-Please make sure you bring a donation to the Edmonton Food Bank! This is the only way you can enter to win our always exceptional door prizes donated by companies like Hasbro and Lucasfilm!

-VIP and advance ticket holders may bypass the general admission lines in the morning and proceed directly to the reserved ticket window.

-General admission tickets will go on sale at 9am, show opens at 10am.

-You can register for the costume contest between 10am and noon at the 501st booth located in the middle of the show floor. Contest takes place a 1pm. The 501st will also be hosting a Star Wars photo op with with all proceeds going to our friends at the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northern Alberta. *Please note that this is with your camera and not a professional photographer.

-Please note that our guests are now going to be located at the back of the hall and not at the front doors where they’ve traditionally been in year’s past.

Just announced! We are opening photo ops with Julie Benz and John de Lancie to the general public! This is your chance to have a professional photo taken with one or both of our guests! Your photo will then be printed on site and can be signed during the day. (*NOTE* photo op fees and autograph fees are not inclusive of each other).

Events and Programming:

In support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, attendees of the ECTCS can have their photo taken with their favourite Star Wars characters! The 501st costuming group will be in attendance and for a donation of your choice, you can have your picture taken with them! 100% of the proceeds go to the Make-A-Wish foundation.

For more info on the 501st visit: http://www.501st.com/

For more info on the Make-A Wish Foundation visit: http://www.makeawishna.ca/

*Please note that this is with your camera and not a professional photographer.

We know you love meeting and interacting with the guests we bring each and every year so this year, we’re giving you the opportunity to have the best fan experience we can offer! We have put together three amazing guest packages for those attendees who want the ultimate VIP experience with one or both of our featured guests this year at the ECTCS!

These packages go on sale at 10am sharp on Monday, March 12th at the following link:

http://ectcs.eventbrite.com/

VIP Fan Experience Packages are $75 each and include:

-1 hour early admission into the dealer hall!

-An exclusive photo op with one of our two featured guests, Julie Benz or John de Lancie! This is your only opportunity to have a photo op with our guests!

-Your exclusive photo signed and personalized!

-Exclusive VIP access line to all of our guests and panels!

-Limited edition ’68 print from artist Nat Jones!

 Want the VIP treatment for both our guests? Buy the Ultimate VIP Fan Experience for $125! You get:

-1 hour early admission into the dealer hall!

-An exclusive photo op with Julie Benz and John de Lancie!

-Your exclusive photos signed and personalized!

-Exclusive VIP access line to all of our guests and panels!

-Limited edition ’68 print from artist Nat Jones!

Only 100 of each of these VIP Fan Experience Packages are available and will go on sale on Monday, March 12^th at 10am.

Think you have a big Star Wars collection? Is finding adequate storage space for your Star Wars or other collections a growing concern? We understand. We really do. That’s why we could think of no better panelist at this year’s ECTCS to help illustrate just what it means to “COLLECT IN THE LARGE” than the man with the world’s largest Star Wars collection. Join Steve Sansweet as he guides you though a virtual tour of his newly renovated, 8000 square foot Star Wars museum in Northern California – Rancho Obi-Wan!

Trust us, this is one presentation you won’t want to miss!

About Steve:

Steve Sansweet was Lucasfilm’s Ambassador to Star Wars fans worldwide for more than 15 years, and currently is Fan Relations Adviser to the company. He’s currently working on his 15^th Star Wars book. He has a small hobby too: collecting Star Wars “stuff.” That collection has taken over large parts of his life, as well as his income and his property in Northern California—better known as Rancho Obi-Wan. Steve’s newly-expanded Star Wars museum is now being run by a non-profit corporation, and anyone can book tours there led by Steve. (For full information, go to http://www.ranchoobiwan.org.) Before joining Lucasfilm, Steve was a reporter, editor, and bureau chief at the Wall Street Journal for 26 years. He was born and raised in Philadelphia, but he has traveled the world extensively for business and pleasure. At Lucasfilm, he helped build the first editorial team that created StarWars.com. He played a major role in 1999 in launching Star Wars Celebrations—the official fan conventions that attract tens of thousands of enthusiasts from around the globe. In that capacity, he served as stage host and panelist, and even officiated at commitment ceremonies for fans expressing their love through Star Wars. Last year he was awarded the prestigious Inkpot Award for Service to Fandom by San Diego Comic-Con International. Steve is a proud member of the 501^st Legion, the worldwide grassroots fan costuming and service organization.

