Tag Archives: FanX

My FanX Guest Wishlist

I feel kind of weird writing this post. I mean, I feel like the guest lineup for FanX is pretty solid, so I don’t want it to seem like I am complaining or nitpicking or anything.  I fully recognize that the team that is bringing you FanX has done a stellar job to get some fantastic guests, and we really shouldn’t complain about the lineup.  That being said, there are always folks that I would love to see come and make an appearance. Besides, I ran a similar post just before last fall’s Salt Lake Comic Con, and one of the guests I wished for is coming (Matt Smith), and although we didn’t get Mark Hammil, we are getting Carrie Fischer. I just hope they read this list and maybe a star or two  from the list will come next time.

1. David Tennant

tv DOCTOR WHOThis is a carry over from my previous list, and it might also seem a little picky. I am very excited that Matt Smith is coming. It’s just that Tennant was my favorite Doctor. There was just something really cool about him as the Doctor, and goofy at the same time. It would just be awesome if we could get him to come here. Plus, now he will be appearing in a new Marvel series as a villain, so he has that going for him as well, in the geek cred category. This would just be great.

2. Mark Hammil

"Guardians Of The Galaxy" - UK Premiere - Red Carpet ArrivalsI love Star Wars, so naturally, I am very excited about Carrie Fischer being at the event. She is big time, as far as Star Wars gets, and it is amazing that she will be here at our little show, in the same year that the latest Star Wars movie will be released. All of that is just really amazing, and I was floored when I saw that she was coming. All of that being said, Hammil would be just as incredible.  He is my only other carry over from my old list, I promise. He has done so mush in the geek community, that whether you’re a Star Wars fan or not, he has probably done something that you do follow. For example, he has had a great voice acting career, including his stint as the Joker on the Batman Animated Series. His is probably the first voice you hear in your head when you think of the Joker. It would just be incredible if he came and was able to do a panel and tell all of his stories on the different shows he has been a part of, or if he participated in a script reading. It would just be incredible.

3. Zachary Levi

1024x768chuck_sarah1I love Chuck. It was one of my all time favorite shows, and one of my wife’s all time favorites. We have had Agent Casey at last year’s FanX, and this year we have Shaw, so let’s get Chuck for next time. In addition to being in Chuck as the main character, Zachary Levi also appeared in Thor: The Dark World and has recently been tied to the new Heroes re-boot. All of that spells geek in my book, and it would be great to have him here. It would have been awesome to have him here with Brandon Routh or Adam Baldwin to make for a great Chuck centered panel.

4. Grant Gustin

grant-gustin-full-body-flash I don’t know anything about Gustin from his Glee days, and frankly, I don’t care to. I do know that he has made a fine Barry Allen and Flash on the new CW series. I am glued to the TV once a week following the exploits of the Scarlet Speedster, and I think Gustin is a big reason why. Last year, at Salt Lake Comic Con, we had Stephen Amell from Arrow, and it was awesome. Now we need the CW’s newest star, The Flash. As a bonus, his team would be awesome too, like Cisco. That would make for a great panel. Or even better would be to get Grant Gustin to come, and get Stephen Amell to come back and have a crossover panel where both of them could be on stage together. I mean, their crossover event earlier this season was one of the biggest TV events of the year, the fans loved it, and the fans here in Salt Lake City, the Geek Capital of the World, would love a crossover panel. That would be a great foundation for a killer con.

5. One of the Other Star Trek Captains

siskoI’ll be honest, Picard is my favorite captain. He always has been, and I think a big reason why is because TNG has always been my Star Trek. He is my favorite, but he is not the only one I would like to see in person at a panel. Sisko was a great captain, and I have heard that Avery Brooks is fantastic in person. I have seen video of interviews with him, and he seems very interesting. As does Kate Mulgrew who played Janeway in Voyager. This would be a killer year to get her to one of our events, since Voyager just hit their 20th anniversary on January 16. Then there is Scott Bakula who not only played Captain Archer in Enterprise, but he is also known for Quantum Leap and as Chuck’s dad in Chuck (another great multi-person panel if he and Levi came).

