FanX 2023 Journal

 

(Guest Post by John)

My friend Mike and I went to Fan X this year. We were able to get on the train and I have to say that was a fun experience in itself. First off I gotta see Neo (Matrix) and I asked him why didn't you just fly there and he was like "oh he wasn't in the mood." Second off we got on the train and we were able to find some seats fortunately. I was sitting next to mad Eye Moody, professor Sprout and Haggard. Everyone had such impressive costumes. I was especially impressed with Mad Eye Moody, he 3D printed his staff, and glued it together it took quite a while; quite impressive. The conductor was fantastic when he got on the intercom to tell us which stop to get off of that would help us to get off for a fantasy adventure. He told it in such a fun way. For example, you've now entered the mothership where warping North for all your ghouls and goblins, then he told us to live long and prosper may the force be with us; and he add a lot more to that, but that was just an old snip bit. 

Mike's wife put together a scavenger hunt for us. We set off to do it all. 

FanX Scavenger Hunt:

1. Someone dressed as a character from a book that has NOT been made into a movie.

2. Someone you know out of costume. 

3. Most creative costume 

4. Someone dressed as an animal, place, or vehicle. 

5. Best makeup 

6. Dr. Who character 

7. Someone dressed up as a character from a movie that is not based on a book. 

8. Someone dressed as an animated character.  

9. Someone who doesn't do the dressing up thing.  

10. Someone in a costume that Mike's wife would totally wear 

On the way I found number 9. A guy went with his GF and didn't dress up. 

In years past when I've gone, I've mostly stayed on the second and first floor just looking and seeing and taking pictures of people. I normally had a better costume so people took pictures of me as well. Mike took the time to look at all the schedules and pointed out some things that might be extra fun and I looked into it as well. This con was definitely a little more interactive than past ones. Our first problem was finding our way into the Salt Palace, we had to go to 3 different entrances to get our passes. A press badge gets you into one additional room other than what most people can get into; the press room. On our scavenger hunt we passed by these girls that were dressed up in the best anime I have seen thus far in Fan X. However, I had no idea what anime was called other than I've seen it before somewhere. Mike has that info. 

We went to 255 to check out the science lab, and had a physics lesson. It was shorter than we thought it would be. I thought it was fun, Mike being a Physicist thought it was pretty lame as he has performed better ones before. 

We went down to the main floor and I saw some really cool things. I have to say I love the creativity of all the people who went. Every costume, everything they're trying to sell, even the decorations on the wall of their booth is creative and amazing. There was a picture of Pizza Hut Jimmy pasto and some war hammer stuff which is awesome. I stopped by this booth koldfire role playing games llc, that had a different role playing game system that they put together. They wrote the book and dressed up as the part which is #1 on our hunt. The main floor has many different themed areas, and that is where we went next. 

Star Trek, Star Wars, and Doctor Who. Great photo opts. Also taking care of #6 on our hunt. We got pictures of wizards, and #4 I know it's an anime of some sort of cat creature. Then we went to some panels. One being anime that should have stopped at season 1. Very true on all the selections they choose. I only watched sword art online, and I agree season 2 sucked. Then we went to room 255 again, and checked out the Star Trek Artemis simulation. Since not everybody showed up we got to try some of the stations I was on, which was really easy as just point shoot point-and-shoot and we were the first group to make it through the entire mission without dying which was a bonus because I don't like to die. 

As we were going back down to the main floor I found a girl with in my opinion the best make-up #5. I was looking for an author this year to buy the next book in the monster hunter series, but he wasn’t there. I took more photos of costumes. Then we went back to 255 and looked at the NASA programs. We learned that Osiris-REx It's supposed to be dropping a probe back down on the salt flats the next day. It was rotating around an asteroid and picked up some rocks and brought it back. Then we went up to room 355. I got a picture of my friend Paul who is a DM and out of costume #2. Paul offered to drive us home. Woot woot.

Now Presenting... FanX

(Guest Post by Spencer F)

Celebrities, fans, authors, creators... so much of the comic convention experience is the panels presented. Whenever I've described to others what I did at any convention, why I enjoy it so much, the panel programming is high on the list.

So this year for FanX I decided to experience panels from the other side of the stage. Early in June I submitted 5 panel suggestions in the hope that at least one would be accepted. Imagine my surprise and excitement a few weeks later when I was notified that 4 of them had been accepted! Now, I had assisted with occasional panels in the past, but going from assisting with ONE to planning and presenting FOUR in the same convention is quite the jump!

