The history of Fan Expo Canada begins in 1995 with the launch of the Canadian National Comic Book Expo which was not held in the spacious South Building at the Metro Toronto Convention Center, but at the impressive Roy Thompson Hall (where scenes of X-Men would later be filmed) that would accommodate the approximate 1,500 attendees. Back then, there were only five guests who included Bernie Wrightson and Bill Sienkiewicz. 

With the continued success of the Expo, the venues changed to accommodate the growing number of fans, guests, celebrities, and exhibitors. These included the Holiday Inn on King in 1996 and eventually to the home of Fan Expo Canada; the Metro Toronto Convention Center in 1997. The initial years at the MTCC were held in the bright and appealing North Building, but the massive popularity of the Expo demanded more space and since 2006, is now held in the depths and vastness of the South Building.

Venues were not the only reflection of growth for Fan Expo Canada. In 1998 the Canadian National Anime Expo joined the Comic Book Expo to provide fans with a wider range of selection and in 1999, the Science Fiction Expo followed suit. Rue Morgue, who sponsors the “Festival of Fear” a.k.a Horror Expo joined in the crusade to stimulate the senses in 2004 and in 2005, the Gaming Expo brought Fan Expo Canada to its full circle, providing fans with “THE” expo to attend.

Our fans make the Expo what it is today and to reflect its scope, the five genres; Comic, Anime, Science Fiction, Horror and Gaming, were re-branded and merged to become Fan Expo Canada. Today, Fan Expo Canada is the country’s biggest, the fastest growing and one of the largest events of its kind in World!

Now entering it’s 14th year, the Expo showcases over 600 exhibits and sprawls to over 220,000 square feet. In 2007, Fan Expo Canada welcomed over 43,000 attendees. 

The phenomenonal guest list - every year - boasts many celebrity guests who sign autographs, host presentations and conduct question and answer sessions with their loyal fans. Attendees travel from all over the world to attend this ultimate annual event.

Past comic book guests have included: Jim Lee, Brian Michael Bendis, Joe Quesada, Adam Kubert, Michael Turner, Frank Quitely, John Cassaday, Jhonen Vasquez, J. Michael Straczynski, John Romita Jr. and Sr., Olivier Coipel, Simone Bianchi, Paul Dini and many, many more…

Past Anime voice stars have included: Scott McNeil, Kirby Morrow, Laura Bailey, Richard Cox, Brad Swaile, Sam Vincent, Brian Drummond, Chris Sabat, Sean Schemmel, Vic Mignogna, Yuri Lowenthal, Kate Higgins, Maile Flanagan, Crispin Freeman, Veronica Taylor and many others…

Past Japanese guests of honor have included: Ueda and Abe, Yasuhiro Nightow, Yasuhiro Imagawa, Nobuyoshi Habara, Ryo Mizuno, Chiho Saito, Kunihiko Ikuhara, Mika Akitaka, Yumi Touma, Kia Asamiya, Tommy Ohtsuka, Yoshihiro Komada, Mari Iijima, Diasuke Moriyama, Suzumi Atsushi and many others…

Past Sci-Fi celebrities have included: Patrick Stewart, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Carrie Fisher, Brent Spiner, Elijah Wood, Jeri Ryan, James Marsters, Billy Dee Williams, Kevin Sorbo, Adam West, Jonathan Frakes, Malcolm McDowell, Tricia Helfer and many others…

Past Horror celebrities have included: Alice Cooper, Clive Baker, George Romero, Dario Argento, Doug Bradley, Kane Hodder, Elvira, Crispin Glover, Margot Kidder, Linda Blair, Karen Black, Adrienne Barbeau, Malcolm McDowell and many, many, others…