There you have it.  I don’t expect any of these guests to be announced this week just before FanX, but it would be really cool if any or all of them showed up at Comic Con in September, or the next FanX. To be honest, it seems like it has grown very quiet on the guest announcements from FanX, and I have heard that there will most likely be no more guest announcements for this round. I could be wrong. Maybe another killer guest committed at the last-minute. Either way, this year’s line up is very good, the best they have had so far, so i am looking forward to it getting even better in the future.

Who would be on your guest wish list? I am sure it is not the same as mine. Maybe we have a couple in common? Let me know in the comments.

2 Follow Ups and FanX Wristbands Arrive-This Week in Geek, January 17, 2015

Good long weekend to you all, folks. I am back with the latex edition of “This Week in Geek,” and for this week we will be kind of returning to the original format in which I covered multiple stories and shared them here. That’s because I have some follow-up on a couple of features I ran last week and this week. One good, and one not so good. Plus, one new story that’s less of a story and more of a woo-hoo.

Netflix Confirms Doctor Who NOT Leaving

tv DOCTOR WHORemember last week when everyone was reporting that Doctor Who was going to be dropped from Netflix as of the end of this month? And some sites were even suggesting that maybe the show, along with other British shows, was being dropped to make room in the budget for “Friends.” Do you remember how your friendly neighborhood geeky Mormon attempted to talk all of you, my fellow Whovians, off the ledge by citing a different post on a different web site that suggested that it wasn’t so much of a drop, but an end to the existing contract, and that Netfilx was already working on a renewal? Well guess what those sites are reporting now. It turns out that it was never an issue of Netflix “dropping” the series in favor of something, but rather the end of the existing contract. A contract that was renewed, with no interruption to the ehh…Timeline…if you will. Good news for everyone, including my wife who is still trying to catch up on number 10. Allons-Y!

Spider-Man NOT Joining the Avengers, According to Sony

3317783-135251969351One of the big stories of this last week was that some deal had been struck between Marvel and Sony to make way for Spider-Man to appear in the 3rd Avengers film. The source of all the reports was the Latino Review, which has been accurate in the past. All fans of the MCU were hoping it was true. We wanted it to be true so badly. I think more than that, Marvel wants it to be true, they need it to happen, as I outlined, a little, in my post about all of this. As it turns out, according to Sony, none of this is happening. It was all based on an old rumor, and no such deal has been made. They are going to continue to muck up Spider-Man with too many villains and spin-offs, all in the name of keeping the rights to a character that is a gold mine, even if the movies tied to him kind of suck. I wish this wasn’t the case. I love Spidey, and I loved the idea of him being home where he blonds in the MCU, but it doesn’t look like that is happening again. I know, let’s just wait a couple of years, until you get close to losing those rights again, and then reboot the series with another film telling Spidey’s origin story, just so you can keep those rights. Poor Peter Parker. (Alliteration!)

My FanX Wristbands Came!

IMG_1108Oh Happy Day! For those of you who do not reside in or near Salt Lake City, Utah, this probably is not that big a deal, so I am sorry. I just wanted to share because it is getting so close now. Less than 2 weeks now, and FanX will be here. Somehow, getting the wristbands in the mail just made it feel that much closer. This will be the 4th major comic-type convention we have had here in Salt Lake, and my third time attending. I am getting better as an attendee with each one. As it gets closer, i will probably write more about it, and probably revise and update my convention survival checklist. As someone who is attending the con, I will also let you know how it went. I am particularly looking forward to our Doctor Who Ultimate “Xperience” which features Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, and Billie Piper. It should be loads of fun. I can’t wait for it.

Well, that’s it for this week. Hopefully we’ll have just good news next week, and not a downer story like Spider-Man never coming to the MCU.

