FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 7, 2024
TEN THINGS NOT TO MISS AT FAN EXPO CHICAGO 2024
Celebrity Meet-and-Greets Are Just The Beginning: Tattoos, Shopping, Artists, After Hours Events, and More Await
Chicago, Illinois (August 7, 2024) – Attending FAN EXPO Chicago, the region’s longest-running comic and pop culture convention, may seem overwhelming for the first-time guest. With so much to see and do over the three-day Expo, we’ve compiled some of the top highlights to help fans plan their visit to this year’s show, running August 16 – 18, 2024 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont.
Meet Your Favorite Celebrities
This year’s all-star roster includes some of the biggest pop culture icons, including a first-ever team up with STAR WARS legends Mark Hamill and Hayden Christensen, along with a host of STAR WARS talent including Rosario Dawson, Alan Tudyk, Eman Esfandi, Diana Lee Inosanto, Gina Carano, and Temuera Morrison; a TERMINATOR cast reunion featuring Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, Edward Furlong, Michael Biehn, and Lance Henriksen; Oscar-winner Marisa Tomei; STAR TREK captains Kirk and Janeway, William Shatner and Kate Mulgrew respectively; a SCREAM reunion with Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, Jamie Kennedy, and Laurie Metcalf; and many more. Celebrity guests are set to meet and greet fans, chatting over autograph and photo opportunities. See the full list of celebrity guests and schedules and plan your visit.
I Know That Voice…
Meet the people behind some of the most popular animated characters in pop culture at FAN EXPO Chicago. From classic films to the television shows and Anime of today, we’re welcoming voice actors including Peter Cullen, Ella Purnell, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Frank Welker, Butch Hartman, Amir Talai, Erika Henningsen, and more. You’ve heard them…now meet them in person! The full roster of voice actors is available online.
300,000+ Square Feet of Shopping
Shop hundreds of retailers from all over to make your experience unforgettable. From finding that rare comic book, stunning original artwork, graphic novels, memorabilia, games, toys, or t-shirts – you’ll find it all here.
Weekend Quests with Dungeons & Dragons
Knights, wizards, dragons, and dungeon masters gather at FAN EXPO Chicago throughout the weekend. Twenty Sided Tavern returns to Chicago for a special panel moderated by Neil Newbon; D&D Improv brings volunteers from the audience into a quest against monsters and villains; Chicago’s own Rough Magic Games hosts free tabletop games throughout the show; and Thunderforge Studios offers free D&D mini-figure painting and prize raffles all weekend long at their booth on the show floor.
Get Inked
Looking for the ultimate, one-of-a-kind tattoo? Want an amazing story of how you got it? Wear your fandom on your sleeve (literally) and check out Tattoo Alley, powered by Ink Fusion Empire. 14 talented, licensed artists will be inking up fans all weekend, immortalizing fandoms forever. Book your appointment with an artist now, and start thinking about your design!
A Legacy of Comic Creators
FAN EXPO Chicago honors its 52-year legacy as the longest-running comic convention in the Midwest, putting comic creators front and center. This year, featured guests include Andy Kubert (Batman: The Dark Knight); Brad Meltzer (Identity Crisis, JLA, Ghost Machine); Geoff Johns (Geiger, Hyde Street); Bill Morrison (Yellow Submarine, The Simpsons, Futurama); Larry F. Houston (X-Men: The Animated Series); and more at the cutting edge of their industry in the show’s hallmark Artist Alley.
Fun for the Whole Family
FAN EXPO Chicago’s Kids’ Zone features programming for all ages, including animation workshops; the Kids’ Cosplay Red Carpet; Cosplay Story Time; a slime-making session; and the Force Academy, where Padiwans and younglings aged 6 – 15 can learn some basic lightsaber skills.
From Haunted Graveyards to Improv Shows
FAN EXPO Chicago panels provide chills, thrills, and skills throughout the three-day event. Explore Chicago’s historic and haunted graveyards, hosted by paranormal podcasters Patrick Harrington and Rebecca Rivers (Ghostly Podcast) and Scott Larson (Visitations); learn how to create the most epic cosplay ever with sewing classes, body positivity seminars, and sword fighting lessons; and see special one-night-only performances of original Twilight parody musical TWIHARD on Friday, and improvised Star Trek parody STARSHIP EDSEL on Saturday, from Chicago’s Otherworld Theatre Company.
Walk the Cosplay Red Carpet
One of the great joys of FAN EXPO Chicago is bringing fans together to celebrate the community of fandom, and nowhere is that more evident than on the Cosplay Red Carpet! Wear your best costume and walk the carpet while your friends and fellow fans cheer you on and snap pics – or just watch the incredibly talented cosplay creators show off their wardrobe!
FAN EXPO After Dark
The fun doesn’t stop when the show floor closes! After-hours programs keep the fun going late into the night with events including the FAN EXPO Chicago Cosmic Celebration, D&D Improv; the Drawing Jam drawing challenge hosted by Emmy-winning cartoonist Joe Wos; and more! Plan your evenings with the official After-Hours events schedule.
FAN EXPO Chicago runs August 16 – 18, 2024 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. Show hours are Friday 4 – 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tickets start at $38; 3-day passes and VIP packages also available at https://fanexpohq.com/fanexpochicago/buy-tickets/. More information and updates can be found at https://fanexpohq.com/fanexpochicago/.
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