Celebrating 17 years of comic-book conventions, FanExpo Canada is ready to invade the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Thursday, Aug. 25 through Sunday, Aug. 28.

Expect large crowds for this one. There are tons of celebrities appearing, and this means the lines will be enormous. Consider arriving early and staying late.

The convention is split among five sections: comic books, sci-fi, horror, anime and gaming. These are what I like to call the five pillars of the Earth.

For comic-book fans, a myriad of talent will be on display. From Jeff Smith to Joe Kubert to Junko Mizuno to The Walking Dead’s Tony Moore, many artists will sign autographs and offer their original drawings for a nominal fee. One highlight is Chris Claremont, the famous writer behind Uncanny X-Men and X-Men Forever.

Not all guests appear every day of the convention, so make sure you check the schedules when arriving at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

In the sci-fi realm, expect to see William Shatner (Sunday only), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter films) and Hayden Panettiere (Heroes, Scream 4).

The Six Million Dollar Man, Mr. Lee Majors, will greet fans, as well as Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse), Sam Trammell (Sam Merlotte from True Blood) and the great Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck from the revamped Battlestar Galactica).

Fans of older television shows will appreciate the appearances of Larry Hagman and Barbara Eden from I Dream of Jeannie, while Star Wars fans will have the chance to meet Anthony Daniels, who played C3PO.

Other Star Trek actors include Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura from Star Trek: The Original Series), Ethan Phillips (Neelix from Star Trek: Voyager), Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi from Star Trek: The Next Generation) and Malcolm McDowell (Star Trek: Generations and a little film known as A Clockwork Orange). Rounding out the sci-fi guests are Kevin Sorbo, Michael Shanks and the cast of Lost Girl.

One highlight should be Millenium’s Lance Henriksen, who will sign photos and sell his new autobiography, Not Bad for a Human.

In the horror department, just about all the big names will be present. Chief among them is Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund. Also making a rare convention appearance is John Waters, the legendary film director of Hairspray, Serial Mom and Pink Flamingoes.

Everyone’s favorite horror hostess, Elvira, will sign autographs, plus Oscar winner Martin Landau (Bela Lugosi from Ed Wood), John Astin (Gomez Adams from The Addams Family), Doug Bradley (Pinhead from Hellraiser), the awesome make-up artist Tom Savini, Danielle Harris (Halloween 4 and 5) and director Lloyd Kaufman (The Toxic Avenger).

There is also a host of anime and gaming guests who will appear as well.

The problem will be how to budget one’s time. There are so many celebrities, vendors and panel discussions that it will be impossible to do it all.

For newbies, it’s a best bet to hit the celebrities in the beginning of the day, when the lines are somewhat manageable. If you have to pick and choose, select those guests who are making ultra-rare appearances, like Landau, Englund, McDowell and Shatner.

Also check out the exclusive comic books that are available at the convention, including covers of Captain America, The Walking Dead and Flashpoint. There will also be an advanced screening of Terra Nova, Steven Spielberg’s new sci-fi television series.

Prices for the convention are not cheap. Thursday’s one-day pass costs $25, while Friday and Sunday cost $30. Saturday commands $40. All tickets (before they are sold out) will be available at the door.

The Metro Toronto Convention Centre is located at 222 Bremner Blvd. in Toronto. The event opens on Thursday at 4 p.m. and continues until 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday’s hours are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., while Sunday begins at 10 a.m and ends at 6 p.m.

Enjoy the convention, and if you’re heading to Toronto, be sure to leave your memories and experiences in the comments section below.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com