It is a weekend that fans of every genre from comics to cosplay, superhero films to nostalgic classics and everything in between look forward to. The 12^th annual Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo takes place on the Stampede Grounds April 27th – 30th, 2017.

Lindsay Thomas is one of the primary organizers and talent bookers for the CCE, and also the face of the company as "Emily Expo." Amidst the frantic time that is the week before the Expo, she chatted with GayCalgary.com about this year’s show and the challenges and triumphs of putting on one of Calgary’s biggest events.

"Obviously, I am super excited to have had the support of the fans and attendees every year. Seeing the guests come in, the artists set up, all the great costumes.  We are super excited for this year’s lineup. It is solid and there are a lot of happy people out there. It is going to be a great year and a really fun time."

Fans get excited as guests are announced, at times getting ahead of themselves in hopes of a major event like 2012’s Star Trek: The Next Generation and 2014’s Aliens cast reunions. The announcement of Jeremy Renner, for example, lead to speculation that his Avengers castmates Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans may also appear.

"It really is a very interesting challenge and something I have spoken about before. We do our best to make the fans happy. It’s amazing to have had the Aliens and TNG reunions and when those opportunities arise we jump on it and make it work. Unfortunately, that leads to this level of expectation that it happens all the time and is the norm. It really isn’t. Trying to get the schedules coordinated for these people to attend is a challenge in itself much less an entire cast from a franchise. We don’t lead people on. If we are going to drop a hint about a guest or reunion we will make it very obvious. We don’t want to feed into an expectation that it is anything more than what we have put out there."

That said each year names are requested that Thomas and her team look into. Often it can be a case of timing finally working out, such as local comic creator icon Todd McFarlane and director/actor/podcaster/storyteller Kevin Smith coming this year.

"We do our best to listen to attendees as to who they want to see at the show. Just because somebody asks for a certain celebrity doesn’t mean that it can happen but we always look into it. At no point has someone said "You should get this person" and I say ‘No I am not going to investigate that.’ I always check to see what is happening with that person and if we even know how to get in touch with that person. It is like being caught between a rock and a hard place. You can ask for guest X and maybe we can make it happen but what price tag is that worth too you? It is a different answer with every person and a guessing game as to what the fans want to see and will be happy with. There are contractual obligations on the guest side we need to fulfill as well. I spend a lot of time going to other conventions and observing and seeing how things are panning out at other shows."

The "con circuit" has a past reputation of just bringing out former TV stars that have not appeared in anything in years. Today’s con blends nostalgia, such as Boy Meets World stars Will Friedle and Rider Strong with stars from today’s top TV shows like The Walking Dead’s Steven Yeun and Game of Thrones Kristian Nairn.

"The great thing happening currently with things like Netflix and the resurgence of comic book movies and TV shows, it’s really bringing a new generation of guests to the table. We adapt with the times and what is current and nostalgic and what people are asking for and try to be as creative and diverse as possible."

Part of the appeal of the expo is to connect with the guests, whether it is a conversation at the autograph table, asking a question during a panel, or having a special moment during a photo op. Images flood online of these interactions which makes Thomas happy.

"John Barrowman is an experience to get a photo with, he makes every person feel special. I cannot speak highly enough of him as a person and his fan interaction. It is hard to name a favorite, we have dealt with hundreds of guests over the year and everyone has their own way of interacting. The cast from Lost Girls sticks out in my mind as having tons of fun. Will Freidle is a hoot, if you get a photo with him he is just really funny and friendly and has a good time. Mostly everybody is there because they want to meet the fans and interact and are great in giving a great experience."

What is difficult is making those connections with guests that later pass away. In recent months former guests Carrie Fisher, Richard Hatch, and Bill Paxton died, making their appearances bittersweet.

"Carrie is a very emotional one for me. She was such an incredibly inspiring woman. I know a lot of people use words like that and it becomes cliché but on a deep and personal level it was an honor to know her. She had a very sincere and deep and impact on my life and my challenges with depression. To have her as this sort of royalty to look up to and talk to and get advice from, she was amazing and is deeply missed every day. Bill Paxton was the sort of guest that made me laugh all the time. He was a really funny, genuine, kind person who was in awe of this convention world he had just newly gotten into. He was a delight to be around and a fantastic storyteller. Richard was a down to earth person who liked to give acting and improve classes with people. He was that guy you felt you could be best friends with. Three really great people and it is a big loss."

