Montreal Comiccon is up and running this weekend at The Palais des congrès. I was there for day one and the highlight was definitely meeting the Trailer Park Boys, who will on hand signing autographs and posing for photos.
The Trailer Park Boys are Canada’s most beloved miscreants from a small town in Nova Scotia, Canada. Robb Wells (Ricky), John Paul Tremblay (Julian) and Bubbles (Mike Smith) have created loyal and loveable characters on their television series and their message has spread globally. Over the past 18 years “The Boys” have garnered much press and gained a hardcore following of fans.
Originally, the concept of Trailer Park Boys began as a short film starring Tremblay and Robb Wells, which debuted to rave reviews at the 1999 Atlantic Film Festival. The premise: a camera crew chronicles the boys’ adventures living in the Sunnyvale Trailer Park in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Eleven seasons, three feature films and multiple live specials later, the camera crew continues to follow Bubbles, Ricky and Julian. In 2016, Netflix released an 8-part special, Trailer Park Boys Out of the Park: Europe, following their adventures in London, Berlin, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki and Amsterdam.
The brand has escalated to new heights when Netflix picked up the television series starting with Season 8. 2015 saw the launch of the Trailer Park Boys podcast on iTunes, where it was nominated for the Best of iTunes and had over 1.2 million downloads. Live tours continue to sell out across North America, Europe, New Zealand and Australia. In October 2016, The Boys released a new special for Netflix entitled “Out Of The Park Europe,” which chronicled their adventures throughout London, Berlin, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki and Amsterdam.
Alongside this success, Wells, Tremblay, and Smith launched Swearnet.com, their uncensored online comedy network. Fans include Jimmy Kimmel, Snoop Dogg (who makes an appearance in Season 10), Axl Rose, Billy Bob Thornton, Noel Fielding, Verne Troyner, Rival Sons and Rush.
What ‘s fascinating about this trio is they are always in character, especially Bubbles. Just watch my clip with them here on my Instagram page and please follow me.
To find out when to see them this weekend click here.
The actor who played Ritchie Valens in the classic film La Bamba (1988), Lou Diamond Phillips, will be on hand. Ditto for the likes of Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy, Masters of the Universe: Revolution), Vincent D’Onofrio (Daredevil, Full Metal Jacket, Law and Order: Criminal Intent), Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian, Breaking Bad, The Boys), Ray Park (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, X-Men, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra), Melinda Clarke (The O.C., Return of the Living Dead 3, The Vampire diaries), Danielle Panabaker (The Flash, Friday the 13th, Mr. Brooks), Nick Castle (Halloween, Escape from New York, The Last Starfighter), Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Stranger Things, V), Amanda Wyss (A Nightmare On Elm Street, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Highlander: The Series), Ronee Blakley (A Nightmare On Elm Street, Nashville, A Return to Salem’s Lot), Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare On Elm Street, The Midnight Club, Just the Ten of Us), Lisa Wilcox (A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures), Gates McFadden (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Labyrinth, Masters of the Universe: Revelation), Brent Spiner (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Independence Day, Gargoyles), Michael Dorne (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gargoyles, Arrow), Alan Tudyk (Resident Allen, Firefly, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Carlos Valdes (The Flash, Starfield, Up Here), Dallas Liu (Avatar: The Last Airbender, Shang-Chi and the legend of the Ten Rings, Tekken), Dante Basco (Avatar: The Last Airbender, Hook, Ultimate Spider-Man), Gordon Cormier (Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Stand, Team Zenko Go), Henry Ian Cusick (Lost, The 100, Scandal), Jeff Ward (One Piece, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.S., Channel Zero: No-End House), Steven John Ward (One Piece, Strike Back, To Catch Me a Killer), Tom Cavanagh (The Flash, Ed, Freddy Vs. Jason), Tom Glynn-Carney (House of the Dragon, The King, Tolkien), nano (singer), RKSS (We are Zombies, Turbo Kids, Summer of 84), Anik Jean (Meurtres et popcorn, Les hommes de ma mère), Sébastien Trudel (Meurtres et popcorn), Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk), Elias (Wrestler), Rob Van Dam (WWE Wrestler), Kevin Nash (WWE Hall of Famer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, Magic Mike) and more.
Walking through the gigantic exhibition hall is always mind-blowing, especially when you see many of the attendees dressed up in costume (cosplay as they say).
There are also seminars, concerts, an incredible gaming zone and more. But mostly what I really love is the people watching and engaging with the folks from all walks of life who are clearing having such a good time. I walked from one end of the hall to the other. There are so many merchants selling funky items, it is not to be believed.
Launched in 2009, Montreal Comiccon is a multi-genre pop culture convention showcasing the best in comic books, sci-fi, horror, manga/anime, toys, movies, video games and the entertainment universe. The fast-growing Comiccon exploded from a few hundred guests to over 60,000 visitors to become one of Montreal’s most popular annual events. The show features a vast exhibit room, an artist alley, corporate and interactive booths, guest panels, film screenings, celebrity autograph and photo sessions, a costume contest and a masquerade, and a multitude of activities for pop culture fans of all ages.
Bravo to Jason Rockman, who is doing his usual bang up job as spokesman and to their incredibly talented publicist Leeja Murphy.