FanX Helps To Bring Out Attendees’ Inner Comic Characters
Apr 19, 2019, 11:04 PM
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention kicked off Friday, and as always, there was no shortage of unique characters roaming the Salt Palace Convention Center.
Aisles were crowded with people in elaborate costumes, most paying homage to their favorite comic superheroes and villains.
“You can pretty much come here and do it—you can just dress up and be who you want to be,” smiled a steampunk Batman-outfitted man named Robert.
Robert, who by day works as a pharmacist, said he put elements of his costume together over the past 5 years. The female steampunk Joker character he was with took a year to collect all the pieces of her outfit.
If they love superheroes and comics, like to dress up and they mysteriously disappeared Friday, there's a good chance they can be found at @fanxsaltlake. It seems everyone has their own inner comic character.@KSL5TV #Utah #KSLTV #FanXSpring19
Photojournalist: Aubrey Shafer pic.twitter.com/pBauR9BlsR
— Andrew Adams (@AndrewAdamsKSL) April 20, 2019
“We’ve just always been interested in cosplay,” he said. “This a good time to come out and show off.”
Zoe Smith, who owns a business that allows her to work as a ‘professional mermaid,’ said she also enjoyed the opportunity FanX presented.
“I’ve been doing this for about 4 years and I love mermaids, so the tail kind of came with that,” Smith said. “I had (actor) Jason Momoa once come walk by me and he told me I was the prettiest mermaid in Atlantis.”
Those who didn’t dress up found their place at the convention as well.
Caricature artist Greg Brown said he often draws people who want to be made into comic characters.
“(They) either want you to put them in something or be drawn as they are,” Brown said. “A caricature should look more like you than you do, is the saying.”
In the end, he hoped people would walk away with lasting memories.
“I hope they had a fun experience when they were here in the booth and that the art will find a frame someday,” Brown said.
