Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Cosplayers of Marvel, Disney, video games, anime and everything else in pop culture were back in full force at the FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention last weekend.
Some of them have been eagerly awaiting to debut their cosplay since before last fall when the convention was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Face mask requirements did not seem to deter cosplayers, either. Instead, some even made masks part of their costumes.
The convention took place from Sept. 16-18 at the Salt Palace in downtown Salt Lake City. The convention center was once again filled with attendees colorfully dressed up as their favorite characters. Attendees of all ages who were not dressed up took part in the fun by getting photos with cosplayers.
Some fan-favorite cosplayers found it hard to get very far without being stopped for a photo, but it was easy to tell they were loving the admiration of their hard work. The ultimate kudos came when a cosplayer was recognized for their nonmainstream costume.
FanX has embraced the cosplayers, providing more meet-ups, panels and guest cosplayers every year. Panel topics included instructions on making armor and helmets with foam, cosplaying as a family and even tips on making and cleaning "hard to clean" costumes presented by professionals from Hale Center Theater Orem. The grand finale of the convention always seems to be the cosplay contest where hundreds of fans marvel at the intricate and inspiring costumes.
The Jensens are a family of FanX regulars who travel to Salt Lake from Tremonton. Their cosplays this year were inspired by the web series "Critical Role." They are avid fans of the "Dungeons and Dragons" series and were excited to show off their creations after the long drought.
Spencer Nelson, from Riverton, spent a month working on his cosplay. His labor of love was modeled after his favorite character from the video game "Five Nights at Freddy's." He used Lego Mindstorms — the company's robotic components like motors and sensors that you can program — to provide the movement in his mask, which he then controlled using switches at his hands. Computer parts were also used to decorate the colorful creation.
Julie Whiteley's beautiful creations were showcased on stage at the cosplay contest. A mixture of princess dresses and some of the most popular Marvel superheroes resulted in unique cosplays that wowed everyone.
Five members of the K-pop dance group BlackMoon Krew donned cosplays and performed a high-energy dance number to the song "More" by K/DA. Their cosplays of K/DA, a virtual K-Pop group consisting of characters from the "League of Legends" video game, were excellent and their complex dance moves thrilled the crowd. Afterward, a long line formed of adoring fans who wanted photos with the group.
Whether they bought a ready-made costume or spent months creating their masterpieces, cosplayers can all agree, it's great to be back together again.
Check out more photos of cosplayers from this year's FanX in the photo gallery.