 

3 Big Ways Fans Influenced FanX 2015

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For months, we have seen this image from Salt Lake Comic Con, letting us all know that FanX was coming back in 2015, and today, they made it official by letting us know the dates and beginning the tickets sales.  One thing I have always liked about Salt Lake Comic Con and their Fan Xperience is that they have always tried to be fan centric.  In my experience of attending the cons, I have seen the folks running it reply and respond quickly to any kind of negative fan feedback.  Looking at what is coming for FanX 2015, or at least what we learned today, I would say that trend is continuing.  They are really building an event that is centered on the fans in almost every way.  There were 3 big takeaways for me that illustrated this point.

1. Tickets and Event Entry

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The coveted VIP Pass for FanX2015

This could really be two different things, but I thought I would bundle it here.  If there was one thing that I saw more feedback about on the SLCC Facebook page, it was tickets and entering the con.  The first day of September’s SLCC was a mess, and the organizers got that.  They honestly dropped the ball, and they know we deserve better.  With FanX, the wristbands will have RFID in them.  This is high-tech stuff.  Like Disney World high-tech stuff.  I mean, if you are wanting to find solutions to getting a large crowd through your front doors quickly, why not look to the most visited theme park in the world?  With the new RFID wristbands, if you purchase your tickets prior to some yet to be announced date in January, then you will receive the wristbands in the mail.  No need to go down and register early somewhere, or show up and register day of.  Your done, once you receive the wristband, and then it should get you through the door with a quick scan.  How is that for a response to all the concerns from  September?  If this works like they are planning, it will be pretty slick.

The other big complaint was the cost of tickets, especially Gold and V.I.P.  They have addressed this too, by putting them on sale right out of the gates.  Right now, you can buy a V.I.P. pass for $125- a full 50 % off.  Same percentage off for Gold and MultiPass.  Oh, and were you one of the folks that did not get a T-shirt last time, but still paid for a VIP or Gold pass?  They addressed that too.  No more T-shirts, instead, you get a voucher for FanX stuff.

I have seen a few comments on Facebook about the service fees associated with the passes.  Welcome to purchasing tickets and passes online.  The service fees for a MultiPass and Gold Pass are pretty comparable to September, and now you don’t have to pre-register.

If you are looking at buying tickets now (and I would recommend it) then just click on the VIP pass above, and it will take you to the ticketing page.

2.  The Date of the Event

Remember that poll they had a while back? Asking when or if we wanted a FanX in 2015? They took your feedback, and that is what decided that the event would take place at the end of January.  I know a lot of folks wanted the April event or wanted no FanX so they could concentrate on one big event.  It looks like the majority of people wanted it in January, which is awesome, I think.  What else do you have going on in January?  They couldn’t please everybody, but hopefully those of you who wanted it in April will not stay away.  I am curious to see how it goes in January, and I am hoping this will be a permanent spot for the event.  Plus now my wife knows what to get me for Christmas (wink, wink)

3. The Guests

I saw a lot of requests on the Facebook page for more Harry Potter, more Star Wars and more Firefly.  And who do they announce?  Guests from Harry Potter, Star Wars and Firefly, not to mention Christopher Lloyd, who was supposed to be here in September, but couldn’t make it due to a filming conflict.  Now he is back in January.  Plus, I mean, Princess Leia?  Can you get anymore big time than that?  This is totally a great beginning line up, and I am excited to see who they announce in the coming weeks.  There have been other initial announcements that were a little disappointing, but this was killer, I thought.

All in all, I think it was a successful press conference, and I am excited about the majority of what was announced there.  I feel like they really are trying to put together a great event for fans.  There will always be people who will not be happy, but you have to give them credit for taking the feedback and trying to respond.

FanX-When and Where?

FanXLogo

I received the newsletter from Salt Lake Comic Con today in my email.  I was expecting something about FanX 2015 sometime soon because they recently posted something about FanX coming soon in 2015 on their Facebook page.  In my newsletter, it had a link to go and vote for one of two dates for the event for the first part of next year.  I went to check it out, and I voted.  There were two options.  One was for the end of January, 2015, and the other was for Easter/General Conference Weekend in April 2015.  The other option is to not have FanX at all, and just have one massive event in September.  I thought I would share what my vote was and why.  Maybe some people will find it interesting, maybe some people might be swayed, or maybe people won’t care at all.  In any case, I am sharing, because I care, and sharing is caring.