The programming committee wants panel submissions to be presentation-ready before submitting. I absolutely didn't do that, and it meant last-minute work the night before for each panel. Fortunately, the panels were spread out across the days, so we were able to take that time to discuss, prepare, and polish.

On Thursday I presented "One and Done: Legacy and Other Non-replayable Board Games" with my wife and a gaming friend. We talked about Pandemic Legacy, Risk Legacy, Seafall, the Unlock and Exit series of games, Gloomhaven, and several other titles. The thesis was simple: non-replayable board games are worth the cost and certainly worth playing. The turnout wasn't huge, but I think the audience enjoyed it, and we certainly did. 

That night we stayed up late prepping for two panels on Friday: "The Rise of Modern Board Gaming" and "Bluey: Taking Advice from a Cartoon Dog." There were five panelists for the first: those from One and Done along with my brother and another friend. Here I should have prepared better. I didn't have a good list of questions prepared and failed to turn it over to the audience earlier. I'll definitely learn from that in the future; either prepare a lot of my own questions or turn it to the audience earlier. I wish I had simply had the panelists introduce themselves, describe their credentials to present, then gone to the audience for discussion. Live and learn.

Luckily, we prepared well for the Bluey panel. There were over 300 attendees! This one was just my wife and I presenting and we had made really good slides. The intro and topic slides all matched the colors and font of the show, we had 20 printed bullet points, talked about several exemplary characters, and finished with some examples of parenting failures to remind us that the Heelers aren't perfect, then some audience comments. I was especially impressed by my wife presenting and speaking in this one, and the audience applauded when we finished. Someone even set up a tripod and filmed the entire presentation, which can be found on YouTube. We were actually 2 minutes late after going across the entire Salt Palace after the board game panel, so I accidentally skipped our own introduction as spouses and parents. Ah well, someone asked about our family during the audience comment time.

Finally, two friends and I presented "Grand Master Luke Skywalker" on Saturday. This was specifically about Luke from the old canon, the Expanded Universe or "Legends," as it is now known. We made it clear at the beginning that we were there to talk positively about that version of Luke and weren't there to talk about the Disney version at all. The audience wouldn't have it, though, and twice asked our opinion on Disney Luke. We tried our best to sidestep the questions and stay on topic, and also got hit with some really good questions and thoughts from the audience.

Coming out of this weekend was the most fulfilled experience I have had at a comic convention. Already the other panelists were talking about doing other panels next year. But I will know a lot better then how to prepare and run a successful panel. Some thoughts:

• Always give time to introduce all the panelists and explain the credentials. Especially because we are coming as fans, rather than true subject matter or industry experts, this is important;
• Know when to give the time to the audience;
• Prepare well before the night before;
• Strive to present something and in a way that you would want to attend;
• Remember that a convention is a place of joy, and you are part of that joy, so be happy, and have a wonderful time

FanX 2023 Scavenger Hunt

Photo: FanX

I had a great opportunity to attend FanX in Utah and let me tell you if you are nerdy and have an opportunity to attend do so there is much to be seen. This year I noticed new additions that usually don’t take place. For example, the Utah planetarium was there as well as NASA. The planetarium performed a chemistry magic show which, as a chemist, I was excited for. However, when I went to it, the show lasted only 10 minutes with three experiments being shown. As someone that does chemistry magic shows, I know that I can perform a longer show that stays exciting. Hopefully next year will be better. 

Photo: Anne Marie Helmenstine

Besides the chemistry magic show and NASA there were a variety of panels of people enthusiastic in nerd culture as we are. It was nice to have conversations with other people that have similar interests that I don’t normally share or talk to others about. 

 

Photo: Utah Transit

If you are social and want some fun take the train to FanX. For me when I took the train most of the people on the train were heading to FanX and a lot of people were dressed up and it was so cool talking to all these fans of diverse genres. Also, the train conductor embraced the culture by speaking in Klingon from Star Trek and gave helpful instructions on when to get off the train.

To me and presumably most people attending, the best part of FanX is the cosplay. Similar to Comic Con Bingo I wanted to do a scavenger hunt. I know that FanX has a scavenger hunt, but I wanted a fun one that involved the cosplayers at the convention. So, my lovely nerdy wife created one and for the rest of this post will show you my scavenger list and who I found that fits it.

1. Someone dressed as a character from a book that has NOT been made into a movie 

Mistborn (Vin)

Vin: Maelynn

2. Someone you know out of costume

Star Trek (Red shirt)

Name: Who cares he's a red shirt they just die. 

