FANeXpo 2012: the doctor who society of canada

Over the years at FANeXpo, official fan societies have increasingly demonstrated a strong presence there. So much so that they now have designated spots for fans to learn and maybe even get involved with the execution of various events with the convention.

First it was 501st Legion, a Star Wars fan group based on players representing the Empire that now has one of the most prominent presences at the convention.

Then there is the Ontario Ghostbusters.

And of course, Steampunk, the alternative lifestyle based on steam-powered technology in the 18th and 19th centuries.

And now, so it seems, there is now a Society for Doctor Who (henceforth known as the DWSC)

The story that tells of how this society was created is actually quite interesting.

Apparently (and as I was told by one of the supervisors at their table/booth at the convention) last year at FANeXpo, a group of Doctor Who enthusiasts were attempting to round up individuals dressed in Doctor Who costumes for a fan photoshoot of costumes, walking around the floor and informing every and all who were in Who-themed costumes about the gathering.

When the time came for the photoshoot, this group of people that began the search were staggered by the number of fans that had shown up. They had never before realized or imagined the sheer number of fans for Doctor Who in Toronto.

And these were just the people who had chosen to cosplay Doctor Who, nevermind those that were there but not in costume.

Even the media took notice of the turnout, with CTV News interviewing them as part of their coverage of the genre fan convention in Toronto.

Afterward, the group of now friends realized that this shared interest in all things Who was large enough and popular enough to support a club of sorts in Toronto. They met so many people who loved the show and wished for an opportunity to gather and meet others who feel the same way at continuous events both large and small in which to share in their interest.

And so it began...

The Doctor Who Society of Canada (DWSC) is a not-for-profit organization that is run by unpaid volunteers. It advertises itself as strictly a social group of fans from coast to coast, building friendships through social interaction, intelligent exchange and commonality.

As all things seemed to today, it began on a Facebook page as a means to post social gatherings and ideas. It has now expanded to organize a monthly social gathering for its members and those interested that is either a cosplay, screening or pub night as a reason to get together.

The "flagship" chapter is based out of Toronto, but they have other chapters in Ottawa, Kitchener/Waterloo and Halifax, with plans to eventually head westward, following genre conventions there to build a greater following and support.

The group incorporates a variety of  individuals with different skill sets in which they express through their love of Who.

Of course, there are the cosplayers, fans who as a means of expressing their fandom create costumes and dress up based on their favorite Doctor or Companion or even race from the Who series both old and new.

But then there are the artisans, particularly those with metalwork and electronic skills who then use these skills to build and create such things as robotic Daleks.

There were two of those running around FANeXpo, taking part in an event they called "Dalek Exterminations" - which shares a similar concept to the 501st Legion's "Find that Drone" activity.

The Who versions though involved fans who have the chance to track down and avoid being "exterminated" by the Daleks and of course, take a picture with these creatures.

 To officially become a member of the DWSC requires an interest in Doctor Who and a willingness to show up and take part in their social gatherings.

Because the DWSC is not-for-profit, there is also a yearly membership fee, but at a reasonably low price as a reflection of the fact that it is first a foremost a social group. For those aged 13-18, the cost is $10 per year, while adults pay $20 CDN dollars yearly to get involved.

Upon becoming a full member, they then get a: Membership Card, 4 issues of the DWSC newsletter, advance and front of line notice for DWSC events, Discouts on ticketed DWSC events and finally, access to an annual "Members Only" event.

 It calls itself a fledgling group, but by the looks of the weekend, it certainly has the wheels to become one of the more prominent and impactful fan societies in Canada.

Interested? Check them out on their Official Website, Facebook page or via Twitter. Allons-y!

FANeXpo 2012: cosplays on day 3

Marvel Superheroes cosplayers act out a scene

With help from the Masquerade and by sheer numbers of people alone, costumes and cosplay on Day 3 (Saturday) of FANeXpo is always at its best and most interesting.

Granted, the costumes largely pale in comparison to those that often come out at Anime North or the more fan-driven conventions out there, but with that said, there is still much to look at and enjoy on the Saturday when we speak of costumes.

First things first however... my COSTUME OF THE DAY!

This is a fabulous cosplay of popular radio talk show host Ruby Rhod - played by Chris Tucker from the 1997 sci-fi movie The Fifth Element. The construction was flawless and the cosplayer had the flair and the knack to pull it off with respect. Bravo!

And that image really does sum up for me the kind of things you can find at this convention that really doesn't come to light at any other, and it is that people can be a fan of anything and dress up as anything and still fit into the spectacle of the show. The ideas and fandoms aren't restricted to Anime, or Fantasy, or Sci-fi or any of the other major genres. A few years back, me and a bunch of friends showed up dressed as CSI (based off the then hit television crime drama) and I couldn't begin to tell you how popular that costume was with people.

And this is really what separates the cosplay at FANeXpo apart - it can be from anywhere and anything and still find people who will fall in love with you because of it.

So pictured here are some of the cosplays I found, saw and enjoyed the most, but with restrictions. 

One being my camera, which is a digital point-and-shoot (that has problems with clear pictures when indoors) after failing to get a proper SLR from my school before the convention. The second is the sheer mass of people often made it hard to stop those to take pictures of.

Geek Style: tardis earrings

I really like Doctor Who. And I wish I picked up on it back when it first started. But as I was poor and had no means of acquiring the series, I didn't.

I've since caught up to the end of the tenth Doctor saga (in which I must stress with no uncertain terms how much I love and adore David Tennant) and have needs to take steps towards the eleventh. But see, eleventh Doctor episodes are hard to catch on television and I haven't had the time to make moves to acquire the remaining series since.

Anyway...

So I was mucking about online when I found these on Etsy.com by Mombie Zombie and immediately decided that I wanted them. A lot. 

Problem is they cost something like 17 dollars with shipping off of Etsy. And unless I win a decent sized sum of money somewhere, it's likely not within the budget for a good while yet.

But a girl can't help but dream can they? Here are some outfits I dreamed up as inspiration that can be worn with above or really any other Tardis inspired earrings.

TENTH DOCTOR

Note that the vein of the outfit is supposed to be inspiration, not actual "purchase these items here". I don't really expect anyone to be able to buy a $1000 dollar pinstriped blazer or a $200 white button-up shirt (especially since button-up shirts can be had for pretty cheap at H&M and the like).

Obviously the get-up is  inspired by my favourite Doctor (that being the tenth) and all the elements are there to make it a pretty good similarity. Course I lost the tie so as to make it too much of a masculine look and I didn't want the pants to match in order to give it a more casual look.

KEEP CALM AND DON'T BLINK

This is more of a fun, casual "I'm going to Comi-Con" look that I devised that's less costume-y and more "can wear these earrings with anything". Of course I kept to a general theme here but seriously, switch out the t-shirt and the earrings (even the necklace) can still fit in really nicely to the whole ensemble idea.