FanX Salt Lake Cosplay A Major Draw For Hardcore Fans

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Many people swarm the Salt Palace Convention center to attend panels or meet one-on-one with celebrities. Many come for the chance to see normal people in cosplay at the Fanx Salt Lake convention.

Walking onto the main floor at the Salt Palace Convention center, Ray and Kai Walker couldn’t go very far without getting requests from people wanting to get pictures taken with them.

They weren’t celebrities – not in the least – but their costumes were especially impressive to attendees at FanX Salt Lake. The married couple showed up as Marvel’s Thor, and arch-nemesis sister, Hela.

“It’s a novelty, seeing these two together, and getting along,” Kai said, smiling. “I mean we’re siblings. That’s rare, so…”

“You gotta take pictures,” Ray added.

FanX Salt Lake brings out the introverts

Kai Walker started attending the FanX Salt Lake convention before she met her husband, Ray. She has made it an annual tradition.

“Once I married him, I started dragging him with me,” Kai said.

Ray Walker did not mind, though.

“Normally, I’m a bit of an introvert, so I wouldn’t normally choose to go to a place full of thousands of people,” Ray said. “But I love people watching, and seeing all the different costumes.”

Ray and Kai said while the vendors, celebrities, and panels are all great reasons to attend FanX, a major draw for people like them is in the other people attending.

In just the 30 minutes or so that KSL followed the Walkers through the convention floor, they got requests from about a half-dozen people to take pictures with them.

“It’s fun, but it’s been a little overwhelming,” Kai said. “It’s just fun. You’re by people who enjoy the same things you do. There’s no mocking. There’s no ridicule. There’s just everybody is here to have such a good time.”