- FanX 2025 in Salt Lake City will feature celebrities like David Tennant and many others.
- FanX founder Dan Farr enjoys seeing fans interact with celebrities at the event.
- Artist Tony Poulson, known for pop culture art, will attend with new works.
SALT LAKE CITY — Fans are gearing up for another FanX event featuring many celebrities and artists in pop culture. More than 100,000 fans attend each year, and with fan-favorite celebrities such as David Tennant of "Doctor Who" expected to attend this year, it looks like 2025 won't be any different.
"It's just been a dream," said FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture and Comic Convention founder Dan Farr. "I love it. I love fans. ... I love watching fans interact with celebrities and seeing them having special moments in those opportunities, and so I kind of take a vicarious thrill of seeing it happen."
Each year, the event attracts new celebrities. Farr credits the interest from celebrities to the fans in Utah.
Farr's love for pop culture began with the Star Trek and Star Wars franchises. He has always had a love and enjoyment for pop culture and entertainment. His appreciation for it has expanded since doing the conventions.
"Before I did the conventions, I had a software company, and it was always really rewarding to me to be in the process of creating something and then bringing it to market, and then watching people enjoy and have a good time with the product that we bring to market," Farr said.
This year, several fan favorites will be joining the convention, including Michael Rooker, known for his roles as Yondu in "Guardians of the Galaxy" and many others in popular shows such as "The Walking Dead."
"It's a pleasurable feeling to know that you've done your job well," Rooker said. "And it's really great to know that the fans are crazy in love with the character and support it."
Rooker will be attending the convention all three days, something he says he does not usually do.
"Utah is a great place to be," he said. "It is gonna be fun, it's gonna be a blast and people love Yondu there. 'Guardians of the Galaxy' is a big deal."
Among the other many celebrities scheduled to appear this weekend are William Shatner of "Star Trek"; film composer and former Oingo Boingo frontman Danny Elfman; Ke Huy Quan of "Indiana Jones" and "Everything Everywhere All at Once"; Catherine Tate of "The Office" and Doctor Who"; Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo and Randy Quaid of "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation"; John Rhys-Davies, Sean Astin and Miranda Otto of "The Lord of the Rings'; Brad Garrett from "Everybody Loves Raymond": "Happy Days" stars Henry Winkler, Don Most and Anson Williams; Dave Foley of "NewsRadio"; Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder of "The Vampire Diaries"; Shantel Vansanten and Laz Alonzo of "The Boys"; Laura Prepon from "Orange is the New Black," and many more.
Actor Chris Bartlett, a lifelong Star Wars fan, has turned his passion for the franchise into a successful career. His journey began as a hobbyist building and creating costumes of various Star Wars characters that he would wear at conventions. He has portrayed 20 different characters throughout the franchise.
Bartlett's most notable role is C-3PO. This year, he will be attending Salt Lake's FanX for the first time in costume.
"If you have something that you really love doing, just keep at it," said Bartlett. "No energy is wasted in that, and you keep at it, one day that energy comes back to you in ways that are bigger than you could have imagined."
FanX is not limited to sci-fi properties. It hosts guests from various genres, including artists, comic book creators, vendors and authors. The event also features activities such as cosplay contests and provides an opportunity to see attendees' creative costumes.
Tony Poulson has been attending the convention since its early years. An artist from Salt Lake City, Poulson is known for his work, "Hand Over the Hero."
His art features popular characters from pop culture held by a pair of hands. The idea comes from a Valentine's Day card he made for his wife, in which he is holding their cat. He now has booths across the country at various conventions and art festivals similar to FanX.
I love watching fans interact with celebrities and seeing them having special moments in those opportunities, and so I kind of take a vicarious thrill of seeing it happen.
–FanX Founder Dan Farr
His booth features a colorful display with over 160 different pieces of art — a significant leap from the original 15 he displayed at his first FanX years ago.
From San Diego to New York, Poulson has attended the biggest conventions in the nation, but he said they do not match up to the one held in Salt Lake City, his hometown.
"I truly get to see the majority of the people that saw me from the start," Poulson said. "I still have fans that bought my work from that first show, and I'm so happy to see them." He even mentioned seeing fans' kids now buying art, and others who have become professional artists themselves, inspired by his work.
Poulson's most popular character is Toothless from "How to Train Your Dragon," while more recent bestsellers include Gengar and Snorlax from the Pokémon series and a character from the Netflix phenom, "K-Pop Demon Hunters." Poulson hopes to see all his fans at his booth in the Artist Alley at FanX.
FanX begins Thursday, Sept. 25, and runs through Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Salt Palace Convention Center. For tickets or more information, visit fanxsaltlake.com.
