Fan Expo 2024
Two weeks ago, I was lucky enough to attend Flashback Weekend and meet a couple of personal heroes of mine. Now as the summer begins to come to a close and as Chicago prepares for the Democratic National Convention starting today, a very different kind of convention is winding down out there in Rosemont, IL. Thanks to my day job as a librarian, I was able to take in some sights, meet up and network and mainly just nerd out for a couple of days. FAN EXPO is something I’ve been attending on and off for the past decade. I first went back when it was called Wizard World and consistently had a phenomenal time. This excursion was quite dizzying due to the massive crowds in attendance but that only means this continues to grow for a reason. If you build it, they will come.
It’s crazy to think that the original Captain Kirk and Luke Skywalker were in the same place at the same time but this is the go-to spot for all-things franchise related. FAN EXPO Chicago is a major event for the industry, attracting die-hard fans every year for a chance to meet their favorite celebrities and learn the latest news about their favorite movies, TV shows, and more. It’s no comic con per say but it feels like an extension of the other popular event that takes place earlier in the year, C2E2. For the most part, I don’t collect comics but focus rather on the other facets of pop culture that I’ve been covering for about two decades now. Still, there are so many sights to see through the entire weekend even if I am not a Marvel-head.
Everyone is a fan of something, and FAN EXPO Chicago is a place to celebrate all things pop culture. I always wish there were more movie-related events of course, but plenty of horror hounds got to see a number of actors from franchises such as Scream and Terminator 2. You can get an autograph or a photo with your favorite guest as well as hear stories about your favorite movies and TV shows at celebrity panels! Not to mention you can take photos with your favorite costumed characters especially since most of them are willing to pose. It's also a great place to buy a unique gift from an acclaimed artist with a huge show floor for shopping.
It was great to catch glimpses of icons such as Mark Hamill, Giancarlo Esposito, Linda Hamilton, Laurie Metcalf, Rosario Dawson, Rose McGowan, Lance Hendrickson and many more actors I’ve grown up with. As a fan of MythBusters, I had a great time hearing stories from host Adam Savage over the years as well. The highlight for me was getting a close seat for the Marisa Tomei Q&A discussion. She was a bit taken aback by the questions asked at times but loved telling stories about her work on My Cousin Vinny, especially.
There was also the Terminator 2 reunion panel that I thoroughly enjoyed particularly Linda Hamilton who played the legendary Sarah Connor. Also present was Robert Patrick, Lance Henriksen and Michael Biehn. (Edward Furlong didn’t make it due to feeling ill). I also stopped by the Saved by the Bell Q&A only in hopes of hearing Elizabeth Berkeley talk Showgirls but only one question came up and she decided to be a bit tight-lipped about an upcoming documentary about what that film has become over the years. The one regret was having to miss Sunday’s Scream cast providing a similar talk but let’s face it - two days is probably all my brain and body can handle when there’s this much stimuli. It’s hard not to feel overwhelmed by what this convention has to offer (in a good way).
All in all, it was a delightful time with upsides and downsides like any major event that involves a lot of cooks in the kitchen. It’s clear that if you wanted to meet and greet with any celebrity, you’d have to cough up some cash and pre-order autographs in advance (especially if you wanted to meet Mark Hamill, yikes!). I think next year is when I’ll take a breather for a lot of reasons but if you’re a nerdy nerd like myself, you owe it to yourself to venture out just for the panels, merch and plethora of like-minded, passionate fans who will likely walk past you and say, “love your shirt!”
