Skip to content

Filmmaker Kevin Smith drops in to Langley Toy Traders

Smith shot nearly 20 minutes of video in massive toy store and posted it to his Facebook page. Warning: VIDEO CONTAINS SOME GRAPHIC LANGUAGE
8129977_web1_170818-LAT-toytraderskevinsmith

The man behind the cult classic films Clerks 1 and Clerks 11, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and Red State loves his toys.

So much so that American filmmaker, actor, author and comic book writer Kevin Smith visited Langley’s Toy Traders store, where he “geeked out” during a Facebook live segment.

Smith, 47, is in the Metro Vancouver area directing the fifth episode of Supergirl Season 3.

Over the 19:40 segment, Smith (who refers to the store as Toy Traders in Vancouver) says he likes to “get stuff to give to the cast,” hence the visit Tuesday afternoon at roughly 4 p.m.

Smith, who spoke with owner Matthew Purdy along with staff members during his store tour, said he was taken aback by the size of Toy Traders.

“There is so much love going into this store, so much product,” he said before marvelling (pun intended) at the huge variety of displays and dioramas at Toy Traders and the pure scope of the store.

“Look at this,” Smith says at one point. “They built a Death Star, for heaven’s sake! There’s a bay in the Death Star where you can see the figures.”

Smith told Purdy, “Matthew, you are doing the Lord’s work, here.”

Every inch of the store was covered during the segment, from He Man, to Star Wars, to G.I. Joe, to Terminator collectables and displays.

On Wednesday, Purdy said the staff at Toy Traders “had a feeling” Smith might visit the store.

“He owns his own comic book shop… and he’s a huge comic book buff so this is kind of up his alley,” Purdy said, adding that it is “very humbling” to have a filmmaker/pop culture figure of Smith’s status visit Toy Traders.

“It was total improv, the thing just happened so quickly,” Purdy shared. “People were racing from all over town to get (his) signature. Fans of his and fans of the store came in and got pictures, and we got pictures of him out front … it was fantastic.”

Purdy said for an aficiniado like Smith who has visited toy stores around the world and “knows all the major players” to come to Toy Traders and “be just blown away” is “quite an honour.”