Fanboy Expo made its return to the Sunshine State this past weekend, taking over the Hilton Orlando from Friday, August 28 through Sunday, August 30 for a jam-packed three days of celebrity signings, comic guests, cosplay. If you weren’t able to make it out this year, here’s a look at what made the weekend worth the trip.
A Guest List That Spanned Decades
The full CHiPs trio, Erik Estrada, Larry Wilcox, and Robert Pine, held court all weekend, with Estrada working through a steady line of fans and signing everything from photos to personal items with genuine enthusiasm. A few aisles over, Heather Locklear drew a crowd for photo ops in front of her Melrose Place and Dynasty banners, posing with fans and keeping the line moving with an easy smile for every camera.
Randy Quaid held down a table with a full price sheet for autographs, selfies, and even custom character quotes. Todd Bridges caught up with fans in front of a massive Diff’rent Strokes banner, leaning in for conversation rather than just a quick signature. And Kate Mulgrew brought a warmth to her signing table that had at least one fan visibly moved, clasping hands across the table in a moment that felt more personal than a typical con meet and greet.
Rock and Roll Had a Strong Presence
Music fans had plenty to love this year too. Lita Ford posed for photos in front of her fiery banner, guitar in hand, looking every bit the rock icon between shots. Nearby, members of The Kinks sat signing guitars and memorabilia for fans who clearly grew up on the band’s catalog, taking time to chat with everyone who stepped up to the table rather than rushing through the line.
Peter Criss of KISS was also on hand for the weekend, giving longtime KISS Army members a chance to meet one of the faces behind the greasepaint.
Comics and Artists Held Their Own Corner
Fanboy Expo isn’t just a celebrity photo-op factory, and the artist alley proved it. Arthur Suydam, the self-proclaimed “Zombie King” known for his Marvel Zombies covers and DCeased work, sat behind a table stacked with prints beneath banners for Deadpool, The Walking Dead, and his signature zombie reimaginings of pop culture icons.
Rick and Morty fans had two great reasons to stop by artist alley. Fred C. Stresing, writer behind Rick and Morty: Meeseeks P.I. and other titles in the franchise, stood proudly with copies of his Invader Zim graphic novel and a table full of original art, offering sketches to anyone who asked. A few booths down, Meg Casey showed off her work across Rick and Morty, Adventure Time, Steven Universe, and Rugrats comics, along with gorgeous painted animal prints that had nothing to do with any of those properties and everything to do with pure talent.
Got Caricature stole a lot of attention with their booth full of pop-culture caricature sculpts, from a shaggy Chewbacca-adjacent creature to a startlingly accurate Ozzy Osbourne bust, each one clearly a labor of love and clearly not cheap, with prices running well into the hundreds for the detail on display.
The Vendor Floor Brought the Fun
Beyond the celebrity signing rooms, the vendor floor was where a lot of the weekend’s best finds turned up. Grandpa’s, a disabled veteran family owned and operated print shop, ran a booth loaded with an eye-catching rack of all-over-print button-ups covered in everything from cosmic patterns to comic book characters, plus bins upon bins of small collectible figures sold five for twenty dollars. April Hunter, professional wrestler and now full time craft entrepreneur, sold hand poured candles and wrestling memorabilia beneath her own championship belt display, happy to talk shop with anyone who stopped to browse.
Wrestling belts, custom prints, sketch cards, plush toys, and comic back issues filled every open inch of table space across the floor, and the volunteers in their bright blue vests kept things moving even when the crowds thickened around the more popular booths.
Why It’s Worth the Trip
What makes Fanboy Expo stand out from some of the bigger, more corporate conventions is the scale. It’s big enough to have a genuinely impressive guest list, spanning classic TV, rock and roll, wrestling, and comics, but small enough that you can actually have a conversation with an artist at their table or catch a genuine moment between a fan and a guest they’ve admired for decades. There’s no rushing through a line of a thousand people just to get a wristband scanned and hustled along.
For Central Florida geeks, wrestling fans, sitcom nostalgics, and comic collectors alike, Fanboy Expo Orlando delivered exactly what a convention weekend should: a chance to meet the people behind the characters and the art, pick up something you didn’t know you needed from a vendor table, and spend a few days fully immersed in the stuff you love. If this year’s turnout and energy are any indication, expect the Hilton Orlando ballrooms to be just as packed the next time Fanboy Expo rolls back through town.
NocedoPhoto Media Group
NocedoPhoto Media Group is an innovative and creative consortium that unites photographers, writers, cosplayers, event promoters, vendors, costume and prop makers, and other creatives under one roof to use their collective skills to maximize their distribution and presence on digital media platforms. Their goal is to create a well-rounded and successful network for all involved.
