Just over here making another one of my husband's dreams come true--just took a picture with the Lord of the Rings cast members. Spent the day at Denver Fan Expo: chaotic, overwhelming, and somehow still so much fun read more

Fan Expo Denver - Cultural Center Near Me - Denver, Colorado

See all

This was my first time to Fan Expo and what a fun experience it was! It was so much fun to watch all the cosplay and we dressed up ourselves! We were able to get a good deal on a family pass to get my son and a friend in. The exhibit hall had soooo much cool collectible art and character fan fare. We also could see celebrities like Karl Urban and Ralph Machio even though we didn't pay for pics or autographs! read more

See all

It's Fan Expo! Due to naming rights, Denver's Comic Con is officially "Fan Expo," but it's the same thing. Super fun!! Don't be afraid to dress up and be a nerd! read more

See all

I've been about a half dozen times over the years and had varying experiences. Now called Fan Expo and run by a corporate entity that hosts versions of the same in many cities this multi day event is very hit or miss depending on guests, layout, and capacities. The 2025 event has some room for improvement. They flipped around the placement of things making what used to be an easy to move around event into one that was quite confusing. The digital map didn't seem to align this year which meant the day started with having to simply get the lay of the land. Before entering the event I saw plenty of volunteers though once inside finding folks to help locate was impossible. No yellow shirts to be found. Spreading out the celebrity guests along the entire outer edges perhaps helped avoid some over crowding but, in my humble opinion, they might have been better off placing the very popular folks somewhere the lines for them wasn't going to gum up seeing less popular folks. The Star Wars cast was obviously going to be very long they would have better served somewhere else I also get they make their money on how many exhibitors they place on the floor but there were simply too many based on layout this year. And the Artist alley and comic guests were lost in the shuffle. We arrived before things opened. And joined the lanes. Obviously the numbers exceeded things cause the 10am floor open ended up being 9:30. Glad we came early because by 12:30pm the floor was far too crowded to stay. Paying large sums of money to nerd shop but not being able to enjoy the full time due to what felt cramped was a big disappointment. They need to make an adjustment to guests or something to help spread the crowds better over the 4 day event. They charge more for Saturday though due to floor layout they over sold it. Not its best year. read more

This review is coming from a non fan but I just felt this was one just one HUGE comic super store that did not include any old school comics. Thought it would be a fun Fathers Day event with our teens however we were all ready to leave within 2.5 hours. The fun was in checking out everyone's costumes and the amazing artwork. I felt everything else was overhyped. No chance in viewing any of the panels. Way too many people in a chaotic mass of a line if you could call it that. Not really organized enough to enjoy anything other that just walking around and people watching the fans in costumes. No meet and greets available while we were there. If you get in line at the celebrity summit, you can expect to pay $40-$100 for an autograph and wait an hour or longer. So really $60 to get in and then plan on dishing out more $$$ and waiting in line most of the day. Several people with VIP passes were complaining that even with those they could not get through the line quicker. Maybe they had a larger turn out than expected but it sure was not enjoyable being shoulder to shoulder in a sea of people with little organization from the event staff. Maybe next year they will plan accordingly and hire more staff and event planners. read more

Fan Expo Denver - Cultural Center Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I have been twice. the venue is way over capacity. the dealers room is inpassable. the food is limited with only a few cashiers checking out hundreds of thousands of people. if you pay for a meet and greet you still wait in line for hours only to not actually meet the person and your time may say 1pm but it will be hours. if you miss another meet and greet? too bad no refunds. please avoid. it was good before fan expo bought it. read more

