(Photo credit: Shannon Bement)
Written by Colleen Bement
Pop Culture Lives Here
Fan Expo Denver brought together friends and family, Mandalorians and Jawas, comic enthusiasts, and more to the Mile High City. The bright blue bear welcomed nerds of all ages to the Colorado Convention Center June 30 – July 2, 2023, and Fan Expo put on a show that did not disappoint. People even traveled from California, Texas, and Kansas just to experience one of the biggest pop culture conventions in the U.S. Fan Expo hosts events all over the country, and their ability to attract big-name celebs is always impressive.
These fans brought their best. They brought their best cosplay. It was obvious how much love and passion people put into every single stitch. They brought their best enthusiasm. This sold-out crowd came with big intentions to meet their favorite celebrities, authors, and artists, as well as shop and nerd out for three glorious days. The pure joy of stepping into another world with like-minded people for a few days is one of the best parts of attending conventions. We here at Nerd Alert News soaked up all the fun.
The “Church” of ‘Star Wars’
This year’s Fan Expo Denver had the vibe of a “church” of ‘Star Wars’ with such stellar guests like Hayden Christensen, Giancarlo Esposito, Katee Sackhoff, Emily Swallow, and Vivien Lyra Blair. Saturday felt like Hayden Day!
Attendees gladly stood in line for the coveted Hayden Christensen autographs and photos. Not only did they leave with their treasures, but many also made new friends as they swapped stories of lightsabers and fandom experiences. There was gorgeous “Star Wars” cosplay at every turn, and of course, the big Saturday night show An Evening with Hayden Christensen sold out the main events room. Then Sunday morning brought a “Sunday Service” feel as Giancarlo Esposito motivated the audience with stories and heartfelt inspiration.Â
Cosplay Corner
Conventions are a maker’s time to shine. Many spend months prepping that cosplay with the finest details to impress. When cosplayers walked the hallways, it means everything to get noticed and recognized. Please enjoy our gallery of the amazing work fans put into the perfect costume!
Shopping Galore
The Merchant Mesa was a shopping mall for nerds. It had everything from comics, action figures, and t-shirts to lightsabers, plushies, jewelry, cosplay props, and so much more. One simply HAS to come home with treasures. Then there was the Artist Valley lit up the room with rows of unique creativity. The artwork was ridiculously stunning, and fans could not pull their credit cards out fast enough. What a fabulous way to support the local art community.
Â
Celebrity Panels Entertained Audiences
Fan Expo is no stranger to big celebrities and they tend to bring in all of the big stars. It is a challenge to even know where to start. These uber-talented guests bring us all so much joy, and it was a treat to get to know them. The cast of “Scream” took the stage with Neve Campbell, Jamie Kennedy, and Matthew Lillard. “The Little Mermaid” fans were delighted to meet Jodi Benson. Next Gen peeps were treated to a roundtable with none other than Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, and Gate McFadden. The Fonz was there. Henry Winkler chatted about his happy days, “Barry,” and more. The audience took a “Vacation” with Chevy Chase. “My Hero Academia” hosted a Q&A. Shameik Moore brought his Spidey senses. Jim Lee hosted a sketch experience. Ron Perlman of “Hellboy,” “Sons of Anarchy,” Transformers” and more held a conversation.
Giancarlo Esposito added to the whole “church” of ‘Star Wars’ feel to Fan Expo Denver. The prolific actor fielded some questions at his Q&A panel where he shared experiences from “The Mandalorian,” “The Boys,” and “Breaking Bad.” In between these stories, he spoke directly to the audience’s hearts telling them how valuable and important they were in this world. “You are seen,” he told the crowd. He shared that it was an incredible experience to be a part of the “Star Wars” universe. “Breaking Bad” was a role of a lifetime and a little trivia: He came up with the idea to straighten his tie to represent a show of power. When it came to reprising his role as Gus on “Better Call Saul,” he took careful consideration to ensure that he didn’t ruin his footprint as Gus and tried to create a different character.Â
Tom Felton explained that he is a fan of fandom. The “Harry Potter” actor expressed plenty of enthusiasm for house Slytherin. Admittedly he’s cheeky when answering questions from fans, and was incredibly entertaining. And this many years later, he still gets goosebumps when he remembers seeing the Great Hall for the first time. When it comes to his character, he hopes that people learn from Draco to understand why bullies end up becoming bullies. Then, at one point, Tom asked an adorable little kid what house she was in. She didn’t know, and Tom promptly sorted her into house Slytherin. It was fabulous. That kid just got sorted by Draco Malfoy himself!Â
Ron Perlman fans were thrilled to hear his stories. This incredible actor has been in some of the biggest fan-favorite movies and TV shows. Perlman commanded audiences with his role in “Sons of Anarchy,” and brought the character of “Hellboy” to life. Some may even remember him from the 1987 series “Beauty and the Beast.” At one point during the panel, he told a story about working with the director of “Drive” interviewing Ron to ask how he sees his character. His response was “There’s something. I don’t know. But I do know one thing–when you say action some shit is gonna go down. He said OK, you’ve got the part.”
Wait. Who are we leaving out? Of course, the show headliner, Hayden Christensen hosted a sold-out after-hours experience. Stay tuned for highlights of Hayden’s panel in our next article!
Big thanks to Fan Expo and especially all of the volunteers who made this weekend possible. Tickets for Fan Expo Denver July 4-7, 2024 will be on sale soon. Stay tuned!
G. Vladd Graphics
Hi, I’m Lynn, and I Make.
Props, Cosplay, Scale Models, Home Projects, and just about anything else that involves me Making.
Eldwenne’s Fantasy™ and Wire Wrapture Artistically Twisted ™
Jodi invites you to explore your well-being with designs from Wire Wrapture Artistically Twisted™ and to declare your favorite fandom proudly with designs from Eldwenne’s Fantasy™.
A riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a warm tortilla, served to you fresh using patented space-age technology. all games played on this channel are using original hardware and software whenever possible.
They offer a premium selection of tabletop, board, card, miniature, and roleplaying games. Enjoy delicious food and hand-crafted coffee drinks in a comfortable and inclusive environment.
A positive podcast about video games. Chris and Ashley go over the video games we love.
*Bigs thanks to*
Chris and Lynn
Dustin Hatchett
Ron Peterson
If you like what you see, please consider joining our Patreon Family.
For as little as $1 a month, you can really help us out.
1 thought on “Fan Expo Denver: Pop Culture Lives Here”
Comments are closed.