3. Most creative costume 

Caroline Jones, Vampire, and Taako

insta: qweenbeecosplay

Left Picture: Pirate Disney Princess

Arial: Katie

Belle: Claire

Right Picture: Collection of Star Wars

Krayt Clan

4. Someone dressed as an animal, place, or vehicle

Agrestsuko (Retsuko and Haida)

Instagram: Bluefates16

5. Best makeup 

Inuyasha (Sesshomaru and Inuyasha) 

Sesshomaru: littlechey baby

Inuyasha: Allenchai cosplay

6. Doctor Who character 

Dr. Who

10th doctor: Emily Bryson (@bluehuskey insta: @queenbeecosplay)

7. Someone dressed up as a character from a movie that is not based on a book

Left Picture: Nightmare before Christmas

Jack Skellington: Shaen lond

Right Picture: Emperor's New Groove

Kronk: Neal Rodgers

8. Someone dressed as an animated character

Hunter X Hunter (Gon and Killua)

Gon: Alyssa Felt (@alyssaFelt)

Killua: Sarah Felt

9. Someone who doesn't do the dressing up thing

Me: Michael Davenport

10. Someone in a costume that your spouse would totally wear   

Beauty and the Beast (Belle)

insta: haydoll.projects 

Harry Potter (Mad-eye-Moody, Professor Sprout, and Hagrid)

insta: durrantgang

Artist Alley

(Guest Post by Jared)

I’ve been to FanX three times now and I’ve spent exponentially more money each time! This last time we finally splurged for a BIG celebrity photo and paid the price to meet Tom Holland for a photo. I always get a Funko POP or two signed by celebrities, maybe a photo to commemorate the moment. However, by far, the most money I spend at the convention is in Artists Alley.

I’d heard about it before ever attending the show, but honestly could not have expected it to be as huge and as awe striking as it was. The talent that these artists have is just incredible and to see it all in one place like a huge buffet is by far my favorite part of the weekend.

I’ve been a nerd my whole life, some of my earliest memories is watching Star Trek: the Next Generation at three, four and five years old. I love Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica. I’m a Disney fanatic and go to Disneyland or Disneyworld once a year. I’m an avid comic book reader and have been obsessed with Marvel comics since the late 90s. Seeing all the art available at this show spanning these fandoms and so many more could easily be an entire day of your convention, and if you walk through too quickly or skip it altogether I would really say you’re missing the best part! Sure the celebrities are fun; the panel are usually hilarious but for me seeing so many local and talented artists is mind-blowing. Most do it is a side hustle, or just for fun and I’m so glad they’re willing to share their talents with all the rest of us nerds who can’t draw stick figures!

Here are a couple of my new favorites this past FanX, you can find on Instagram

@toonbaboon
I’d actually found this artist because I ran into a lady here at my local Michael’s who was framing a “Little Mermaid” print and I just loved the style! She gave me his name and I quickly found him on Instagram and Etsy. Previous to the convention he was running specials on his Etsy shop on some new prints, one specifically, an Elliot from Pete’s Dragon that is a childhood favorite for me. I purchased it for pickup at the convention and just loved seeing his art in person for the first time! So much Disney and all within a very personal style that I just loved, so I had to buy a couple more!

@xidingart
This artist was a very fun find for me too; his art is an amazing perfect mix of lifelike yet cartoony. I absolutely loved the Iron Man snapping his fingers. So much emotion in that scene in the movie and he was able to capture it in wonderfully in his art.

@tonysantiagoart
Tony is another artist I met at one of the previous conventions but he still remains one of my favorites! I’ve purchased several prints from him in the past and love to stalk his social media and his website to see what new things he’s working on. His art is so lifelike and beautiful; they almost look like photographs that have been put through a filter.

@artofhardy
Another of my favorites from the past FanX was easily Hardy, I’m a sucker for any Marvel art obviously but when I saw a print of the original film Avengers AND it included Wanda and Vision I had to have it! I’m a huge Vision fan from the comics and I was really excited to see him and Wanda included in such a beautiful print.

@nostalgicburns
Easily my new favorite find from the most recent FanX was Nostalgic Burns. Every piece of his art is unique and there are no reprints because he does them all by hand with a wood burning pen. There are a few wood burning artists at FanX, however this is easily the most talented and unique artist in the bunch! I was amazed at how beautiful and detailed his art could be just burning pieces of wood! Talent comes in many forms and this artist is a step above the rest for sure!