Many of the staff members were rude, didn't know the location, and some were even (Imo) transphobic. I talked to about five different people trying to find the gender neutral bathroom, with half insisting it didn't exist, some giving me weird judgy looks, asking why I needed it and some saying they just didn't know. The security guards were the ones who helped me find it. (Awesome security guards!) Then, once I was in there, I also decided to take out my colored contacts which were bothering me. I had difficulty with this (first time) and started freaking out, so I called my boyfriend to help support me. The staff would not let him through the door I had gone through to locate the bathroom, insisting it did not exist even when he told them I was currently inside it, with me saying the same over speaker. Overall, most of the staff in my experience were very rude and made me feel unwelcome and unaccepted. Some were nice enough but just didn't know the building, or really where anything was, not just the bathroom. Now, I'd normally cut people slack for being ignorant about trans people, but at a convention full of queer people and every gender under the sun, it seems unusual to be behind the times. Other than the staff, I had a great time with my friends! read more

First time to this event. The event organizers didn't plan the entrances very well as signagece was vague. We arrived early afternoon and wound up in the re-entry line. Wasted time there until all most at the front Luckily some mentioned what the libe was for. Recentered to correct line, walked all the way back to the front. From there not too bad. East ticket purchase booth. Note to self, buy tickets early because you do save quite a bit by doing so. The Convention center is pretty large. The map they give helps but we still got lost. I liked the booths but found quite a bit of them sold all the same items. The best part is people watching and enjoying all the co-players . LOTS of awesome ideas out there and families all get into the spirit as well. Never made it to the main food court but one food area had burgers that didn't look very appetizing that were $12, no sides, $6 for a medium drink. Ouch! We bought drinks because we were thirsty and treated them like liquid gold,lol. Sure, I know it was to be expected. Lots of walking and loads to do and see. I had fun and want to come back next year. read more

Fan Expo Denver - Cultural Center Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Comic Con was definitely having a sophomore slump this year. Last year I was giddy with how awesome the first year went (http://www.yelp.com/biz/denver-comic-con-denver. This year it was lines, communication problems and guest cancellations that the con experienced and the all of us who bought tickets had to endure! The good: - Initial estimates put attendance for the weekend at 48k! That is getting to be a pretty big con and will only attract bigger names. This is great for us geeks and the city of Denver for those tourism dollars. - Decent named guests (Takei, Shatner, Wheaton), although Stan Lee cancelled last minute (not the con's fault and they quickly got Shatner to replace him) - Great costumes and atmosphere (once inside) by attendees - Better panel management (getting cleared from the room and the panel going on/ending on time) The bad: - Lines: Long, long, long lines everywhere. I am sure you all heard about the 3 hour line to get in on Friday night! Yeah, well it was still about an hour on the other days! And that was just to get in, then you had the lines to get into the panels, the exhibit hall, the bathroom....you get the picture. It was a series of standing in lines and it resulting in not seeing as much as I wanted. - Guests: While the con did have some good guests, when you compare it with other comparable sized cons (Phoenix, Philly), they had very few guests. They need more big names. They also need to make the big names more accessible (seeing Shatner or Takei was nearly impossible and required more camping out and lines). - Volunteers/Overall Management: I can't tell you how often I heard that people should ease up because everyone working was volunteers so we shouldn't expect much. Really? You sell tickets, you promise a service, you need to figure it out. Here is a tip, next time open more than one door to the convention center. Oh and communicate to your volunteers what is going on, because most had no idea and were kinda frazzled and rude. - Badges: The con promised attendees they could pick up badges early (other cons mail badges so this step can be skipped on the day of the con), but through a comedy of errors on their part where never able to get badges out early and did a pretty bad job of communicating this (which made several people steaming mad - just check their Facebook page). In some ways I think they improved on the event. They got more space at the convention center & they manged panels better. However, everything else about the management of the con was so bad it makes me want to skip a few years until they get it together. Oh, and I still think we need trailers and exclusive content! Starfest has it, your telling me a huge con like this can't get it? Until, next year DCC....maybe. read more

See all

This is one of the most fun events for all comic and cartoon fans alike- although last year was my first year, my daughter has been involved last 3 - It's amazing looking at the cosplay,people spend a lot of money showing up and out doing themselves every year- This year I'm expecting it to be even bigger- -2016 So we went through on Sunday this year and it was not as bad - (packed) So many things to look at and people to admire for dressing up- My teen had a ball but my six year old was bored so just a heads up- (not for all kids) I was looking for a supernatural mug and did not find: ( But overall my teen had fun and it was about her- read more

