Fan Expo 2025 - Let Your Inner Geek Out
For years, I've written and created video essays about my experiences at Cons, starting with C2E2 in 2019. This year, I'm attending this year's Fan Expo (formerly known as Wizard World). On Friday, August 15, through Sunday, August 17, you'll be surrounded by a sea of nostalgia. The Showtimes are as follows. Friday the 15th runs from 4PM-9PM. Saturday, 10AM-7PM, and Sunday, 10am-5PM. The event is located at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL. Ticket prices start at $48 per person. A 3-day pass is $99, and the ultimate pass is $139. VIP passes are already sold out, indicating the high demand for the convention. All tickets and pricing can be located at this link https://fanexpohq.com/fanexpochicago/buy-tickets/#multi-day-tier-3
If you've never been to a con event before, here's a refresher on what to expect. To start, there will be plenty of cosplay. Before you even get to the showroom floor, you'll notice folks walking to the convention center dressed in costumes that range from something you'd find in a Spirit Halloween store to outfits that look like the real thing seen in the movies. In fact, many cosplayers' work has become so noticed that Hollywood productions have hired them as costume designers. If you're aiming to dress to impress, then there are potentially great rewards for your hard work.
The next thing you can find on the gigantic showroom floor is comics. Obviously, Comic-Cons are meant to be comic book expos, yet it's easy to forget that in a media landscape populated by Hollywood comic book adaptations. If you're a comic book fan, then this will be heaven for you. Multiple vendors stack the shelves sky-high with thousands (or maybe millions) of comics. As a comic book-adjacent fan, Cons helped introduce me to The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, The Killing Joke, and Spawn. There are also books you can read by authors who have continued with canonized sequels, or rather prequels to your favorite movies. Going back to Batman (you can tell I'm a fan), John Jackson Miller wrote Batman: Resurrection, a book that takes place between Batman and Batman Returns. When the screenwriters can't get it right, leave it up to the authors to tackle the material effectively.
The biggest draw of the convention is the opportunity to take photos with celebrities. On the lineup this year is Hailee Steinfeld (Sinners, Hawkeye, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse), Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, John Cena, Orlando Bloom, and Brendan Fraser, along with the cast of 1999's The Mummy featuring Patricia Velasquez, John Hannah, and Oded Fehr. The cast of National Lampoon's Vacation will also be there, including Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Dana Barron, Randy Quaid, Anthony Michael Hall, and Chevy Chase. A few extra names to drop is Rainn Wilson (The Office) Rob Schneider, Ming-Na Wen (The Mandalorian, Mulan, Todd McFarlane's Spawn), Keith David (Todd McFarlane's Spawn, Halo, The Thing, There's Something About Mary) Pom Klementieff (Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers, Mission: Impossible), Helen Hunt, Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Walking Dead, Tombstone), Martin Kove (The Karate Kid, Cobra Kai) and more.
Was that enough name-dropping for you? If you're not a star lover, then you can check out other venues like the Artist Alley, where various prestigious as well as lesser-known comic book artists draw their renditions of popular characters. If nostalgia is your thing, then wait til you see the mountains of toys that are available. The event also features competitive gaming.
To top things off, you can attend the after-hours events, which are a great opportunity to mingle with other attendees. Go on, make new friends! If you've ever felt conscious about your nerdy hobbies, then this is a good place to go where you don't have to be. You can find all the event information linked here. http://fanexpohq.com/fanexpochicago/