April 1st, 1pm – Downstairs Panel Room.

Let’s face it, you love to dress up! Whether it’s just putting on pants in the morning, getting all dolled up for a fancy evening out or donning a pair of tights, a cape or some chain mail, getting out and being a superhero or a crazy monster for a day is about as good as it gets! So, break out your nerd day finest and make sure to take part in our first ever ECTCS Costume Contest!

We have room for 30 participants for the contest which takes place from 1-2pm in our downstairs panel room. Contestants must pre-register by emailing us at contact@edtoyshow.com. Deadline to register is March 25th.

Categories:

Best Adult Male

Best Adult Female

Best Child

*All costumes must be deemed family friendly or the contestant will be disqualified.

Prizes provided by Hasbro and Lucasfilm!

Call us in advance to discuss any larger geeky tattoo projects you have in mind to give your artist time to prepare in advance or pick day of from any number of geeky flash designs in our book of Superhero and other pop culture related tattoo designs!

Check out Wayde, Casper and Randy’s portfolios on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/shadesofgreytattoo and book fast!

www.shadesofgreytattoo.com

780 756 0034

-All tattoo events happening at the ECTCS are approved in advance by Alberta Health Services.

Mr. de Lancie has an eclectic career:

His film credits include, “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle”, “The Fisher King”, “Bad Influence”, The Onion Field”, “Taking Care of Business”, “Fearless”, “Multiplicity”, “Women on Top”, “Nicholas”, “Good Advise”, “Patient 14”, “The Big Time”, “Reign on Me”, “Pathology”, “Games”, “Teenius” and “Crank2.”

Mr. de Lancie has appeared in numerous television shows including; “Torchwood”, “Breaking Bad”, “The Unit”, “Hill Street Blues”, “West Wing”, “Shark”, “Without a Trace”, “Sports Night”, “Judging Amy”, “The Closer”; “Star Trek”, “Legend”, “LA Law”, “Picket Fences”, “Civil Wars”, “The Practice”, and “Touched by an Angel”.

He has been a member of The American Shakespeare Festival, The Seattle Repertory Company, The South Coast Repertory, The Mark Taper Forum and the Old Globe where he recently performed Arthur Miller’s “Resurrection Blues”. His favorite performances include: “Man and Superman”, “The Common Pursuit”, “Childe Byron”, “Art”, and the recent world premiere of Richard Greenburg’s “The Naked Lady on the Appian Way”.

In the world of music, Mr. de Lancie has performed with: Kurt Masur, Sir Colin Davis and the New York Philharmonic; Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Cleveland Orchestra and National Orchestra; Esa Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic; Charles Dutoit and the Philadelphia Orchestra and The Montreal Symphony. His repertoire includes: “Peer Gynt”, “King David”, “The Bourgeois Gentleman”, “The Lincoln Portrait”, “St. Joan”, “Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “Oedipus Rex”, “Young People’s Guide to the Orchestra”, “The Nightingale”, “Egmont” and, of course, “Peter and the Wolf.”

Mr. de Lancie was the host of the L.A. Philharmonic “Symphonies for Youth” for four years. In addition, he’s written and directed ten Symphonic Plays: these ninety-minute programs are fully staged productions with orchestra; titles include “Romeo and Juliet”, “Midsummer Night’s Dream (Korngold score), “Bourgeois Gentleman”, “The Abduction from the Seraglio”, and a vaudeville — “Carnival of the Animals”. They were produced with the Milwaukee, St. Paul Chamber, Ravinia, LA, and Pasadena Orchestras.

Mr. de Lancie was also the writer/director/host of “First Nights”, an adult concert series at Disney Hall with the LA Philharmonic that explored the life and music of Stravinsky, Beethoven, Mahler, Schumann, and Prokofiev. These were fully integrated, fully staged productions with orchestra.

For Star Trek fans Mr. de Lancie and Robert Picardo have created a Trek Concert Experience that has been performed with the Dallas, Toronto, Cincinatti, Denver and Calgary orchestras.

Mr. de Lancie has performed or directed numerous plays for L.A. Theater Works, the producing arm of KCRW, KPCC and National Public Radio where the series, “The Plays the Thing”, originates. He recently returned from a national tour of the “Scopes Monkey Trial” with Ed Asner where he played Clarence Darrow and currently has  an adaption of “The Lost World” – which he wrote and directed – touring the country.