Also check out our thoughts on a celebrity meet-and-greet with Ming-Na Wen

Revisiting S.H.I.E.L.D.

I'm a bad nerd. But this past month I've tried to repent of my bad nerdiness in several ways, some of which was driven by my first con, attending FanX a couple of weeks ago with some of my fellow bloggers.

With a busy work schedule that requires me to extrovert far more than I'd like to, I often come home from work and disconnect for a bit while I watch TV. Due to my love of the Office and Friends I've turned to watching those over and over again and before I knew it, I never made it past Agents of SHIELD Season 4 Episode 3 from a few years ago! I've snuck in some Star Trek Discovery over the past few years, but when I attended FanX I regretted my choice to consistently binge on the same stuff over and over again instead of keeping up with a show like S.H.I.E.L.D. and other shows like Flash, Gotham, and more that I really came to love.

I attended Ming-Na Wen's panel and was suddenly hearing questions and answers about stuff that I hadn't seen without as much as a #SpoilerAlert.

Hearing Ming-Na Wen speak and meeting her afterwards, as well as being around so many fellow nerds and geeks really sparked my interest in revisiting S.H.I.E.L.D. I started at the very beginning and have thoroughly enjoyed becoming familiar again with the stories and series.

What really sets Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. apart from other TV shows for me is the integration with the MCU and integration of minor characters from film into the series. Yes Coulson died in the Avengers, but given the Kree integration into multiple Marvel films, the idea of GH325 and T.A.H.I.T.I. isn't so far-fetched.

The character development and diversity of character as well is something that has been super fun to revisit. Seeing Ward throughout the first few episodes and knowing he was Hydra, watching Fitz and Simmons and so many of the initial character interactions was fascinating to watch. Currently almost done with Season 2. I can't wait to get caught back up, and then get caught ALL the way up to where we are currently.

Other Marvel TV series haven't seem to have done as well, so I hope that once Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ends, Marvel/Disney can continue to offer quality TV integrated into its film canon.

I'll definitely be ready for season 7. Not gonna let my next con take me by surprise :)

Also check out our thoughts on Artist Alley

Meeting Royalty of the House of Mouse at Salt Lake City Spring FanX

(Guest Post by David T)

I was a teenager when Disney’s Aladdin and Pocahontas premiered in theaters in 1992 and 1995. As an avid fan of Walt Disney feature animation at that time, I learned who animated and voiced each character, particularly the heroes and heroines (the female leads who would later comprise the Disney Princess franchise). I knew that Aladdin was voiced by Scott Weinger with Brad Kane singing for him; that Linda Larkin and Lea Salonga spoke and sang for Jasmine; and that Pocahontas’ speaking and singing vocals were provided by Irene Bedard and Judy Kuhn.
As I grew older, I wondered what the women and men were like behind their iconic characters. I imagined what it’d be like to meet them in person, but never believing I would. Well, my dreaming became a reality when I had the pleasure of meeting Pocahontas (Irene Bedard), Aladdin (Scott Weinger), and Jasmine (Linda Larkin) at Salt Lake City Spring FanX two weeks ago.

Irene Bedard (Pocahontas):
Even though I was excited to meet all three actors, I was also very nervous. So I mustered the courage and met Irene Bedard first.

Irene reminded of Pocahontas. Like the titular animated character, Miss Bedard was dignified, and as I spoke with her, I could tell she loved and was proud of her Native American heritage. At the same time, Irene was warm and engaging. She actively listened as I shared my love for Pocahontas, and laughingly smiled when I expressed how excited I was when she joined Scott and Linda for their Aladdin panel earlier in the day. I took a photo with Irene at her autograph table, and at the conclusion, she expressed the wish that I would enjoy the rest of my day.

Scott Weinger (Aladdin):
Meeting Irene Bedard gave me the confidence to meet Scott Weinger. As I was waiting to meet him, I heard Mr. Weinger say to a small group of people meeting him that he wouldn’t be on Dancing with the Stars like his Full House/Fuller House co-stars Candace Cameron Bure and Jodie Sweetin. Listening to him, it hit me that I was meeting the guy who played Steve Hale (DJ Tanner Fuller’s boyfriend) and the voice of Aladdin.

My interaction with Scott was brief. I introduced myself to him, shook his hand, and got a selfie. After the picture, Scott told me that he was enjoying himself at FanX, and then we parted.

Linda Larkin (Jasmine):
After meeting Irene and Scott, I was finally ready to meet Linda Larkin, with whom I was most nervous about interacting.

