The second annual Phoenix Comicon Fan Fest promises to bring the best of geek culture to the
The convention, which will take place Dec. 4 through Dec. 6, is only in its second year, but Fan Fest has already been established as one of the largest comic book conventions in
Fan Fest Communications Coordinator Tom Kuipers said the staff's decision to put on a winter convention came naturally after years of experience with Phoenix Comicon, which is held annually at the beginning of summer.
"We saw a gap (in the convention season) and we had a lot of people asking why we don't do Comicon in December, when the weather's nice," he said. "This was a way to fill that gap."
Fan Fest is unique from the main Phoenix Comicon because, while the summer convention draws in over 70,000 attendees from around the country, Fan Fest focuses on building the local community.
"A lot of the staff talk about how it reminds them of the older days (of comic conventions)," Kuiper said. "It's a lot smaller – there are only a couple of actors, and most people are writers and artists. It's more focused on comic books themselves as opposed to the spectacle of the bigger event."
Comic book author, screenwriter and ASU alumnus Mike MacLean believes that the welcoming atmosphere is one of the best parts of the convention scene.
"When I was a kid growing up in high school, you had to hide your love of comic books," MacLean said. "I think there are a lot of kids that liked them, but no one would talk about it. Nerd was not a good word back then. Now it's become such a relevant part of pop culture that it's really accepted."
MacLean wrote for SyFy creature features including "Sharktopus," "Piranhaconda," and "Dinocroc vs. Supergator." He is now working on graphic novels for Coffin Comics alongside the creator of "Lady Death," Brian Pulido. MacLean has attended Phoenix Comicon for several years, but this is his first year at Fan Fest.
"I'm interested to see how they're going to pull it off at a much smaller, intimate venue," he said.
Fan Fest is held at the
Find that one of a kind collectible in the #phxfanfest Exhibitor Hall! https://t.co/u4sZg8BvYS pic.twitter.com/qYiBou9Y3u
— Phoenix Comicon (@PhoenixComicon) November 25, 2015
Karissa Gutierrez is the Commanding Officer for the Arizona Avengers, a volunteer charity group with an active presence in the
"The best part of a convention is being able to interact with people," Gutierrez said. "I really enjoy having a booth where people can get photos taken and interact with other members of the Arizona Avengers. It's such a positive vibe and such a positive feeling – I like being a part of that atmosphere and being able to help create that. That's what I look forward to the most, bringing smiles to peoples faces and helping to spread happiness."
Fan Fest tickets are available for purchase starting at $10 on their website, or they can be purchased at the event. Additional passes are being sold for photo ops and autographs with the guests, available here.
Related Links:
Comicon day 1: Gathering of the nerds
Comicon day 4: A chapter closes
Reach the reporter at skylar.mason@asu.edu or follow @skylarmason42 on Twitter.
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