Mr. de Lancie was co-owner, with Leonard Nimoy, of Alien Voices; a production company devoted to the dramatization of classic science fiction.  Mr. de Lancie produced, co-wrote and directed dramatizations of: “The Time Machine”, “Journey to the Center of the Earth”, “The Lost World”, “The Invisible Man”, and “First Men in the Moon”; as well as three television specials for the Sci-Fi Channel.

Mr. de Lancie has begun to direct operas. His latest were “Tosca” and “Cold Sassy Tree” in Atlanta and Madame Butterfly in San Antonio.

Mr. de Lancie is a graduate of Kent State University and The Juilliard School and when all is said and done would rather be sailing.

Shades of Grey: Tattoos | Toys | Comics | Gallery

10444-82ave, 2^nd Floor

780 756 0034

Hours:

11-7 Tues-Sat

Noon-5 Sun

Closed Mondays.

www.shadesofgreytattoo.com

www.facebook.com/shadesofgreytattoo

With chameleon-like abilities to transform from a bubbly blonde to a tortured brunette, Julie Benz captivates any room she walks into with her radiant beauty and infectious energy.  In 2006, she won a Golden Satellite Award for Best Supporting TV Actress for her role as beloved ‘Rita Bennett’ on Showtime’s award-winning series “Dexter.” At the end of last season, after four years on the show, Benz made headlines around the globe when her character met a shocking and tragic death.

Benz is currently starring in ABC’s ”most promising new series,” “No Ordinary Family” opposite Michael Chiklis. The series, which was nominated for a People’s Choice Awards, centers on a seemingly normal American family who one day finds that they have developed extraordinary abilities.  Benz plays ‘Stephanie,’ Chiklis’s wife, a scientist who gains the power of super-speed.

Last January, Benz starred on ABC’s smash hit “Desperate Housewives” for a multi-episode arc as ‘Robin,’ a stripper with a heart of gold and a master’s degree in education.  Throughout her career, Benz has won the hearts of many devoted fans starring in an array of cult classics including “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel,” and “Roswell,” as well as the Steven Spielberg produced alien abduction miniseries “Taken.” In addition, she has guest starred on many hit TV shows, among them “Supernatural,” “CSI” and “Law and Order”.

On the big screen, Benz recently appeared in BOONDOCK SAINTS II: ALL SAINTS DAY, reuniting herself with the original cast, returning as ‘Eunice Bloom,’ the only female lead in the sequel to BOONDOCK SAINTS.

In 2008, she starred opposite Sylvester Stallone in the action film, RAMBO IV, and darkened her hair to play the vengeful blue-collar wife of a murdered cop in THE PUNISHER: WAR ZONE.  That same year, she met an untimely demise as one of ‘Jigsaw’s’ victims in “SAW 5,” the most recent installment of the hit horror franchise.

Benz also had a great turn with Jack Nicholson in AS GOOD AS IT GETS and starred with Rose McGowan, Pam Grier, Judy Greer and Rebecca Gayheart in JAWBREAKER, the first of many cult-hits that would soon follow.

Born and raised in Pennsylvania to a general vascular surgeon and a homemaker, Julie is the youngest of three children, all of whom are accomplished ice skaters.  Born a natural performer, Benz competed in the 1988 U.S. Championships in junior ice dancing with her partner David Schilling, coming in 13th. When Julie was 14, she suffered a crippling stress fracture, which led her to the stage. She earned a whirlwind of attention starring in numerous community theater productions.

Benz’s first major role came at 16 when she was cast in the Black Cat episode of the Dario Argento and George A. Romero horror film, TWO EVIL EYES, where she shared a notable scene with Harvey Keitel.  Next came a recurring role on the first ever ABC and Nick at Night collaborative TV series, “Hi Honey, I’m Home,” about a 1950’s sitcom family put in a sitcom family relocation program.

Benz took a break from her budding career to attend New York University, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting.  While attending, she graduated in three years with honors and studied abroad in Moscow, enriching her appreciation for the Stanislavski acting method.

With a flourishing career as diverse as she is, Benz resides in Los Angeles with her Maltese/Poodle mix Bamboo and her Havanese Sugar.  She enjoys running and weight training.  She’s also involved with the charity “U.S. Campaign for Burma” thanks to her life-changing experiences shooting RAMBO.