Meeting Linda Larkin was a Dream Come True! She was very friendly and welcoming when I met her. When I took my picture with her, I asked Linda to hold Rajah (the Funko I brought), and she was enthusiastic to do so. I told Miss Larkin that Jasmine is one of my favorite Disney Princesses. I shared that I immediately related to the Princess of Agrabah the first time I saw her on the big screen. I also expressed to Linda how excited I was to hear her as Jasmine in the famous Disney Princess scene in Wreck-It Ralph 2. At the end, Linda shook my hand and thanked me for coming, and I expressed my pleasure at meeting her. After meeting each of them, I thanked Linda, Scott, and Irene for coming to FanX. I expressed the hope that they would have a wonderful time while they were there, which they seemed to appreciate.

In the last two years at FanX, I have met Jodi Benson (Ariel), Christopher Daniel Barnes (Prince Eric), Paige O’Hara (Belle), and now Irene Bedard (Pocahontas), Scott Weinger (Aladdin), and Linda Larkin (Jasmine). Each has been a nerve wracking yet memorable experience. It has truly been a Dream Come True to meet face to face with the actors who brought to life the iconic and treasured Disney Princes and Princesses of my childhood and teenage years. I hope FanX continues to invite the voices behind the animated royalty of the House of Mouse, and I eagerly await to see who I’ll meet next.

8 Hours at FanX

I've lost track of how many Salt Lake Comic Con/Fanx events I've been to, but this is the first time I've neglected to take time off work for the event (Disney World kind of takes priority). As a result, I had to make the most of only 8 hours at FanX this weekend. So here's what I learned from the shortened time at FanX.

Plan Ahead
FanX put its panel and celebrity schedules out in advance. So I made sure to look ahead to see which events I wanted to hit at FanX, so that I wouldn't waste any time when I was at the Salt Palace. I also over-plan, putting more panels on my plans than I actually care about attending. By the time the panel actually comes, I tend to disregard half of them.

Give Yourself Extra Time
Half the fun of FanX for me is the vendor floor and the cosplay. Despite the limited time, I left plenty of extra time to wander the vendor floor and people watch. It's always better to over-plan for the amount of time you'll need between events and have extra than to not have enough.

Take Breaks
That much walking around a concrete floor will almost inevitably hurt your feet, regardless of the type of shoes you're wearing. I felt apprehensive of taking breaks during this Con, because I knew my time would be short. However, there's no use wearing yourself out (especially if you're introverted like me), just to spend extra on the floor.

Prioritize
You're not going to get to do everything every Con. Especially if you're going just for a day or for a few hours, some things will get cut. I missed the Tom Felton panel, but made it to the Aladdin panel. I didn't make it to any photo ops (because of lack of money mostly, but time would have also been a factor), but I made it early to three panels to get a good seat each time.

What was your favorite part of FanX? Which celebrities would you like to make an appearance?

More Cosplaying on a Budget

Three years ago I did a post for cosplaying on a budget. This year, since my wife and I are saving our money for Disney World in June (#priorities), we don't have the money to spend on a new costume, so I've had to refresh my mind of how to make awesome cosplays with little/no money. And with FanX this week, I figured I'd share my thoughts.

Bright/Accurate Colors -- Getting the colors right is a big deal. I needed the right shade of red for my Mario costume (it had to match the hat) and the right color hat for Russell. This is especially true for bright colors. Dull colors like Wreck-It Ralph’s overalls weren’t a big deal for me, but having the wrong shade of red for Mario will affect whether people will recognize me or not.

Accessories/Props -- Props and accessories can make or break the costume. Even if the rest of my costume is pretty bland, if I have my Captain America shield, people can assume I’m some variation of Cap. Same thing with Perry the Platypus; even if I don’t have my hair dyed, if I have the right red shirt and Perry the Platypus, you can tell I’m supposed to be Phineas.

Use What You Have -- Some of my favorite cosplays have come straight out of my closet. My Wreck-It Ralph cosplay was 100% used materials. I had the overalls from my Mario costume and I had the shirts I needed in my closet. That costume took maybe 10 minutes prep time. Especially taking into account the above tips (colors and props) this can make cosplay nearly free.

Keep it Simple and Build Up -- Not every costume has to be elaborate. Start with what you have. A t-shirt from that outfit, a prop from Disney Store on sale, and an item from an old costume. Sometimes cosplays can start out a little bit bare-bones, but bringing them together over time can be just as rewarding as a fancy costume all put together

Any other tips you’d give for someone starting out with cosplay? What’s worked for you when you’ve been on a budget?