Fan Expo Dallas | |
---|---|
Status | Active |
Genre | Speculative fiction |
Venue | Plano Centre (2002–2006) Richardson Civic Center (2003–2010) Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas (2011–2013) Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center (2014–19, 2021–) |
Location(s) | Dallas, Texas |
Country | United States |
Inaugurated | October 2002 |
Attendance | 50,000 (2014) [1] |
Organized by | Comic Con /Informa Connect |
Website | fanexpodallas.com |
Fan Expo Dallas, previously known as Dallas Comic Con (or DCC for short), is a three-day speculative fiction, (including comic books and gaming) [2] fan convention held annually in the Dallas, Texas area. Larger in scale than the Dallas Fan Days events under the same management, Fan Expo Dallas focuses on comic book artists, writers, and publishers. [3] [4] These events usually also feature question and answer sessions, a large dealers room, and autograph-signing with a number of famous comic and media guests. [5] [6] [7] The event is produced by Informa doing business as Fan Expo HQ.
In 2002, Ben Stevens, producer of the Sci-Fi Expo (1994–present), and Philip Wise, owner of rebelscum.com and theforce.net, brought on consultant Mark Walters (of the defunct Dallas Fantasy Fair, who had staged the Dallas Comic & Toy Fest from 2000 to 2002) [8] and produced the first Dallas Comic Con. [9] The show attracted 5,000 attendees. [8]
Starting with the October 2012 show, Dallas Comic Con expanded to three days. [8] C2 Ventures sold control of Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo, and Fan Days to Informa in early 2014. [10]
There was no expo in 2020, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. [11]
To date, the Dallas Comic Con has been held at one of four locations. The first three locations were in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas. Early editions were held at the Plano Centre in Plano, Texas, [12] or the Richardson Civic Center in Richardson, Texas. [13] [14] Beginning in May 2011, the event relocated to the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas. In May 2014, the Dallas Comic Con relocated to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas. Dallas Fan Days events remain at the Irving Convention Center.
MegaCon, short for Mega Convention, is a large speculative fiction convention that caters to the comic book, sci-fi, anime, fantasy, RPG, and gaming communities, often occurring in spring at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. The convention is the largest fan convention event in the Southern United States and second largest in North America with an attendance of 160,000 recorded in 2023.
The Orange Line is a 37-mile-long (60 km) light rail line operated by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system in Dallas, Irving, Richardson and Plano, Texas. It runs from DFW Airport via downtown Dallas to Plano.
The New York Comic Con is an annual New York City fan convention dedicated to Western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, cosplay, toys, movies, and television. It was first held in 2006. With an attendance of 200,000 in 2022, it is North America's most attended fan convention.
FenCon is a literary science fiction and fantasy convention with filk held each year on or around the fourth full weekend of September in or around Dallas, Texas. The name is derived from "fen", the fannish plural of "fan", and "con", an abbreviation for "convention".
The Big Apple Comic Con is a New York City comic book convention, the longest-running comic book/speculative fiction/pop culture convention in New York City. It was started by retailer Michael "Mike Carbo" Carbonaro in March 1996 in the basement of the St. Paul the Apostle Church. During its heyday from 2001 to 2008, the Big Apple Comic Con often featured multiple shows per year, with a large three-day "national" convention held in November, usually held at the Penn Plaza Pavilion. The show was owned by Wizard Entertainment from 2009 to 2013, but was reacquired by Carbonaro in 2014.
ConDFW was a literary science fiction and fantasy convention held annually in the Dallas, Texas, area from 2002-2019. Attendees mingled with author and artist guests, attended panel discussions and readings led by guests, got books signed, looked at and bought sci-fi and fantasy art from artists around the country, shopped in a dealer's room with books, art, games, clothing, weapons, and other items, donated used books to charity, played games, or just hung out and talked to guests and attendees in the consuite or the hotel bar. ConDFW is a production of the Texas Speculative Fiction Association.
