Fan Expo Dallas was this weekend. Per usual, the city showed up and showed out.
Fan Expo Dallas rolled into the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Sept. 11-13, and we spent Saturday and Sunday bouncing around the floor with cameras up and dignity optional. A quick rookie tip: Saturday is the elbow-to-elbow crush, while Sunday lets you actually breathe. Both days deliver magic if you’re standing in the right spot at the right time.
Speaking of right spots — reader, we tried. There was a sexy Gandalf out there, and we got politely shuffled away before the shutter clicked. You shall not pass, indeed. The photos below will have to make up for that loss.
Fan Expo Dallas brings A-listers to town, and celebrity row is essentially window shopping, unless you commit. Nicolas Cage held court behind the curtains, drawing a nonstop line and $225 per signature. Fans came prepared, waving a prop Declaration of Independence (no theft required) and, our favorite, a collage of Cage’s greatest freak-out faces. “The Lord of the Rings” and “Young Guns” casts turned out too, including North Texas-raisedLou Diamond Phillips.
Preston Barta
Gaming voices stole the show, though. Nick Apostolides — Leon Kennedy himself from “Resident Evil” — kept his line packed all weekend. And yes, Peggy the Dog from “Deadpool & Wolverine” made an appearance: $60 for an autograph (a paw print, we assume) and $75 for a photo. No open-mouth kisses, sadly.
The heart of it all is the cosplay culture, where strangers compliment your very niche anime build like old friends. One handmade Rocky, the rock alien from “Project Hail Mary,” was pure craftsmanship.
Our best find? A “Godzilla vs. Texas” comic — part of the “Godzilla vs. America” series from Texas artists like Matt Frank, Devin Craft and Joe Eisma, with a cover by Brian Denham. The cover pits Godzilla against the cybernetic cowboy robot Tex-Mech, with Reunion Tower in the background. Inside, the King smashes through the Fort Worth Stockyards, San Marcos Outlet Mall and Austin City Limits, with Dallas hogging the most pages. It was an exclusive through Collected Comics & Games out of Fort Worth.
Preston Barta
Elsewhere: 3D-printed sculptures from family photos, Saber Guild lightsaber lessons (mind your fragile blades) and a fencing pit for live duels. There was always something to see. Scroll on.
“Midsommar” fans, meet Dallas’ May Queen. A handmade Vox costume from the animated musical series “Hazbin Hotel.” -
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice after discovering the magic of flavored vapor. Ghost Rider showed up looking like he was either headed to hell or hoping to bump into Nicolas Cage. Nothing says “weekend fandom” like casually stumbling into a sword fight between two people who absolutely know what a gambeson is. Shrunk 3D DFW turns family portraits into detailed 3D-printed figurines, because apparently flat memories are no longer enough. Inosuke, but make him North Texas gym-rat feral. In the Saber Guild battle zone, casual disagreements were settled the old-fashioned way. Fans left flowers and messages for Peter Cullen, the beloved voice of Optimus Prime and Eeyore, at what was meant to be his final convention appearance. Amaze, amaze, amaze! One fan showed up with a handmade Rocky from Project Hail Mary. At Fan Expo, even the side quests had side quests. Lady Deadpool was one of many cosplayers roaming the convention floor. -
Lieutenant Jim Dangle is just boot goofin’. Just a normal card game in a galaxy far, far away. These Stay Puft minis look like they made a bad decision. Even Darth Maul has to stop terrorizing the galaxy long enough for a smoothie break. This Thor looked less like “bring me Thanos,” and more like “bring me another beer.”
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