Return of the Con: Fan Expo St. Louis

It happened! The full fledged nerdfest once known as Wizard World made its triumphant return to downtown St. Louis. Con exclusives, Hollywood stars, toys and comics as far as the eye could see!

It had been a few years since Jay and I stepped foot into the St Louis Convention Center to feast upon the pop culture we find so delectable. The now named FanExpo 2022 swept through with the city like Juggernaut through the pages of an X-Men comic. I was bowled over by how much I missed this experience. The pandemic shut down the gathering of fans for a few years. Previously I was unable to attend due to family obligations or just burn out from “been here, done that”.

But returning to the Con floor was like I hadn’t missed a thing, yet I really missed it.

While describing my day to some of my family the theme of joy and acceptance kept popping up. The feeling of pure happiness by all who attended was palpable. Whether it was someone looking for a Funko Pop or Lego Mini, or another who stood in line anxiously to meet an actor who they admired or connected with. It was a gathering of people who loved being there to soak it all in.

To the uninitiated it could seem a bit overwhelming. But for those of us who “love the smell of commerce in the morning” it was glorious! The nostalgia vibe was on high with all of the amazing toy vendors’ wares. Transformers, GI Joes and Lego sets were abound! Flipping through artists’ portfolios to see their amazing work for sale to display proudly in your home while you stand in awe of their natural talent was something I didn’t know I would miss so much.

Above all else, the reciprocation of the artist’s appreciation for all the fans was the thing I took away most from this experience. I spent a brief moment speaking with Peter J. Tomasi to thank him for his work on Super Sons. I thanked him for this bright and fresh take on the characters that brought me a lot of joy to read and he could not thank me enough for the kind words.

My lengthy conversation with cover artist Deegan Puchkors was a highlight of my day. Discussing how happy he was to take the 8 hour drive from Atlanta to St. Louis. The impact the pandemic has had on all creators financially was heard in his voice but even more so, he missed the connection with all of the fans that shared a love for comics.

I was captivated by my conversation with author Dr. Travis Langley who was promoting his second edition of The Psychology of Batman. Learning about how others in academia were sparked by this topic to dive in on other characters and shows was fascinating. We discussed the business side of publishing a book and the legality of working on DC and Marvel characters was an insight I would never have learned about with the Con. It was so uplifting to talk with someone that took their career and their passion to combine it into something else altogether.

It was awesome to see the cast of Smallville work through their meet and greet lines. Watching Jason Mewes interact with a fan was an artform in itself.

Lastly, the artwork and creativity of the Cosplayers was unmatched. I stood in awe throughout the day as countless people let their nerd flag fly! The most uplifting conversation of the day took place between a mother and daughter from Wichita, Kansas. They built a fully functioning Toothless costume from How to Train Your Dragon fame with animatronic wings that just blew my mind. But I was really touched by their relationship of traveling from Con-to-Con to be with their community.

It’s really amazing to see all the different reasons why so many people are drawn to an event like this and it was such a joy to be able to experience it once again.

As I was leaving the Con I was tempted to purchase a Funko Pop Con Exclusive of Wayne and Garth from their street hockey scene in the classic 1992 film Wayne’s World. For a while there, it was “GAME OFF!” when it came to enjoying a day at Comic Con. But for one Saturday in May, it was absolutely “GAME ON!”