Local artist Audra Balion to be featured at Sask. Entertainment Expo
Balion will display her graphic novel, monster portraits and figurines
This weekend in Saskatoon, geeks, nerds, and cosplayers will gather for the Saskatchewan Entertainment Expo, a celebration of comics, sci-fi and anime.
This year, a local artist, Audra Balion, will be featured.
"It's kind of nice to be at home," she said.
Balion put together a graphic novel series called Flight Nineteen and is the creator of the Little Monster Menagerie, a series of monster family portraits. Balion will also show her Hooligans, a series of figurines designed to help people cope with mental illnesses and negative emotions.
Balion made the Hooligans cute because she's "trying to make [mental health] less scary."
Up close
The expo, Balion said, is a big deal because it brings creators face-to-face with fans and other artists.
'These are actually just cool people that you know you'd like to hang out with."- Audra Balion
"These are actually just cool people that you know you'd like to hang out with. And they're very friendly, very welcoming. And so it's really great to just be able to say hi and get a smile."
These gatherings, along with the rise of the internet, have fundamentally changed the way creators do business, creating an environment where they come into close contact with not just fans, but sellers.
"You could go to the actual comic book stores and try to get in there, although I've actually found that the expos have been more helpful for getting to know the people you need to know to get into the comic book stores," said Balion.
Star Wars
The expo also brings some big-name celebrities to town. For example, Billy Dee Williams, who plays Lando Calrissian in some of the Star Wars movies, will attend.
Balion, who is not just an artist but also a big fan of much of the work that will be featured this weekend, said it's all a bit overwhelming.
"I've been too busy to actually check all what's going on.... When I get there, I'll get the program and I'll sit down and have a look and see if I can manage to sneak away and see some cool stuff."
The expo is running all weekend at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon.
With files from Saskatoon Morning