The Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo was, as ever, a very strange, very exciting, and very exhausting way to spend the weekend. While I interviewed some actors and artists, of course I wanted more. And then throw in having to cover several seminars...if you saw a blur zipping through the crowd, it wasn’t The Flash, it was me.

We’re so used to his portrayal of the original Freddy Kruger from the Nightmare on Elm Street series it’s surprising to remember Robert Englund is a classically trained actor. Yet as he rattled off directors he’s known or worked with and discussed the work of acting - it was quite an education.  From an early age, Englund realized getting attention and laughs was fun, and by the time he got the part of Freddy, he was already established having celebrity status from the original V series.

The seminar was relaxed and easy-going...much like how Robert Englund is said to be himself. When asked about missed possibilities with the Nightmare franchise, he did tell the audience at one point, "...we got very close to doing Freddy versus Ash. Sam (Raimi) wanted Ash to win." Which Robert thought was perfect, but unfortunately the studio nixed the idea.

As for the recent remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street, Englund was blunt in saying, while some people don’t like remakes, Hollywood will always do it. They may do it right sometimes, sometimes not. As well, he gently chastised the audience for rushing to see these sequels while ignoring the great films which are released and then sink into anonymity.

The only criticism he gave the new version of Nightmare was "they made it too soon" implying, as many people have, that sometimes movie franchises need rest between the old and the new. Additionally, he was disappointed they didn’t use as much of the newer technology available today to create truly bizarre dream landscapes, citing the effects used in the Robin Williams film What Dreams May Come.

If there’s a walking block of cheese almost as hammy as William Shatner, Adam West would be it. Known as "the Classic Batman" or "The Bright Knight" for his work on the 1960s live action Batman series, it’s been an image which typecast him for a long time after the series ended. Much like Shatner, he came to embrace the role and the image it gave him as a large ham. Consequently, we have him showing up on a lot of shows and animated series playing...well, a version of himself (especially as the mayor on Family Guy).

An interesting tidbit about the 1960s Batman TV series was, despite the campiness of the series, it managed to bring back interest in the DC Comics character. In defending the camp, he said it was harder than it looked – he praised the skill of the writers and made a bridge to the similar skills of the writers on Family Guy. As well, he pointed out the difficulty of playing in a campy comedy series, be it Batman or as "Mayor West", was delivering the lines in a deadpan manner even thought the character was in a hilarious predicament.

Overall Adam West was playful and entertaining, telling fans about the pros and cons of fighting with a cape and how driving the Batmobile was not as much fun as you would think. As for Catwoman? West was coy on which one he liked best, only admitting he looooved the legs on Julie Newmar.

A number of expo-goers may not have checked out the smaller panels because they didn’t have a big name attached to them. This is a mistake because they can be just as entertaining – if not more so – than the big name panels and there’s a better chance you’ll get to ask a question.

The strangest and most wonderful panel was the cartoon voices seminar featuring, among others, the talents of Billy West, Tara Strong, and Jim Cummings. While they may not be household names (Billy West is getting up there, though), they kept the audience laughing the whole time. They discussed common experiences the actors had growing up which brought them to voiceovers – be their skills originating from a comedy or a musical background. If there was anyone who was thinking about getting into voice acting, this seminar certainly opened your eyes to the possibilities. These people were true craftsmen (and craftswomen) and the seminar was something many in attendance will probably remember long after we’ve forgotten about the other headliners.

The InnerSPACE panel was a chance to catch up with Teddy, Ajay and Cynthia. If there were another trio having a better time on the floor of the expo, I’d suspect they were on drugs (Ajay’s constant joking about rampant alcoholism aside, of course). The excitement these three generate for the sci-fi/fantasy/animation genres is contagious – so much so they ended up having Aaron Douglas from Battlestar Galactica and Ryan Robbins from Sanctuary drop by and join their panel. One surprise they told me was that for people who make their living interviewing actors and people in the industry, they still do get nervous and/or have fan girl and fan boy moments.

Finally, one person who was most excited by the reunion of the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast was, himself, a cast member on the show. Wil Wheaton for the longest time lived in the shadow of the character "Wesley Crusher", but he’s at peace with the role, and has learned to ignore the fandom who hated Wesley. Or as he so eloquently puts it, "I have run out of fucks to give."

He admitted for the first two seasons the writers had no idea what to do with the character and as an actor, he did the best he could. Since that time he’s continued doing some acting, some writing, and has become an avid gamer.

As an actor, and an industry insider, he did have some surprising notes on acting – essentially how hard it can be at times to create personalities on stage or screen which are different from other characters the actor has played, and especially from themselves: "There are big superstar actors who ruin movies for me because they don’t act. It’s just like Oh, it’s Tom Cruise as that guy! and they don’t give themselves up to the character."

Wil also had advice for writers: "Turn off the TV. And turn off the computer," and then create those wonderful worlds in your mind. Furthermore, he agrees with what Stephen King has said in the past – if you’re going to be a writer you have to be a reader. He echoed ideas put forward by a lot of other artists at the convention – that this is the best time in history to be a creative person. "All you need is an idea, and the commitment to do the work, to bring the idea into the world."

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Contributor Evan Kayne |

Locale Calgary |

Person Adam Baldwin | Adam West | Ajay Fry | Amanda Tapping |Billy West | Brent Spiner | Cynthia Loyst | Denise Crosby | Gates McFadden |James Marsters | Jim Cummings | John deLancie | Jonathan Frakes | LeVar Burton | Marina Sirtis | Michael Dorn | Patrick Stewart | Robert Englund | Tara Strong | Teddy Wilson | Wil Wheaton |

Topic Calgary Expo | Comic Expo | InnerSPACE | Star Trek The Next Generation |

Photo Gallery Wil Wheaton |