FAN EXPO DENVER - This Weekend!
/This week we see the return of the scariest thing imaginable (for my wallet), the return of Denver Comic Con, Denver Pop Culture Con, FAN EXPO DENVER! The event may have changed names a time or two, but it is still planned to be the same great gathering of geeks that it has been for years past. But what can you expect from this event planned on Halloween weekend?
Cosplay
At the last event in 2019 the rules for what could be brought as a prop were pretty strict. Specifically no guns of any kind. Realistic gun with an orange tip, futuristic blaster rifle, or something like Mei’s cryo gun were all banned. Some people replaced their weapons with banana, bread, and even a marlin in one case. This year the rules (and this is paraphrased) state no live firearms. Replica firearms made from metal, solid resin/plastic/rubber are not to be brought to the con. Any thing else needs orange safety tips. I pretty much read this as “nothing that can be mistaken for a real gun, and nothing that actually works”. More details can be found at https://fanexpohq.com/fanexpodenver/props-policy/.
Additionally the Cosplay Craftsmanship Cup will be held at 7:00 PM on 10/30. This appears to be a more traditional contest compared to what I saw in previous years convention with Novice, Journeyman, and Masters divisions. I am going to guess this will be in the Bellco Theatre, but I don’t have anything that guarantees that as of yet.
Guests
What is a con without any guests? As usual the convention staff have wasted no effort to get the best they could for this Special Edition convention. Probably the biggest name and coming on Sunday only, the legend himself back from the final frontier, William Shatner! Another name in trek that will be at the convention on Saturday is the logical Zachary Quinto. Other guests famous for their space related endeavors are Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy), Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper (DOCTOR WHO), Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian), and Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnel (Battlestar Galactica). Guests that were more terra firma based (technically) are Katie Cassidy (Arrow), DB Woodside (Lucifer), Tim Rozan and Melanie Scrofano (Wynonna Earp), Felicia Day (The Guild), Jon Lovitz (Rat Race), Michael Rosenbaum and Tom Welling (Smallville), Ray Fisher (Justice League) and James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
And these are only the TV and Movie guests. There are also going to be voice actors from shows such as RWBY and Pinky and The Brain (NARF!). There will even be actors from Sailor Moon, Demon Slayer, and My Hero Academia. In case anime is not your thing there will also be Steve Downes, aka Master Chief, Carolina Ravassa (Sombra from Overwatch) and Paul Nakauchi (Hanzo also from Overwatch).
Finally there will be lots and LOTS of artists and writers all weekend long. These are the people that will be easiest to meat, and the source of the actual content we all so enjoy. While the actors and voice actors may bring the content to life. It is the writers and artists that create it in the first place. Check out https://fanexpohq.com/fanexpodenver/comic-creators/ for a list of all the comic creators that are scheduled to make an appearance.
Guidelines for “IT”
Given the current state of the world, we are lucky to be able to even have this convention. As such there are guidelines in place to keep everyone safe. Directly from the https://fanexpohq.com/fanexpodenver/health-safety/ page:
If you are unwell, stay home.
Masks are mandatory. Make sure they are clean, fit well, and cover both the nose and mouth.
Wash or sanitize your hands often.
When possible, try to keep your distance.
Please see the Health and Safety FAQ for more details on what is allowed and not allowed.
And that is all that I have for the time being. I look forward to a great convention this weekend.