Fandemic's Sacramento Show: A New Comic Convention Experience
Last night, our family got to experience the wonderful world of comics through Fandemic’s Comic Tour at the Sacramento Convention Center. Since the Convention Center often holds events, there were plenty of great parking options, and (since I’m definitely not a fan of on-street parking) we opted for the easy, guaranteed parking at Memorial Garage just a few blocks away. We entered near 13th and K, not where the usual Box Office is located, because the convention was held in Exhibit Halls C, D, & E. We experienced the typical security measures for a convention and approached the Will Call counter to pick up our tickets. It wasn’t too busy for a Friday night, and we had no delays in entering the Comic-Con.
Upon entering the Exhibit Halls, the first tables we saw were Warner Brothers and Sketched, a caricature booth. The Warner Brothers booth had a fun photo op for an upcoming movie, The Meg, and they also had a prize wheel that got the kids some fun freebies.
Sketched had some artists available to draw caricatures for a fee and we thought that would be fun for our kids, so we went ahead and paid for a couple themed caricatures. The prices seemed pretty typical of other fairs and events. The hardest part was getting the kids to sit still for the 15-20 minutes that it took to get the drawing. Our son decided he wanted to be The Hulk, and our daughter was Wonder Woman! Also on hand are many comic book artists that have examples of their work with autographs for sale. The list of artists and what they are known for is listed on the convention's website, and many well-known comics are represented.
As we navigated the Convention Center, it was nice that the event was separated by retail booths, artist booths, and celebrities. This made for easy navigation between the different booths. They have over 80 retail booths, so if you are looking for a specific comic book, souvenir, apparel item, or Funko Pop, there’s a good chance you will find it here. There were even autographed posters and comic books spanning the last six decades. There were also quirky and creatively themed handmade items like skirts, oven mitts, purses, and metal characters.I could see how a fan could easily spend hundreds of dollars wandering through the aisles here.
Moving beyond the retail vendors, we were fascinated by the talent of the artists represented in over 60 booths occupied. Some replicated existing artwork and others created their own comics and manga. There were very talented individuals that definitely captured my eye.
Then there were the celebrities and photo opportunities – too many to name, but here is a sampling. A lot of the stars were not there Friday night, but all of them will be there Saturday and Sunday. If you want an autograph or photo with one of them, bring cash (typically around $40). There are ATMs on site, but who wants to pay the fees? We saw Bruce Campbell of Evil Dead fame and he gave my son a high five and was friendly. If you are a fan of the Walking Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Nightmare on Elm Street then this is a place you can meet a lot of the actors from these shows/movies. Robert Englund, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Michael Rooker stood out as the most well known of the bunch. As you can see in the pictures below there is a queue for photo opportunities and there were employees of the convention to discourage pictures while they were in their autograph booths.
One of the highlights of this convention is the ability to see the original Batmobile from the TV series of the 1960s. Photo opportunities in the car are $20 and it also gets you entered into a drawing to win a ride!
The next stop was SKG Retrogaming where anyone has the opportunity to play classic video games and show your kids what games were like in the last century. The games look really good on today’s screens and not blurry or pixelated. This is a retail booth, so be aware that they will try to sell you the game system.
Local groups like the Sacramento Ghostbusters and Astromech Builders of Sacramento (Star Wars) were also there showing what they have built to show their love of these unique universes. They often do charity events and smaller shows to help others and allow people to see their creations. Astromech also has a builders’ group that you can join as a hobby.
For the true fan-at-heart, Fandemic also has a number of speakers, tabletop gaming opportunities, and question-and-answer sessions scheduled in the various stages and rooms adjoining the Exhibit Halls and the upstairs rooms. Don’t worry, you will get a schedule when you enter the convention (also located here www.fandemictour.com/sacramento/programming) and they typically announce each event a couple times over the PA system before it begins.
Overall, the Fandemic Comic Convention is a great event for someone that is looking to complete a collection, get some photos or autographs, participate in cosplay, or meet people with similar interests – hey, they even had a Speed Dating booth. Keep in mind that, in addition to the admission you pay for the event, you will need to pay for most of the activities at this event.
The Fandemic Sacramento Tour will take place at the Sacramento Convention Center per the following schedule:
Friday, June 22, 3 p.m.-8 p.m.
Saturday, June 23, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sunday, June 24, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Up to two children (10 and under) are admitted free with each paid adult. Tickets available for purchase at www.tixr.com/groups/fandemic/events/fandemic-tour-sacramento-2018-7571.
Note: I received tickets for my family to attend this event in exchange for my honest review.
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We do our best to ensure that all event information is accurate. However, sometimes dates and times get changed or an event may be canceled and we are not made aware of it. It is always best to check the event website, Facebook page listing, or call ahead to be sure of final event details before going.
