What kind of nerds would we be if we didn’t attend our homegrown geek fest? Embarrassingly shameful ones, and that’s saying a lot because, as non-apologetic nerds, not much shames us. Hence, Jason and I went to FanX again this spring and avoided that unimaginable disgrace.
While this FanX was smaller than some of its predecessors, it still had more panels and hall space than we had time to experience. So, no complaints here about size.
We attended the John Cleese panel as our first order of business. John was hilarious and not at all PC. He dropped five F bombs, despite the instructions he received not to… or maybe because of them. He brought up politics frequently, another no-no. John was controversial, cantankerous, and enormously entertaining. What would you expect from a cofounder of Monty Python?
Next, we went to the Warwick Davis panel. Warwick Davis has been in a number of iconic fantasy and sci-fi franchises including Star Wars, Willow, and Harry Potter. He had a rich diversity of stories to share about his time on these film series.
Our last panel of the day featured the accountants of The Office. Brian Baumgartner, Angela Kinsey, and Oscar Nunez were all quirky and lovable. Surprisingly, they displayed characteristics contrary to their screen personalities. Go figure.
The second day, we dressed in our Fantastic Beasts getups. These were popular with the assembled fans, and we ended up stopping for pictures frequently. We were okay with that. We brought balance to the universe by getting our own photos with the stars of Shazam and the accountants of The Office. In between some exhibit hall wandering, we also went to the Evermore panel and learned about Mythos enchantments. There be dragons!
Jason and I were cool with this smaller FanX affair. The only thing this con was missing was a meetup with friends over a meal. Conflicting schedules and MIA associates made our usual dinner with recaps a no-go. We’ll get you next time Gadget!