I voted for January 29-31, 2015.  Here are my top 5 reasons why:

5. It is not in April. 

One of the most common reasons I heard about why some celebrities were not able to come to the last FanX was because they were filming or had some other obligation.  April already has Wondercon in Anaheim, which FanX competed with head on last year. And if we had FanX again in April, we would be competing head on again.  We beat them on attendance, but we would also be competing for some headline guests.  Wondercon has the backing of SDCC, so I would imagine that we would lose some of those headline guests.  These are all downsides to April, in my opinion.

4. January happens to be close to my Birthday and Christmas

This gives me the perfect excuse to buy my tickets.  The tickets can be for my birthday and my Christmas, which means maybe I can talk my wife into letting me get VIP tickets.  Honestly, it might raise the likelihood, but not by much.  Have you been wondering what to get that special geek in your life for Christmas?  If FanX happens in January, wonder no more.  Best. Christmas. EVER!

3. The Salt Palace Will NOT be Hot for Once

If you went to FanX or Salt Lake Comic Con, you know the AC was working overtime to keep it a little cooler in the building with all those hot bodies.  The AC was working overtime, and it wasn’t enough.  IT was still warm and I was sweating like a sweaty person in there by the end.  The colder January temperatures will hopefully lend themselves to a cooler temperature inside, which will be pleasant for everyone.

2. Sundance

This is probably really the number one reason, but I have more material for my number one reason, so this gets moved to number two.  This is a genius time for FanX.  There are so many celebrities who come to this area for Sundance anyway.  It would be easy, hopefully, to get them to just stop by FanX as well.  Plus, it’s not just the celebrities.  There will be tons of studios and execs who will be in the area, and you know they have heard about SLCC and they would love the opportunity to even just stop by and see why SLCC puts on the best cons.  A positive impression there could go a long way to building a solid foundation of future guests and studio involvement at future SLCC events.  It could potentially be huge.  We already have a major even at that time that draws a lot of influential people in the entertainment industry to Salt Lake and Park City.  They will be here already, and then we can put on a show for them.

1. It’s January, What Else Do You Have Going On?

I mean really.  What else do you have happening during the last weekend in January?  I’ll tell you, a big fat nothin’. Not only is it in January, but it is the end of January, which leads right into February, which, according to my friend Kevin, is the worst month ever.  He hates February. No love whatsoever for February.  This is the time when there are no good movies in the theaters, Nothing to do outside (except skiing, which is actually a draw for some people, so a plus for some guests of FanX), Christmas is over, and we are smack dab in the middle of the coldest, most miserable stretch of time during the whole year.  We need something like this to help us survive the long, cold, dark, stupid winter.  This event alone could help us make it through February and into spring.  It could buoy us up in the hour of our greatest needs.  Plus, little known fact, January is a whole 3 months earlier than April (3 months sooner for our next con).  Just sayin’.

I really feel like tying this event to Sundance, at least by having it at the same time, would be huge.  There really are so many people who will already just be here for Sundance, that something like this could make a lot of sense.  There are also some negatives about January, like the weather could cramp some styles when it comes to cosplay.  I was going to go as the Hulk, but if it’s in January, no way.  Plus, this really only gives the organizers a couple of months to get everything put together.  If they decide to go for January, pray for them, because they will need all the help they can get to bring it all together.  Especially getting all the volunteers. I see that as the biggest challenge, but they must have some plan, or else they would not have thrown it out there as an option.

If you would like to put in your 2 cents about when they should have FanX, you can go to this site, and participate in the poll.  Also feel free to add any of your thoughts in the form of a comment.  I don’t think anyone important reads my blog, but it always feels good to vent.