SMALLER IN SCALE, SUPER IN SCOPE
COMICON FAN FEST MOVES DOWNTOWN, BRINGS JOHN CENA, ‘STRANGER THINGS’ STARS
Organizers hope to give the fall Fan Fest its own brand, distinct from its big brother. They hope a slew of changes this year, from moving downtown to increasing space for panels, will draw an untapped audience. Expect everything from pro-wrestlers and a “Star Wars” actor to a Nintendo championship and Halloween-inspired programming.
ment was Millie Bobby Brown, followed by David Harbour, both from “Stranger Things,” and recently, Elizabeth Henstridge and Brett Dalton from ABC’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” joined the lineup.
And in a particularly interesting move, organizers added pro-wrestling stars to the celebrity guests: John Cena, the Bella Twins and Jake “The Snake” Roberts.
“Fan Fest is a great opportunity to look at other genres we’ve been asked about, and pro-wrestling is one of them,” Solberg said. “We hope this will bring out new people and bring them into the fold of Comicon. Pro-wrestling is pop culture, it features celebrities and they have a very passionate following and fan base.”
Solberg said there are other shows who have brought out pro-wrestlers, and there is a small segment of Phoenix Comicon fans who enjoy the genre as well. Also joining the line-up are:
Actor Arthur Darvill. He’s known for playing Rory Williams, companion to the Eleventh Doctor on the long-running British show “Doctor Who” and, most recently, Rip Hunter on the DC Comics superhero show “Legends of Tomorrow.”
Actor Tim Rose. He played Admiral Ackbar in “Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi” and “Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens;” and served as puppeteer for Salacious B. Crumb.
Actor Tahmoh Penikett, who had roles in “Supernatural,” “Continuum” and “Battlestar Galactica.”
Another Convention Center benefit is a lot more space. The stadium allowed for limited programming space. Now, there’s a whole floor. Joe Boudrie, director of programming, said panels have doubled, with more than 130 over the two days.
“When folks came out, they went to the exhibitor hall, but there wasn’t a lot of other activities to enjoy at the show,” Boudrie said. “Fans will get a much more rounded, full experience from this year’s event.”
More celebrity space and Halloween, Nintendo focus
Audience size was capped at 400 for celebrity panels at the stadium; the new ballroom will hold 1,000. There will be a room dedicated just to pop culture gaming, and a family game room with games such as Mouse Trap, Yahtzee and Sorry.
Also new is a Nintendo competition based off of the 1990 Nintendo World Championships.
The event will be open to all ages and participants will play on the original Nintendo consoles, or fans can watch others play.
The exhibitor hall and Artist Alley will be similar to last year. Brian Augustyn, a longtime editor who has written primarily for DC Comics, lives in Phoenix and has attended Phoenix Comicon as a guest artist since he moved here. Augustyn will have an artist table this year and sign autographs for fans, and also take part in a couple panels relating to DC Comics.
“One of the pleasures for me is to talk to people about what they love,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun and you meet a great number of people, and it draws a great crowd. It’s fun for the professional, it’s fun for the promoter, and it’s fun for the fans ... I love to get up and walk around, and be part of the crowd. It’s an energy that’s hard to find anywhere else.”
Other new programming will be related to Halloween, including the “Science of Fear,” “Movie Masterpiece Presents: Supernatural, the Halloween Edition,” “Rattling Chains and Ghastly Screams: Old Time Radio Horror!” and “Gross Science for Kids.” Cosplayers can gather all in one place for photo-ops on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and Pokemon Go players can meet up at designated times, too. Fan favorites “Shakespeare Does Sci-Fi” and “DC versus Marvel” will also return.