See all

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU! This review is for the Members of Colorado Star Wars Alliance (C.S.W.A) I have been attending Denver Comic Con for many years now and for the most part it has been fun. I am proud to be GFL. Many of you have expressed your concerns over the years about the yearly event, seemly, lacking in quality as the years go by. And it seems like there are more, restrictions being placed upon Costumers. I will have to agree with all the FL's. So let's start with the problems that came up. 1)The 45th Imperial Brigade was not aloud to bring blaster props, even when they were presented at security check points for inspection. Stormtroopers and Officers props were confiscated and disposed of by Comic Con security staff. 2) The 220th Stormtrooper MP Company & XRA Corps faced the same predicament. AJ Order however, were allowed in with their light sabers and vibrio blades, I was clear that some Costumers were clearly discriminated against! So with a heavy heart we will not return to the Denver Comic Con next year but will seek, reunification at either the Springs or Cheyenne. I will keep you posted, let your other bothers and sister know, that this function seems to get worst every year! It was also poorly planned, the streets were blocked off because the Comic Con event, conflicted with Father's Day and Rainbow Week, very poor planning on the part of the Comic Con Staff! read more

See all

Comic Con is a girl's big butt. Super massive, endless artist allies all-aROUND, with the crack of cosplay charisma in the middle. We've been going for a while now, years and years previously and still on counting. It's something that must be added to your things to do for the year round. It's definitely an experience and if you want to be WOW-ed, the cosplay, the amount of tries and efforts and most importantly, time, this is where to explore it. The geeky culture just got even more popular. It's hard not to spend any money here. Even outside of the venue, the people prancing around in costumes are storming the streets of 16th St. Mall. They often invite the most demanded voice actors, musicians for video-games, sub art culture such as Japanese comics and more of course. My favorite costumes to see here are the ones that make me laugh hard, especially the artistic life puns. You know? "When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade?" Literally, I saw a guy in a costume and he was dressed as "life," and he was handing out "lemons." Overall, there was another costume I enjoyed. The "Dr. Feel-Good," a pretend of a doctor who gave people vodka shots. Super cool. I think this also expands people to get their hands on the goods of Marvel, Anime, Panels, to meet their favorite actors for sub indie themes and more. read more

See all

Every year this seems to get bigger and bigger, the imaginations of people who attend this are amazing it seems like they have gotten better with their organization and event planning definitely someplace to take the family and all of the geeks unite read more

Fan Expo Denver - Bender from Futurama sharing a stogie - Cultural Center Near Me - Denver, Colorado

This is not normally something I would go to - so I admit I might not be the best to review it... but we had a fun afternoon wandering around this convention. My kids were performing on Saturday through a theater superhero camp they went to (I know, awesome, wish I could go too). So we got passes for our family to watch them and then wander around. Best. People watching. Ever. Two floors to the Convention with one full of panels and speakers, and the other with stages and booths. There are lots of things to buy, people to meet, and things to watch. A fun day! read more

See all

Why do I do this to myself every year??? Seems like each year the con gets worst. You learn from the past people!!!! It's past 10:00 and we are still in line!!! Panels are being missed. It's hot as hell in here especially in a pleather costume. Speed pass people aren't in yet before GA. Lots of us should be demanding some kind of compensation. If it wasn't for the people that I respect being here I wouldn't come. read more

If you are looking for vintage comics and comic dealers this " comic con" is not for you. The promoters dumped almost all vi tage and collectible comic dealers this year. Newer comics are also extremely scarce here. This is a comiccon with very few comics. read more

FUN stuff here, lots and lots of people hard to get around. WELL worth it for me, huge walking dead fan... read more

Fan Expo Denver - Cultural Center Near Me - Denver, Colorado

See all

Huge fan of going to comic con every year! I always excited to go with my friends and family! Aside from the shops, vendors, and other displays the people watching is a lot of fun. Only thing I wish they had more of us movie prop type items you can't anywhere else but other then that I love it! Definitely will continue to go every year! read more

