Salt Lake Comic Con held press conference at the Leonardo in Salt Lake City this morning to update their fans on a few things and, more importantly, to announce another handful of celebrity guests. I made my way to the north side of the crowded lobby, which was packed with Comic Con enthusiasts (most of them in costume). A few minutes after 11:00 a.m., Salt Lake Comic Con co-founders Dan Farr and Bryan Brandenburg headed to the pulpit to address the big crowd, accompanied by thunderous applause.
"Tell me how you really feel," Brandenburg joked before thanking some of the convention's sponsors, which include Rocky Mountain Chevrolet, Marvel and Dark Horse Comics.
Brandenburg announced that the event's organizers are anticipating upwards of 120,000 people in attendance for the September convention, which will run from September 4-6 this fall. In April, Salt Lake Comic Con's FanXperience shattered its own attendance record, drawing an estimated 100,000 fans, making it the third largest Comic Con event in the United States. Brandenburg expects there to be nearly 200 panels to go along with 250 special guests and panelists, including celebrity guests, artists, and vendors. Brandenburg mentioned that the September Comic Con will expand its space, utilizing more downtown venues and ensuring that the convention will not "be nearly as crowded as our first event last year, certainly."
The Salt Lake Comic Con Film Festival will also be expanded in comparison with last year's function. "Our goal is to be right up there with Sundance," Brandenburg said. The festival will be held during Comic Con weekend and hosted at the Gateway mall downtown.
The popular KidCon pavillion, which was introduced in April, is back this fall, providing family-friendly entertainment for families and young attendees. Another returning event will be the Zombie Walk, which Brandenburg announced will be held on August 10. More detailed announcements about these events will be rolled out via social media in the next few weeks.
Brandenburg passed the mic to Farr, who thanked the crowd for their patience in awaiting new guest announcements. Previously, Farr and his team had announced the convention's initial celebrity lineup which included names like Christopher Lloyd ("Back to the Future"), Cary Elwes ("The Princess Bride"), and Ernie Hudson ("Ghostbusters"). Since the last press conference, several more names had been announced on social media, such as Eliza Dushku ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Michael Rosenbaum ("Smallville"), and Giancarlo Esposito ("Breaking Bad").
In recent days, Salt Lake Comic Con had teased fans with several hints that stars from CW's "Arrow" and CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" would be announced at the press conference. A brief highlight package introduced the next batch of stars that are headed to Utah this fall:
- Jon Heder ("Napoleon Dynamite")
- Manu Bennett ("Arrow")
- Dean O'Gorman ("The Hobbit")
- WETA Workshop (special effects, "Lord of the Rings")
- Simon Helberg ("The Big Bang Theory")
In an interview with Signs of the Times, Farr expressed his excitement for September's convention. "I am so excited just to see the fans' reaction when we have the event," he said. But, in typical Dan Farr fashion, he remained somewhat tight-lipped about which stars he, personally, is most excited about.
"That's always a tough question because I get excited about all of them," Farr said. "Even if it's someone that I haven't followed before, if I know that the fans are excited, then I get excited about it."
He mentioned that he has never really gotten into the ultra-popular BBC show, "Doctor Who," but he always looks forward to booking stars from the show because he understands how beloved those characters are to fans of pop culture. Karen Gillan, known for her role as the Doctor's companion, Amy Pond, appeared at FanX in April - and even stuck around to catch a Mormon Tabernacle Choir performance that Sunday.
"I'm almost afraid to start watching it," Farr said of the BBC series. "I know that, with my personality, I'll get so embedded in it that I'll have another addiction."
Farr said that he and his Comic Con team have learned a lot since their first convention in 2013 and that they continue to evolve as time goes on. "We're always learning," he said. "We're trying new things. We attend a lot of other conventions, as well, to see what they're doing. A lot of things, as far as organization at the con, [we've improved in] that area. The biggest thing is just finding out what people are attracted to - what they like. What is it that people want to come see? ... That's the most I've learned."
For those that are keeping track, the record-setting Salt Lake Comic Con returns in 57 days and 21 hours. Tickets are on sale now at saltlakecomiccon.com. And, as always, more information about the convention and its star-studded lineup of celebrity guests can be found by following Salt Lake Comic Con on Facebook and Twitter. To read the press release from this morning's event, click here.
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