Thousands flock to X-travaganza at International Plaza Hotel
By Heather McCall
Every Friday night, all tucked away inside their homes, safe from the bogeymen that lurk outside, the X-philes turn down the lights and curl up in their favourite warm chair to watch The X-Files. It’s an intimate affair…just them, and FBI agents Scully and Mulder of course, battling the supernatural forces of evil for the good of all mankind.
But that’s a myth, just like most X-File plotlines. The truth is out there, and you had no further to go than to the International Plaza Hotel in Mississauga Thanksgiving Sunday to find it. There, close to 3,000 of these fans congregated to experience Toronto’s first X-files convention.
The 2,000 tickets sold out before the day started, and more than 1,500 people lined up as early as 7 a.m. to try and nab any extras. At 11 a.m. some were let in, but the majority were turned away, and people were still coming as late as 3 p.m. It was crazy, there wasn’t a parking space in the lot.
The convention was a cornucopia of X-files apocrypha. Collector cards, stickers, pins, magazines, fan-clubs, TV screens playing “scenes from your favourite episodes” – all spread out in a gigantic warehouse-type room in the hotel.
A volunteer stood guard at one of the displays that features clothing worn by certain characters in certain episodes. It was roped-off to keep reaching hands away from the goods.
“They’re adamant, they want to feel or touch,” said William Barret, a member of the U.S.S. Hudson Bay, a local Star Trek fan club that helps organize and run these types of conventions. “But they have to understand they’re there for visible enjoyment, not to wear…We’re supposed to throw ourselves at the fans if they decide to get too close.”
Probably the most surprising aspect of the crowd (about four times bigger than at the previous day’s Star Trek convention) is that these aren’t geeks or nerds with taped-up glasses and pocket-protectors — your stereotypical sci-fi convention-goer — they’re ordinary people of all ages…and both genders.
“For you ladies only, how about that Fox Mulder??!!!” yelled the emcee of the featured slide-show and guest-speaker. A chorus of high-pitched screams filled the room. “And for you guys…how about that Dana Scully??!!! Well, there was a few interested parties. Outside the room, a gaggle of girls pose for a TV camera and shouted “We love the X-files” when cued. They were not alone. Easily half the crowd was female.
Kathy Adorjan is a grade 11 student at Lorne Park Secondary School in Mississauga. When asked why she came to this convention, she pointed to her shirt and said “Him.” Emblazoned there was a picture of actor David Duchovny, who plays agent Fox Mulder.
Since the show’s popularity has grown, Duchovny has become a major heartthrob. His character is a distrubed and driven loner, definite hunk material. But what brings out his sexuality is the tension between him and partner Dana Scully, something that has been developing over the past two seasons.
“Now, if they put another character in (the show), it would suck,” said Kathy’s friend Julia Bontempes. The two had come to the convention not knowing really what to expect — heck, no one did — but quickly learned that it’s not just about fans and shared experiences. There’s a lot of stuff to buy, and how can you call yourself a real fan if you haven’t joined the X-files fan club?
“It’s amazing how fast money disappears,” said Kathy. She came with $100 and after a half hour she had already spent $75 on a membership, a poster and a shirt. Luckily she forwent the $21 hat, the $35 first issue of the X-Files comic, and the $420 wool and leather jacket.
There’s no way around the fact that merchandising was a big part of the convention, but it didn’t tarnish the overall atmosphere. Many of the X-fans were decked out like Kathy andJulia and were glad to be there, chatting and swapping favourite Mulderisms and Scullyisms (“screwy little thing they say,” Julia explains), eager to meet others like them. And when they returned home they could resume that special relationship with their TVs, or for that human touch, give a fellow fan a call.
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