Fan Expo at the Colorado Convention Center gets worse every year. The facility is a MESS, with bathroom stalls that don't stay shut due to the structures being damaged. The garbage cans fill up & spill out onto the floor in places. There are too many sinks that are either broken or are out of soap. There was no paper towels at all to dry off with. The event was completely disorganized, with many celebrities canceling last minute & a lack of trash cans on the floor. There were very few helpful volunteers. And it has to be a fire hazard on that merch floor as there are just entirely too many people to even move up there. And the options for the handicapped were poor at best. The enormous crowds must have provided an unbelievably poor experience for them not even being able to see anything with so many people there, many oblivious to everything but themselves. And then there's the food situation. That is the worst of all and gets worse every year. There are too few vendors for the thousands of people there. The lines in the dining hall were longer than for the celebrities! The food situation is complained about every year & never improves. We had to get in a snacks-only line and our lunch consisted of Skittles, M&Ms & chips. And then to top it all off, they don't allow outside good and you're forced to pay $8 for a water and $12 for a sandwich. It's outrageous - and we're a captive audience with no other options. And when we tried to leave to get a decent lunch & come back, you're not allowed to leave & re-enter! We're probably not going to attend anymore. It's not worth it. Outrageous expensive, no food options, fire hazard, completely over crowded, extremely poor facilities and a lack of a volunteer response team. Extremely disappointing. read more

Apparently Comic Con is a different business this year than last year, as I definitely reviewed them before. Which is good, since it was a completely different experience. I won't talk about the outside lines. You just had to watch the news or have actually been there to know about that. I will complain that they only had one set of doors open outside, for some inexplicable reason. Assuming you got your tickets early online and could actually get in the door (1 hour wait on Saturday), then you could be tickled pink by the hordes inside in all their costumes. Great for people-watching. Once inside you could go stand in the huge line for the Exhibit Hall where everyone is selling comics, t-shirts and various stuff. No idea why they were throttling it with a line and turnstiles, but they were. We also managed to get into exactly 1 panel, by lining up an hour early. They weren't doing a good job of herding people into lines and it was impossible to get into any panels without lining up and missing everything else at the con. We didn't feel like putting up with the madhouse on the last day so didn't bother. Maybe give them next year to figure things out and then go back in a couple years. read more

If you plan to go to Comic Con, be prepared to stand in a line for EVERYTHING. Also... people get sick of all the waiting in line, and having to worm around other people, and tend to be rude and pushy in the exhibit hall. The panels were entertaining, but I definitely wouldn't have waited in the ridiculous lines for them had I not been with people who were dying to get into them. On the plus side, I did get some sweet Doctor Who merch and got to see Wil Wheaton (if you don't know him, you should. He's amazing.). I probably wouldn't have gone on my own to this event ... and now I know that I won't be back. It's just not worth the entry price to spend the majority of the day waiting in a line. read more

You know, it has the standard growing pains that anything that is two years old would have. Nothing that some quality logistics can't fix, and a desire to fix them. All the panels were in rooms to small to hold all the people that wanted to get into them. No Web comic artists, even the local ones in the Artist Valley, an easy fix, just invite them. The vender room was nice and lots to buy and look at. The stars were easy to access and the lines looks quick. Setting the food area all in one location was genius. There needs to be a bit more logistics in the ticket sales and line department. Day of event sales line needs to be in a different location from the pre-paids and yet another location/entrance for those that already have their credentials. The lines for those needing to get tickets and those that need credentials NEEDED to actually lead to those areas and not just into the huge lobby area where you had to try and figure out where to go on your own. The Cosplay was excellent and well worth the price of admission. I'll go again next year, but DCC really needs to step up their game so they don't kill it before it has a chance to become great. read more

