edmontonhappenings: Edmonton Expo kicks off for the 6th time

NALUG Norther Alberta LEGO Users Group Booth 204 in Hall H

The Edmonton Comic and Entertainment Expo kicked off it's 6th show at the Northland's Expo Centre at Northland's Park. The lineups started as soon as the doors opened, with fans heading straight to the Autograph section and the Expo store.

The ECEE is hard to describe, I have heard nerdy, it is and it isn't. I have seen comments that it is a place where I feel comfortable. But that may have been how it started, but that isn't it either. ECEE is a combination of bringing to life characters that were only fictional, but not by those actors who portrayed but by those who read about them. Expecting close to 50000 to attend this years show, ECEE is main stream, and people travel from all over North America and the world to attend the panels, see the techniques meet friends, get together and celebrate Cosplay.

Cosplayer having his costume checked out

Posing for pictures at ECEE

With over 600 vendors and displays, there is something for everyone young or old. If you are not into Naruto or Yugioh, maybe super heroes are your thing or maybe it's steam punk, or you just love the comic books or the artwork, there is something for you all and who knows maybe you will get a few tips to build your own Cosplay.

It is an opportunity to find out what everyone else is doing, but at the same time get ideas for the next cosplay.

Trying to figure what Cosplay is all about, well there is no strict definition as it covers everything from Star trek to Star Wars, from DC to Marvel, from video games to Japanese Comics from movies to cartoons and Steampunk.

Cosplay is defined as a contraction of the words costume play, is a hobby in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character.

But cosplay goes further than that as participants take on the roles of the characters they portray to bring the characters to life.

Every character also takes on a special meaning for each of the participants as they are something that they have put time and effort into creating.

Cosplay outfits can be expensive some costing over $1000.00 to create but everyone is here to have fun.

But Cosplay is not the only reason to attend the Edmonton Comic and Entertainment Expo, although it is a major part, there are panels to learn about writing short stories, creating video games, designing costumes, making molds for fabricating pieces for cosplay outfits and last but not least meeting the people who portray, design, write about, and create those same characters.