Event Review: FanExpo Dallas 2018

FanExpo Dallas is pretty much a Comic Book Convention.

I have been going to them for years (about 25 years now).

I remember it used to be held at a smaller venue. It was smaller and not as crowded. That was fine by me. Now, it’s a huge monster that comes with pros and cons due to its size.

To start with, the venue is the Dallas Convention Center in downtown Dallas. For some reason, the block all of the underground parking lot, sending all cars to the farthest parking lot available, which is about 10-15 minutes walking. It’s in a dirty, muddy lot and you have to pay $15 to park there. Not very nice at all.

Then, you get to the convention center and it is NOT well labeled. You don’t know which way to turn, you can’t really read the map they give you and everything there is very far away. Not only that, there aren’t enough places to eat and there are always very, very long lines. So either bring your own food or be prepared to wait and waste your time.

At some point I took the kids, but even when there are things there they will want to buy, I don’t think it’s a place to take them. It’s crowded, the bathrooms aren’t very accessible and the food is not easy to get by.

Then there’s the ticket center. Sure, you can buy your tickets online, but you still have to line up to pick them up. There is a security stop before you can get to the ticket center and the ticket center in itself is confusing. More than one person in front of me was re-directed to the correct line because it’s just totally disorganized.

Oh and, it’s expensive! It’s $25 online (+$5 at the door) for Friday, and that’s just for 5 hours (4pm-9pm). Saturday is $50 online (+$10 at the door) for 9 hours and Sunday is $40 (+$5 at the door) for 7 hours.  Seriously, not many people stay there the entire day. It’s exhausting. But, even if you do, $50 for Saturday is EXPENSIVE! That’s just for walking around and attending the over-crowded panels!

Children 12 and under have to pay, too… $10 if accompanied by an adult. There’s a coupon online that lets one kid FREE with a paying adult (just one).

My point: Expensive! I don’t like taking the kids anymore. Not only that, it’s too crowded and they used to have more props to take pictures with… now, they have more booths, booths, booths!

You must be asking yourself… Why in the world do you go?

I go because I like meeting the artists who drew/draw the comics that I grew up with.

As the convention got bigger, it became more commercial and crowded, but it also became a magnet for celebrities. Each year, we get more celebrities. I don’t care much for actors (I like them, and I have gone to some of their panels, don’t get me wrong), but I rather spend my time with the artists.

In a way, that’s what a comic book convention is: a place to celebrate the arts!

I love walking around the artist booths. I love it! I love meeting them, they are my heroes. When I was younger, I never dreamed of the time I would meet them and now… I’m doing it.

To me, that is worth it. I pay the money and park a mile away and I wait in line and I pay for an autograph and I love it.

This year, I got to meet Andy Kubert, Greg Capullo and Greg Land (who I didn’t know had drawn the best Dark Phoenix cover in the entire history of the universe). They were there and I met them and they signed my 1990s comic books and I got some awesome new posters.

Artist Greg Capullo signing my X-Force comic book.

Greg Capullo and I.

Andy Kubert and I. He signed Jean and Scott’s wedding issue and Age of Apocalypse #1. Couldn’t take a picture b/c his people were very disorganized! Grrr..

Greg Land, me, and the awesome Dark Pheonix cover.

My new acquisitions.

I also discovered two artists I fell in love with while there. I bought some of their art, which I will soon frame and display in my study. I bought some t-shirts and met some indie-authors as well. Oh yeah, the struggle is real. One day, that will be me!

One of those amazing artists I was telling you about.

There were some panels I was interested in going, but I didn’t. Maybe some other time. In the meantime, I’m a happy geek!

cheers!