Views from the Convention: Inside FAN EXPO Dallas 2023
Check out some scenes from FAN EXPO Dallas 2023 in this report from the convention floor.
FAN EXPO Dallas returned to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Center June 9-11, 2023. The Collin-Denton Spotlighter attended the convention on Saturday and Sunday to see some of the stars, panels, comics and fun happenings around the show floor.
As was typical for FAN EXPO, thousands from the DFW community descended on the convention center for the show. Many attendees dressed in elaborate cosplay costumes representing some of the most popular franchises that had captured their hearts and minds this year.
If there was any doubt about what shows and movies those were, one just had to look at the many versions of Spider-Man around the convention representing all kinds of characters from the recently released “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” From Spider-Punk to Spider-Man Noir, FAN EXPO Dallas definitely stepped deep into the Spider-Verse this year.
Conversely, Star Wars characters still seemed to dominate the show. Whether it was due to the third season of “The Mandalorian” or special guest appearances by the voice actors from the popular Clone Wars cartoons, there was certainly no shortage of cosplay from a galaxy far, far away.
One of the more unique costume highlights from the show was the kids’ cosplay contest on Sunday. A long line of contestants stole the hearts of attendees with costumes representing everything from “Stranger Things” and “The Last of Us” to Batman and anime franchises like “Naruto.”
Speaking of “Stranger Things,” one of the show’s biggest stars headlined the list of celebrity guests at the convention.
Joseph Quinn, best known as the show’s Eddie Munson, was clearly one of the most popular guests this year. Similarly, long lines stretched out at the convention to see Star Wars’ Hayden Christensen as well as Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio from the “Daredevil” series, each of whom spoke at panels during the weekend.
Beyond just the celebrities and costumes, FAN EXPO Dallas also brought with it a full selection of vendors selling some of the rarest comics and collectibles around.
It wasn’t uncommon to see valuable comics from the 1940s through the 2020s sharing space in the same booth, giving almost the effect of a living museum for comic book enthusiasts. The only difference with this art museum was all of its prized pieces were for sale.
In exploring the show floor, budget-busting rarities like the first comic book appearance of Iron Man and incredibly early issues from popular series like Batman, the Fantastic Four and X-Men were some of the most impressive highlights.
Perhaps it was all the spider-centric surroundings, but it also seemed as if the wallcrawler also took center stage in many booths’ offerings as well, with first appearance issues from the hero’s rogue gallery of villains like The Lizard, Sandman and Carnage going for big bucks.
FAN EXPO Dallas provided more than just a feast for the comic book community too. The dedicated community section included a video game area, tattoo section, club booths and community outreach organization tables.
The Collin-Denton Spotlighter stopped by Broadway Dallas’ booth following their panel on Saturday and also visited with the Coruscant Temple Saber Guild, the local DFW branch of Star Wars lightsaber stage combatants. Keep an eye on the Spotlighter to read stories on both organizations.
Overall, FAN EXPO Dallas brought another fun-filled convention to the metroplex this year, leaving fans eagerly anticipating next year’s show taking place on June 7-9.