There are many challenges to arranging guests including the guests personal beliefs. Some expo fans expressed disappointment that Kevin Sorbo appears at this year’s show. Sorbo’s Facebook page is frequently filled with right wing, homophobic, and anti-choice rhetoric which some feel is a stark contrast to the Expo’s culture of acceptance.

"That is a really good question and one I have wrestled with myself. I would consider myself Bi so it is hard. At what point do I draw the line between my personal values and making sure the guests that we bring in agree with those values. I don’t always pay attention to what the guests are saying online in terms of politics or religion. At the end of the day it is an entertainment expo and we are bringing in someone because they were part of a show not because they believe a certain thing. I know he is more on the conservative side but I don’t read his Facebook or read his twitter feed. How much investigation do we need to put into things like people’s religious backgrounds or beliefs. Where do we draw the line? I have my personal convictions that I want to hold true too, but those convictions as much as I have tried to put that in the show and it is very welcoming. I would openly say I disagree with those politics. Does that mean all of our guests have to reflect those values? I would love it if they did. At the end of the day is that a realistic expectation, I don’t know? I want everybody to love everybody else and get along and for it to be a safe space. We also want to bring in people fans want to see. At what point does personal opinion on things come into that? It is a really tough line and I am really conflicted about it."

That said, attendees can simply choose not to support guests whose beliefs differ from theirs.

"If you are not in agreeance with where he stands on things then just avoid. I also believe in calm and friendly discussion. I have more conservative friends that I have had friendly open conversations with and over the years there have been changes. For me personally I don’t want to live in an echo chamber and have those conversations with people and talk about it instead of just cutting people out of my life because that won’t change anything either."

One of the guests who definitely fits the accepting bill is Kevin Smith, who appears Saturday for photo ops with Jason Mewes before they take the stage at the Stampede Corral for the special ticketed event Jay & Silent Bob Get Old.

"Kevin Smith is just awesome in terms of being a storyteller and overall nice guy. That was definitely a long process to get Kevin. Just because something doesn’t happen doesn’t mean we haven’t tried. Having Kevin is something we have been hoping to have happen for several years and it finally worked out to bring him to the show. He loves telling stories and the podcast aspect. It is going to be an entertaining night."

To some, the role of Emily Expo sounds like a dream job, traveling to different conventions and rubbing elbows with famous folks. While it is a dream job, it has its share of challenges from dealing with agents and the stars to negative comments online.

"I do take things personally if somebody is unhappy and I feel the need to make them happy. That is a trait that has been difficult to manage because you are dealing with that many people. If 100 people complain out of 100,000 that is a small percentage but the voices of that 100 people can be hard to hear. I try to extrapolate why they are unhappy. I try to encourage people instead of saying the lineup sucks tell us who you want to see. Just saying it sucks that gives us no direction to go off of and improve to their satisfaction. So the number one thing is there anything positive I can take from it.  After that, I am really strict about diet and exercise and taking mental health breaks. I do a lot of reading, even when it is really busy it is important I get my reading and exercise in to clear my head," Thomas said, adding she thinks most people grasp how challenging her job is.

"I think a lot of people do understand. There was a comment from one of our other shows where somebody said There is absolutely no good reason why you haven’t had Mark Hamill at your show. And I thought there are actually three great reasons why he couldn’t make it. It is funny. From the outside, there is still the minority that thinks it’s just a matter of picking up the phone and inviting them, but there are 1000 different steps in between that in order to make it happen. We have invited Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans and Mark Hamill. There are very few people that someone could name that I haven’t tried for that person yet. People are picking up on the fact that it is a lot of work."

That work all pays off when Thomas sees the smiling faces of attendees. Come Sunday night she can look back knowing that she and the entire expo team of staff and volunteers pulled off something special once again for Calgary.

"I hope people come out and see the show. Lots for people to see and do and I look forward to seeing everybody."

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Contributor Jason Clevett |

Locale Calgary |

Person Emily Expo |

Topic Calgary Expo | Comic Expo |