This was my second time my hubby and I came to the Denver Comic Con. The first time was in May 2014. In May, we were able to get a Groupon for it last minute (the first day of the event) and it was a great deal! Unfortunately, this time, there was no Groupon and we had to pay the full $44/person for a Saturday pass. The event takes place from Fri- Sun in the Colorado Convention Center. It is very easy to find cheap parking via SpotHero and then walking over to the center. The center is ginormous and very strongly air conditioned. For some reason, we were handed our pass, but with no lanyard. It took us 15 minutes to find the booth handing out the lanyards. I don't understand why they made that more complicated than it should have been. Also, there were NO signs ANYWHERE directing you where to go. I saw so many people enter the bldg and have no idea where to go. No signs directing us to where anything at all was. It took us 20 minutes to find the exhibit booth area- where everything was taking place. There are maybe around 15 aisles of vendors and lots of booths for autographs/pics. The autographs/pics are way overpriced- I saw a pic w/ a star was $65. No thank you. The 15 aisles of vendors are full of all kinds of things- mystery boxes, T-shirts, prints, Pop O's, toys, comic books, cups, clothes, etc. I think everything kind of blended in and by the time I got through the last few aisles, I started questioning if we had already seen this vendors. Everyone was basically selling the same stuff. But it's still cool to walk around and look at everything. I don't know if it's wroth the $44/person, but it's nice to do once a year I guess. The best part is people watching and seeing all of the awesome costumes. read more

A yearly gathering of all things pop culture from old-school comic book heroes to Harry Potter and video games. Meet actors from your favorite shows and movies. Cash only event. Event can get crowded so show up early read more

I can review this event as a complete newbie to the "Comic" scene. Things I loved were: The costumes - it was so fun to people watch! The outfits of the attendees were thrilling. I was smiling the entire time from that aspect alone. The security - They were checking ALL costume weapons with strict fidelity. There were security guards everywhere. An officer at the event even gave us a good tip. He handed us a sharpie and told us to write our phone numbers on the back of the kids event badges! What an effective and easily overlooked idea! The organization -Comicon has a huge following and there were long lines everywhere. The lines moved VERY quickly and there was posted staff and signs everywhere. We had zero issues getting anywhere. We weren't confused or lost once! I was not too impressed with: The speakers - I only went to two on Monday ( the last day of the show). They were super boring. I like speakers who are organized, spirited, engaging and professional. The ones I saw were neither. For anyone who has never been; the majority of the conference is the vendors! If your a fan of comics, save a few bucks, you will want to SPEND! read more

This year was extremely disappointing compared to previous years. I've gone every year since it started and this was the worst. Tuns of venders I love went there. The large t shirt stands, glitter tattoos, face painting, extra. Tuns of things I've loved in the past went there. Umbrella core, movie cars, some of the previous places to take awesom pics were just gone. That's one of my favorite things. The worst was trying to find an elevator that worked and didnt kick us out of con when I was there with my kids and a stroller. After all my frustrations last year I considered not going this year. After giving it a final go this was definitely my last year. It's sad really because I used to love this con. The first 3 years were good but since has gone horribly down hill. read more

Really disappointed in the Con this year. Much less vendors, quite a bit more open space. Sub-par from other previous cons. Been going to cons in Denver for 30 years. If Pop Culture puts up another con it could keep Denver attendance down, and if the quality doesn't improve kill this con. We'd be back to crappy "cons" in the Holiday Inns again this year. Really let down with this years line-up, vendors, and merchandise. I really hope Pop Culture Con gets on the ball and makes this a premiere event in Denver before stretching out to other markets and cannabilizing this one. May be the last year for myself and many friends/vendors. read more

For a first con and experience this is pretty fun However whoever manages the social media of this page needs to be fired because they were incredibly rude to me and tried to make me sound like I was stupid and I really didn't appreciate that And I also don't like the cash only for the autographs in a city like Denver that's a good way to get robbed And not being able to take photos on my own phone of the celebrities is bullshit Along with the "family friendly image" Which neuters the cosplays However aside from these negatives I did have a fun time getting the autographs I guy and interacting with the people along with everything else read more

