Something wicked came to SFU Convocation Mall the weekend of October 16–18, and that something was Metro-Con. The annual pop-culture convention “hosts celebrities and influential people in film, books, animation, entertainment, and more,” according to the Metro-Con website.
The convention featured many attractions and events, with daily opportunities for fans to meet celebrity guests and listen to panelists speak. On Friday, a Stars of Cosplay event brought five BC-based cosplayers to the main stage, including Dragonmight, a cosplayer who advocates for “mental health and suicide prevention awareness,” according to their Instagram. In the evening, an after-hours kickoff party took place, one of two Metro-Con After Dark events that weekend.
On Saturday at 5:30 p.m., the cosplay contest ensued at the main stage, the Diamond Family Auditorium. Cosplayers competed in one of three divisions: novice, journeyman, and masters. Winners were selected based on costume accuracy, quality, difficulty, the percentage of costume built by the contestant, and wow factor.
Sunday featured a screening of Big Trouble In Little China to celebrate the supernatural action-adventure film’s 40th anniversary, and a cosplay contest wrap-up Q&A.
This year, Metro-Con welcomed a variety of actors, including: Brandon Routh, who played Superman in Superman Returns and Todd Ingram in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World; Zach Galligan, who played Billy Peltzer in Gremlins; and Ken Sagoes, who played Roland Kincaid in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.
SFU has a history of being used as a set for movies and TV shows, a factor Metro-Con used to advertise the convention. Examples include the 2023 Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV series, Catwoman, The Day The Earth Stood Still, and Agent Cody Banks.
The Peak spoke with local retired actress Emily Perkins on-site. Perkins has had multiple roles in The X Files, which has used SFU as a filming location. She’s also known for playing Brigitte Fitzgerald in the Ginger Snaps trilogy and Beverly Marsh in the 1990 IT TV series.
so fulfilling as a former actress to feel like I helped create a character that was meaningful to people.”
— Emily Perkins, actor
“I never have attended Metro-Con before. I didn’t even know that it existed and I’m so thrilled to be here and check it out,” said Perkins. “I love meeting fans. I love hearing people say that they connected to the characters. It’s so fulfilling as a former actress to feel like I helped to create a character that was meaningful to people.”
Perkins mentioned her role as Becky Rosen in Supernatural, a superfan of the Supernatural books who is obsessed with main character Sam Winchester, and spoke about her interactions with stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki on the set. “I thought, ‘Are they just going to look down on me?’ because I’m just playing a fan, but they have so much respect for their fans. The first thing they did was take me around the studio, show me all the fan art and gifts they receive from their fans, explain how the voices of the fans really influence what direction they take the show in,” she said.
