The three-day comic convention has booked more than 70 stars from film, television and animation.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Dressed as characters from 6 Mono Little Miners, Joshua and Brenda Walsh join the fun at FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention 2021, returning to the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City . The 2022 edition of the convention is scheduled for September 22-24, 2022.
The most exciting thing about this year’s FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention, according to founder Dan Farr, is the celebrity lineup, which features 78 (as of Wednesday afternoon) film and television actors – the largest cast of famous faces and voices the event has ever seen.
FanX – which takes place Thursday through Saturday, September 22-24 at the Salt Palace Convention Center – has a solid reputation for the size of its audience. Over the past few years, over 100,000 people have attended the three-day event.
It also has a reputation among celebrities for being “one of the more exciting conventions,” Farr said. That’s because the fans are so good and find the balance between passion and politeness, he said.
Farr said the actors represent a range of fandoms that appeal to younger and older audiences alike.
“We’re trying to bring in some nostalgic actors and people from ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s real estate so things are applicable to multiple age groups,” Farr said.
On the more nostalgic side, Happy Days actors Anson Williams and Don Most, as well as former Brady Bunch kids Mike Lookinland and Susan Olsen, are planned. The oldest represented object could be Disney’s animated classic “Bambi” from 1942; Peter Behn, who gave his voice to the Hasenklopfer as a child, is scheduled to take part.
For younger fans, there are three stars from Stranger Things – series star Gaten Matarazzo, along with Season 4’s Eduardo Franco and Grace Van Dien – and six from Cobra Kai: Jacob Bertrand, Tanner Buchanan, Thomas Ian Griffith, Xolo Maridueña, Mary Mouser and longtime villain William Zabka.
Farr noted that both “Stranger Things” and “Cobra Kai” are fresh shows with nostalgic elements. The first is set in the 80’s and refers to horror and science fiction films of the time; the second is an offshoot of The Karate Kid franchise. Shows like this, Farr said, help make the convention a family affair that spans generations.
Farr said it was difficult to pick just a handful of notable guests – but he named a few that should have broad appeal:
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William Shatner: Captain James T. Kirk from the original Star Trek.
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Steve Burns: The original host of Blue’s Clues.
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Charlie Hunnam: Played Jax Teller on Sons of Anarchy, also starred in Crimson Peak and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.
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Kevin Smith: Indie film director of Clerks and Mallrats, known as Silent Bob in his films.
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Giancarlo Esposito: Played Gus Fring on Breaking Bad and currently appears on The Mandalorian.
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Cary Elwes: Starred as Westley in The Princess Bride and was a star in the horror franchise Saw.
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Bryce Papenbrook: An American voice actor popular in anime such as Attack on Titan.
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Dante Basco: Best known for playing Rufio on Hook.
Other notable guests include: Xochitl Gomez, who played teenage heroine America Chavez in Doctor Strange in the Multitude of Madness; AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys; Henry Thomas from “ET” and “Haunted Hill House”; Leslie David Baker from The Office; Diana Guerrero from “Orange is the New Black”; and Anthony Michael Hall from the ’80s classic The Breakfast Club.
Farr announced one of the most consistently popular events at any convention: the “Twisted Toonz” panel, where animated voice actors read through a film script with their various character voices – they never announce which in advance. The panel is scheduled for Saturday 24 September in the Salt Palace Grand Ballroom.
“People love it and it’s a huge success for us,” said Farr.
Typically leading the panel is Jess Harnell, the rock star of Hollywood voice actors – best known as Yakko Warner on Animaniacs as well as Transformers and many other shows. Among the other voice actors likely to attend are Nolan North, star of the video game franchise Uncharted, and Ross Marquand, who starred in The Walking Dead and as the Red Skull in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers. performed : endgame.”
A full schedule of panels for all three days is available at fanxsaltlake.com. All panels are included in the price of the congress ticket, as is access to the sales floor.
FanX is nearing its 10th anniversary, Farr said, and after all this time he says what he likes best is seeing how unifying fandom is for people.
“I love the energy of fandom, it’s so powerful,” Farr said. “I love to see how people have these experiences. In many ways, I believe I live vicariously through them as they have these experiences.”
The FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention will be held Thursday through Saturday, September 22nd through 24th at the Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City. Three-day passes start at $50 and go up to $295 for a three-day VIP pass. Day and multi-day ticket packages are also available in different price levels. Visit fanxsaltlake.com for more information.
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