I have been going to Denver comic con forever and each year it is less and less enjoyable for me. I have learned from my mistakes in the past and it seems that Denver comic con has not learned anything . I usually always get a speed pass due to if you don't have one then you are treated like a second rate citizen. I do like getting in faster but there are still so many issues with the process it is not even funny anymore. Let's just start with the beginning of never getting in on time. For speed pass it is 30 mins prior to general admission. It has never been on time and I asked them on Facebook why they let half the line in for opening day of 2019 then stopped the line. They replied it was for safety reasons. So basically what they are saying is every time we can't get in on time it's for safety reasons. The speed pass line was not let in till 0945 and generally admission was about 1015. They need to talk to there security department because everyone should have gone threw security at that point. The second issue was lack of people working and managing the lines at celebrity Summit. Dave Bautista was there only for one day and instead of having him just do autographs and photo ops, they had him also do a panel. Even with a speed pass I was not able to met him. But I got moved from one line to the next with 5 red shirt people directing and mixing up the lines and confusing everyone. The other new and annoying thing they started this year was giving people that was in line when they went to a panel or photo op, was to give them sticky note to cut the line. So I paid way more money and got my tickets right when they came up for sale to have someone who has a Saturday only pass get in front of me bc they didn't want to wait in line. I remember when I was a non speed pass holder and I never got out of line. I waited 4 to 5 hours waiting for celebrities bc that's how it was done. So now I know I can just save my money and get a three day pass and get in a line at the last second when I know they are leaving for a panel and get a sticky note to skip to the front of the line. Lastly it is becoming way to crowded. On Saturday you can forget doing anything with shopping. I noticed this year how few the merchandise stands where. Like there where no t shirt towers or about three other stands that I always enjoy visiting but they where not there. There is a lack of things to do besides spending money. Panels are sometimes an option but no offense the majority of them are boring. I think I have walked out of more panels then watched them all the way through. Now granted there are ones I have liked. But just an example I was really excited to see George Taeki. He was a great speaker but it was definitely more of a motivational speech then a comic con speech. If I wanted to get more depressed I would of just stayed home and watch sad documentaries. I walked out about half way through thinking sad thoughts. He discussed how he couldn't come out about being gay and his false imprisonment in world war 2. Great stories don't get me wrong but not for this fan type that just wants to hear about Star Trek. All in all not the best year and not the best range of celebrities. They need a new fresh take on things then doing them slightly different but sort of the same. I have seen it over and over every year. From let's put more entrances but oops we can't have that many. To no one knowing anything about anything and just FYI if you have a important question don't go to a red shirt go to a purple or blue next year. You will most likely get the wrong answer from a red shirt person because they don't properly inform all the volunteers. I'm sorry this is a long review but I'm fed up with spending so much money and being treated like dirt. I don't want another person to have to waste their time and well earned money on crap. read more

This was my third year going to Denver Comic Con and I have to say its grown alot. The floor was massive with large portions of the convention center being used. Venders, artists, food, panels and activites were all plentiful this year. Getting in was easy this time around as well, I went on a Sunday at 11am which was an hour after the doors opened. My wife and I literally walked right it, got our badge, lanyard, bag checked and were on our geeky way. This was achieved because the con was properly staffed where it counted. The only thing that seemed strange was that the sidewalk that wrapped around the building was reserved for people with some sort of "speed" pass, so staff were instructing the common folk to walk in the street. We only did one panel which was a presentation given by NASA, which was enjoyable, but not your typical actors panel. So I really cant say what that part of the con was like. Some things that we are lacking here in Denver are the big brands. I would love to see Hasbro set up a booth or even a NECA booth. I understand we take pride in local sellers or artists, but there is a reason San Diego does so well. Lets do more to attract big name brands here in Denver, otherwise were bound to see booths selling the same stuff each year, which is random Pokemon plushies and Funko Pop Vinyl figures. Overall a fun con, worth the money at about $50.00 after fees. But if they raise the price again next year I doubt I will go. read more

