Fan Expo 2022
July 7-10, 2022
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
Rosemont, Illinois
Wizard Entertainment’s transition from Wizard World to Fan Expo felt a bit thin, reaching, and even vacuous. This year’s iteration highlighted the oversaturation of comic cons and entertainment events. This could be felt in the number of participants in artist’s alley, vender’s plying their goods, and the scant programming. Founded in 1972 by Nancy Warner, a Chicago collectibles dealer, Wizard World grew from roughly 2,000 attendees to 70,000 in 2009. The numbers for 2022 are still out…Yes, there was a sizable group over the weekend, yet the aisles felt week and repetitive. So what were some of the highlights?
Not much…the usual photo ops and signing by celebrities (Geoff Johns, Kevin Smith, Leinil Francis Yu) were contrasted with a mixed bag of panels and events on Anime, Horror, Sci-fi, and Cosplay. Most engaging was a haunted pavilion complete with B movie beasts and minions. This odd inclusion was fresh, eerie and worth the $5.00 entry. Here’s some pics:
For additional information, please visit:
Fan Expo – https://fanexpohq.com/fanexpochicago/
Photographs and writing by Chester Alamo-Costello
