This past weekend in New Orleans, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, FAN EXPO New Orleans was held. Formerly known as "Wizard World", its even in which thousands of comic book, fantasy, horror, gaming, anime and sci-fi aficionados (commonly known as "nerds") can get together and immerse themselves deep into their fandom.
Fans who attend any of these Expo's have the opportunity to score rare fandom memorabilia and collectibles ranging from highly-crafted replicas of infamous fantasy movie props to hard-to-find limited edition comic books.
Not only can fans get their hands on replicas and collectibles, they can also buy custom works from their favorite world-renowned artists. Some of these talented artists have set up booths in which they'll quick-draw a personalized pieces for fans.
Fans fully embrace the entire fantasy fandom by dressing up, or "cosplaying", as their favorite characters. And these aren't your regular run-of-the-mill Halloween costumes that you get at Party City. Cosplayers' costumes are hand-crafted and customized with the highest quality.
As a nerd myself, I often wondered why I haven't been to one of these Expo's or Con's myself... but then I remembered: I could never afford to go. Luckily for me, I now work and media and I was able to score a media press pass that allowed me to attend this Expo for free! Hell yeah!
One of the highlights on the Fan Expo are the celebrity guests. This year was awesome with fans getting a chance to see Hollywood heavyweights like William Shatner and New Orleans native Anthony Mackie. Unfortunately I wasn't able to sneak into the green room to have a one-on-one with Shatner or Mackie, but maybe I'll get lucky next year, because a FAN EXPO is definitely something I'll do again!