See all

Totally missed last years comic con and really was bummed about it. So I made it a point to go regardless of whatever was in my way. First I have to say I use to be a comic book, science fiction, and fantasy guy, but if someone were to really test me, I am liable to get my nerd card pulled. Plus I'm getting old and the stuff I like is still around, but there was a lot of stuff there that I was like, what's that? So from a former nerd, just sharing some of my observations and feelings, it kind of came off a bit bizarre. Not a bad thing or a good thing, just my feelings. So if you are intending on attending the Denver Comic Con and the Convention center here are some things that you should know. Plan early, because tickets will set out and it will be hard to get tickets on the day of. Its crowded, so you have to like crowds. If you are a people watcher, this is where people's imaginations become reality and they get to demonstrate some creative self expression, which is awesome. Its expensive, so I would not recommend eating here, eat before, eat after and stay hydrated. Plan your creativity, get on the web site, look for what specifically interests you in the artists or the speakers or the games, unless you get the three day, you won't be able to cover everything. And one last secret, mythical tip, I know a friend of a friend of a friend that went in with the intention of only spending an afternoon there and then leaving. As this guy was walking out there were a bunch of people just dying to get this guys badge, (I don't know what this guys name is). One guy approached him and said, I'll give you twenty bucks for your badge, that's what I heard from my friend of a friend. So this guy only paid 20 dollars to get into comic con. read more

Denver comic con comes along only once a year. That's probably a good thing considering how much money I spend here. Great place to people watch especially those in costumes, take pictures, talk to celebrities, get autographs, and take in all things geeky and nerdy. read more

Tickets are still cheap, compare to SDCC/NYCC or Sea World. Just pre-order you ticket early. Discipline yourself from wasting a lot of money. Just have a good pair of shoe and enjoy read more

Comic Con gets a little bigger every year. I was pretty impresed with the spread of panel speakers and guests that were there. A few people had lines so long it wasn't worth even trying to see them, but it was more than worth it for others. The actual panels themselves were a bit of a let down. I had a whole spread of activities and over the entire weekend I think I went to a total of 5. The kids coral was great because it meant I could go to the con and the kids could too. I have heard raving reviews and they loved the art projects. I could hardly get them out the door for dinner. read more