Zenkaikon is a multi-genre convention held during spring at the Lancaster County Convention Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The convention was formerly based around King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Zenkaikon's name is a portmanteau of Zentrancon and Kosaikon, created when they merged in 2006. The convention has an all-volunteer staff.
All-Con is a four-day convention held annually in the Dallas, Texas, area. All-Con provides an umbrella of content supporting fans of science fiction, fantasy, Renaissance, anime, costuming, theater/performing arts, mystery, art, crafts, collecting, and filmmaking. To help give back, there are several charity events at the convention every year. The All-Con motto is "We Serve The Fan Community." Since 2007, the anime programming has been provided by members of Mu Epsilon Kappa's University of North Texas chapter.
Lazy Dragon Con was a three-day relaxacon held in McKinney, Texas, a northern suburb of Dallas in both 2007 and 2008. Lazy Dragon Con was sponsored by Lazy Dragon LLC, dealers of blades "From Pocketknives to Broadswords," and was not related to the Atlanta-based Dragon Con in any way.
Fan Expo is a group of fan conventions operated by Fan Expo HQ, a unit of the Informa Connect division of Informa plc. Most of its events are run under the Fan Expo brand, which stems from its namesake, the Toronto-based Fan Expo Canada.
The MCM London Comic Con is a speculative fiction fan convention held in the London Borough of Newham twice yearly since 2002, usually on the last weekend in May and October. The convention mainly focuses on video games, sci-fi, cosplay and popular media from the United Kingdom, United States, Japan, South Korea, France, Italy and elsewhere.
The Dallas Fantasy Fair was an annual multi-genre fan convention held between 1982 and 1995 in Dallas, Texas. From 1989 until the show's demise in 1996, it was the home of the Harvey Award ceremonies. During its heyday, the show was one of the largest comics conventions in the country, third in attendance behind the San Diego Comic-Con and the Chicago Comicon.
Fan Expo Denver is a speculative fiction fan convention held annually in Denver, Colorado, in the United States. The event is a celebration of comics, books, movies, TV, gaming, and other pop culture.
Dallas–Fort Worth is the most populous metropolitan area of Texas, and the Southern United States. Having 7,637,387 residents at the 2020 U.S. census, the metropolitan statistical area has experienced positive growth trends since the former Dallas and Fort Worth metropolitan areas conurbated into the Metroplex. By the 2022 census estimates, its population grew to 7,943,685, and if the metropolis was consolidated into a single city, it would be the second-largest by population behind New York City.
The Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area has a population of Chinese Americans. In the second half of the 19th century, the area became permanently settled by non-Native Americans, and citizens of Chinese descent began to make the area their home as well. In modern times, the main population of Chinese Americans is scattered around the northern suburbs of the City of Dallas.
WhoFest is a recurring Doctor Who-focused science fiction convention held in the Dallas, Texas, area. First held in November 2013 as a one-off celebration of the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, WhoFest is now held annually each April.
Fan Expo Boston, formerly Boston Comic Con, is a multigenre convention held annually in Boston, Massachusetts. Primarily focused on comic books, the convention later featured media guests from film and television, cosplayers, an art auction, a tabletop/CCG/RPG gaming room, and an annual costume contest. After its acquisition by Informa as part of their Fan Expo line, the 2017 edition retired the Comic Con name and was therefore renamed Fan Expo Boston.
Dallas Comic Con aims to please pop culture fans with more than nods to their favorite comic books. The convention's Fan Days edition this weekend has a gallery of celebrities, including celluloid notables such as Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca in the Star Wars movies.
Lord of the Rings star Sean Astin and actress Patricia Arquette are among the celebrities set to make appearances at the Dallas Comic Con, noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m.
The other guests so far include comic book legend Stan Lee (in what they say will be his final Texas appearance), renowned comic artist Jim Lee, Norman Reedus and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead), Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley (The Vampire Diaries), Adam West and Burt Ward (Batman) John Barrowman (Arrow, Doctor Who) and Robin Lord Taylor (Gotham).