ByJessica Peralta
July 2, 202612:06 PM PT
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Paisley is 14, has heart issues and a bad leg. Scarlett is 11 and was born with a deformed spine. But that doesn’t slow them down
Both are shih tzus who were rescued by Nashville resident Michelle Smith, who tours with the two cosplaying dogs to help spread the word of pet adoption through nonprofit Community of Fashion Design Dog Assn
At the Fan Expo in Anaheim, which landed at the Anaheim Convention Center for the first time June 26-28, the doggie cosplayers donned their “Star Wars” wear Saturday with costume changes every few hours and wore “Batman” and “Barbie” themed attire at Sunday’s event
(Courtesy of Michelle Smith)
“Scarlett and Paisley are social media dogs,” Smith said. “We use mostly homemade costumes and props for our Reels. A few years ago we had a viral ‘Star Wars’ video in which I made the girls multiple ‘Star Wars’ costumes. People went crazy for it. We saw an ad on Instagram for Fan Expo San Francisco, and on a whim, I messaged them asking if they would be interested in having us come in with the girls dressed up and handing out stickers at the Expo. We have worked with Fan Expo San Francisco the last three years and we also attended MegaCon this year in Orlando.”
Smith and her dogs are a few of the many cosplayers, fans, celebrities and vendors that made their way in late June to Fan Expo Anaheim: Special Edition, run by comic convention producer Fan Expo HQ. They host more than a million guests annually at their events in Canada, Orlando, Denver, Chicago, Dallas, Boston, Cleveland, New Orleans, Portland and more. This year, they came to Anaheim Convention Center for the first time
“It’s a fantastic destination,” said Andrew Moyes, vice president of Fan Expo HQ. “We’re always looking for new opportunities to develop a new fan base. Our style of show is kind of a multi-genre show. So we put together the best of the best in anime, animation, comics, gaming, cosplay, of course, which is just a juggernaut within our industry, and sci-fi, fantasy. And so we were just excited to bring our formula to the Anaheim area.”
Mark Hamill, who portrayed Luke Skywalker in “Star Wars,” headlined the Fan Expo held June 26-28 in Anaheim. Above, Hamill addresses fans.
(Courtesy of Fan Expo HQ)
The celebrity headliner was Mark Hamill of “Star Wars” fame, but there were plenty of others, including stars from “The Lord of the Rings” like Elijah Wood and Sean Astin in celebration of the first film’s 25th anniversary. In addition to panels, autographs and activities like a Cosplay Red Carpet, there was plenty of shopping to do for fans of a wide range of pop culture, comic books and art
“A lot of people come to the show to shop, too,” Moyes said. “Lots of retailers where you can pick up unique pop culture merchandise and also we have a massive artist alley with hundreds of original artists that are doing everything from drawing, writing, crafting.”
Mathew Sanchez, of Eastvale, attended the Anaheim Fan Expo on Friday and Saturday. On Saturday, he cosplayed as Iron Fist
“The big highlight for me was seeing Mark Hamill. What a legend,” Sanchez said. “There’s nothing like cosplay. Dressing up as your most inspired characters and connecting with others that have the same passion is priceless. Cosplay has allowed me to express myself in ways that I couldn’t when I was younger and it’s given me something to look forward to every year.”
Jared Padalecki, left, who played Sam Winchester in the “Supernatural” TV series, was one of the celebrity guests participating in Fan Expo in Anaheim.
(Courtesy of Fan Expo HQ)
Melendy Britt, who voiced She-Ra in the 1985 animated series “She-Ra: Princess of Power,” also attended
“I am constantly amazed at how grateful and blessed I feel when I’m able to meet so many great new and old fans of She-Ra, and now their children who are fans of She-Ra and my other work as well — the Batman and Avatar and Flash Gordon series,” she said. “Seeing their faces and the stories they share and the hugs we give to one another is a massive gift of love for all.”