I'm a veteran of San Diego Comic Con, and a Denver native, so when my hometown decided to put on their own version of Comic Con I was elated that I didn't have to travel 1500 miles and deal with the astronomical expense, crowds, and general insanity that SDCC has become. First off, Denver Comic Con is NOT San Diego Comic Con. It's definitely a poor-man's version but still relatively expensive even for a poor man. They will nickel and dime you. The vendors are local, for the most part. You're not going to see the big companies here showcasing their product like Hasbro, Mattel, Gentle Giant, Sideshow and others you'd expect see at SDCC. Sadly, there were no vintage toys and collectibles to be had. In fact, the dealers room resembled a flea market full of garage sale junk that people were just trying to get rid of. No wonder Jordan Hembrough wasn't here. You're also not going to get the big Hollywood studio presence here promoting and test-marketing their upcoming films. If you want pop-culture media, stick to San Diego. DCC focuses more on comic book artists both local and international which is what SDCC started out as in its infancy but was taken over by Hollywood when they realized they could tap into the fan culture zeitgeist. The celebrity guests were fairly big, but the prices to meet them, have an autograph and/or photo op, were outrageous and about what you would expect to pay at San Diego. Most of the time the "celebrities" were sitting at their booths with empty lines, snacking on potato chips or watching the World Cup on their laptops, waiting for the occasional fan or two to sign. Most of them were from decades old television shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation, Batman and (Classic) Doctor Who and were probably too old and too obscure for the vast crowds of younger generation people who weren't even alive back then to know who most of these people were. What they should have done was coordinate with the sponsors like Comcast (Xfinity) who sponsored the Celebrity Summit to sell flat rate tickets so you get to meet ALL of the guests. Unfortunately each celebrity charges a different sliding-scale fee and you could tell how big their egos were based on how much they were charging for an autograph i.e. the highest by far was William Shatner who wanted $80 versus $50 for Bruce Campbell. My wife splurged so I could meet my childhood idol, Bill Shatner and got him to sign my vintage Star Trek action figure AND did a photo op for another outrageous $80. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity so I had to do it, but yeah, it was absolutely ridiculous. I remember going to local conventions like Star Con and Star Fest 20 years ago and paying admission and getting to meet the actors for FREE because it was part of the admission. The celebrities should be there to meet their fans instead of exploiting them. Comic Con, sadly, has become an industry of greed. The panels were interesting and entertaining. We enjoyed seeing the fifth and seventh Doctors Peter Davison and Sylvester McCoy from Doctor Who and Bruce Campbell brought the house down when he took the audience by complete surprise by bringing Jeffrey Donovan from Burn Notice on stage for his first ever convention appearance. That alone was worth the price of admission. From what I have heard, organization was better this year than in year's past. Certainly the registration went quickly and smoothly it seemed, but there were a LOT of missteps and certainly room for improvement. Most of the volunteers gave out different and incorrect information when asked when and where a certain event was to be held. Lines were often uncoordinated. We got in line for the Batman panel 45 minutes before and the only information given that it was already full came from the mouth of an obnoxious little girl running back and forth screaming that it was already full. Compared to SDCC, the lines were a breeze, no camping out overnight or days before to get into Hall H (as my fellow SDCC vets are familiar with), Lack of coordinating guest times on their website (which looks amateurish) and several last-minute guest cancellations like Karen Gillan and Karl Urban were frustrating. Denver Comic Con is full of extravagant cosplayers wandering around, geeking out, and posing for photos and it's fun to see the diversity of creative and "interesting" costumes. There were a few fun attractions here and there like "replica" Batmobiles and TV cars like K.I.T.T. and the General Lee and you could get your picture taken next to a full-sized Star Wars Landspeeder which was fun and neat for the most part. I guess for Denverites it's an annual weekend to wave your geek flag with pride and have fun with people who share the same interests and passions. I would probably attend again depending on the guests, but for the most part, the expense is something that is hard to justify personally so you'll have to decide for yourself if it's worth attending. read more

Okay, did the artists valley for five years, never had any serious problems. I did the show coming from Canada. Most of the time things ran more smooth than a lot of the shows I've done elsewhere. What sucks is I always did well at this show, and I think I got along well with everyone at there. I am no longer invited back after 2018. The reasons given are that there is not enough room and they're trying to make sure big names can be seen (more or less). And I'm obviously no big name. I have been told I can get a table again in the future (possibly but no guarantee). In the mean time, I have a seller's permit I bought I can't use (you have to get a two year permit from the state to be at this show), and as the con got bigger I find a lot of the volunteers and some management know less about the goings on (a lot of volunteers as time progressed said "I don't know" a lot more than they used to to anything I asked about). Maybe a couple speed bumps was 2016 getting put in the valley where the table numbering was all over the place and I saw less customers because they were confused by the numbers not being in sequence, placing the valley in time away from the guest stars (they're on the main floor, we were the next floor up), 2017 asking a staff member for water and getting told I was to be refused because I was not a guest star (what kind of place in a hot dry climate does not provide water!?! This is really ridiculous). And maybe 2018 was sticking me in a strange spot I felt people would have been confused about the layout and I was placed beside a giant beam which obscured folks view that I was there, the only way I dealt with the beam was to stand in front of it constantly so I was seen, but as tired as I was of getting up over and over to engage the audience, it worked fine. I feel like it ended on good enough terms, but the underlying issue has more to do with finding more important people than myself to deal with. So thanks for having me, but I'm probably going to promote myself at other shows that don't cut off relations with a lesser known like me. Anyone that liked my artwork seemed to like dealing with me, not being famous enough despite that I seemed to do well every single year I was there says a lot about the con's attitude as they got more successful. Thanks for having me, and I'm glad to move on where I can build a reputation, not get cut off for being an unknown (as we all start out being). read more