Hundreds of Jedi, Disney princesses and video game characters descended on downtown Salt Lake City this weekend for the third annual FanXperience, the spring incarnation of Salt Lake City Comic Con.
This year’s FanX, which highlights particular fan cultures, focused on the TV shows “Doctor Who,” “The X-Files,” “The Walking Dead,” “Z Nation” and “Supernatural,” as well as some highlights from more seemingly random guests, such as George Takei of “Star Trek” and Edwin Eugene “Buzz” Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon.
One of the biggest draws was the “Ultimate Doctor Who Experience,” which brought on three of the actors who have played the titular protagonist, as well as a love interest in the series. In this sold-out event, which was one of two paid panels, the four talked about their respective experiences in being on the iconic science fiction show, which has been running for more than 50 years.
Tina Xu, a senior in biology who has attended three other Salt Lake Comic Cons, said this was her favorite con to date. She said she bought her tickets before the celebrity guests, the primary reason she attends, were announced because she had faith they would not disappoint.
“When guests were announced, the Whovian in me became most excited to see Matt Smith and Alex Kingston, but I was also thrilled to hear that Buzz Aldrin, one of our national gems, would be amongst the celebrities,” Xu said. “Having guests like Buzz Aldrin and ‘90s boy band heartthrobs, such as Nick Carter, made this year’s convention different from previous ones I had attended.”
In one memorable moment, Matt Smith, who played the most recent incarnation of the Doctor — an alien who can regenerate his form when he is hurt — said that when he was cast as the character, he remembers fans telling him, “Don’t ruin Doctor Who, yeah?”
There were smaller panels that focused on topics ranging from “Disabilities in Pop Culture,” which focused on positive and negative representations of people with disabilities in the media, and live tapings of podcasts such as the Star Wars show “Full of Sith” and “Stuff You Missed in History Class,” which discussed Salt Lake City’s Film History and the Nazi’s obsession with the occult.
Xu said she found the multitude of panels and guest meet-ups very entertaining and they kept her from spending more money on the vendor floor, which featured artwork, collectibles and prop replicas available for purchase.
While there is no way to get away from the crowds at one of these conventions, this sixth local comic con mitigated the congestion in the walkways and sped up the lines for celebrity meet and greets and photo booths by moving them all to the back of the Salt Palace. While still a little unorganized, this is a marked improvement from years prior, where waiting to get a signature or picture could take up to three hours.
The event itself also appeared more accessible than previous years. Not only was there an expanded number of front row seats for people who need a sign language interpreter or have visual impairments in the larger celebrity panels, guests could also register for accommodations online or during the event at a Customer Service Booth. There was a nursing station for mothers, service dogs and comfort dogs were allowed and there was a quiet room for attendees with anxiety who needed to get away from the hustle of the crowd.
Despite all of these guests, artists and events, the biggest draw to the con for many remains being able to spend a few days with fellow fans without judgment.
“One of my favorite parts of the convention was the community of fans, geeks and nerds,” Xu said. “I have found this community to be very supportive and accepting so that people feel comfortable enough to cosplay and act however they please with little judgment.”
@Ehmannky