists, artisans and retailers. Superhero figurines, T-shirts representing every fandom and, of course, comic books are displayed beside original art prints, sculptures and paintings — all centred on geek culture.

The free nature of the Mini-Comiccon drew in a more diverse crowd than the summer’s expo, where tickets cost around $30. Cosplayers — fans sporting intricate costumes, whether bought or homemade — mix in with small children and families. “We’re here to take a look around, and maybe find some missing comic book issues,” says Sebatt, a Comiccon veteran who was shopping with his young son.

Some of the most sought after items at the show were Pokémon plush dolls, and while several booths sold these popular creatures, only Cartamagica devoted their entire booth to them. “We have around 70 different Pokémon here today,” says Joey, an employee of the store. Most of the multicoloured beasts were life-size representations of the famous characters.

Contrasting with the fluffy Pokémon, pricey replicas of fantastical weapons drew in a small crowd of awed onlookers to a handful of booths scattered across the floor. The long silver and blue Master Sword from the Legend of Zelda series sat beside the twin-bladed multicoloured sword from the Halo series amid a collection of other mythical weapons that would put most fantasy blacksmiths to shame.

In addition to the collectibles, certain booths advertised interesting twists on kitchenware. 8-Bit Wood sold cutting boards with designs of Pacman cherries pieced together from different types of wood.  “I use the wood’s natural colour, so the image stays intact as it wears down,” says David Abramson, an artisan and salesman at his own booth.

For those with culinary inclinations, Dark Bunny sold various homemade hot sauces themed around caricatured animals, and Psycho Art sold glassware emblazoned with sand blasted images of famous characters and icons.

A corner of the room was devoted to artists of comic book series, who met with fans, signed issues and promoted their work to a curious new audience. Isabelle Duguay, the co-writer of Z’isle, was at the convention to promote her homegrown comic series. Z’isle is set seven years after the zombie apocalypse, and takes place entirely on the island of Montreal. The busy creators don’t plan on taking a break soon. “We’re doing the Comiccons in Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa” says Duguay, who said she’d be doing some holiday shopping of her own at Mini-Comiccon.

The event is not solely about shopping however. Fans tend to gather in pockets throughout Palais des Congrès to talk, take pictures and play games. To many, it’s an opportunity to let loose and “geek out” with likeminded people. The convention is, in a sense, a physical representation of the Internet, from the shopping, to the fashion, to the fans’ passion. ■

The Mini-Comiccon at Palais des Congrès (1001 Jean-Paul Riopelle) continues on Sunday, Dec. 11, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., free entry

Keep an eye on cultmontreal.com for our Mini-Comiccon cosplay photo gallery.