No tricks; Fanboy Expo holding Halloween weekend event in Knoxville
A big treat is coming to the Knoxville area for Halloween weekend 2016. Fanboy Expo, the Knoxville Comic Con, will be setting up shop for a special Halloween weekend event. Beginning on Friday, Oct. 28 and running until Sunday, Oct. 30, the event is being held at the Knoxville Convention Center at 701 Henley Street in Downtown Knoxville.
Event tickets can be pre-ordered or purchased at the door. Tickets, priced per person, are $22 for Friday, $30 for Saturday and $17 for Sunday. A weekend pass can be purchased for $50.
General VIP packages and Super VIP packages can be purchased for $99 and $399 respectively and include special opportunities and limited edition items, a full list of which can be found on the Fanboy Expo website, fanboyexpo.com, under the ‘Event Tickets’ tab.
Attendees of the Halloween Weekend con will have the opportunity to rack up on collectables, memorabilia, comics and other items from their favorite movies, games and more from the dealers and vendors who will be set up. Celebrity and comic industry guests will also be in attendance and will be set up in a section of the Convention Center floor for attendees to meet and get autographs.
A number of celebrity guests are expected for this coming Halloween Weekend convention. Andy Biersack, also known as Andy Black and the lead singer for the rock band Black Veil Brides, will be appearing only on the first two days of the con. Chris Sarandon, known for his roles in “The Princess Bride” as Prince Humperdinck and “The Nightmare Before Christmas” as the voice of Jack Skellington, will also be appearing and is expected all three days.
A number of comic artists and writers are also expected to attend including Tom Nguyen, known for his work on “Green Lantern,” “Batman,” “Catwoman,” and a number of other comics, as well as Angel Medina, whose work can be seen in such comics as “Spiderman,” “KISS Psycho Circus” and more. Both are expected for all three days.
A more detailed list of expected guests can be found on the Fanboy Expo website under the ‘Celebrity Guests’ and ‘Comic Guests’ tabs, and posts are made on the Expo’s Facebook page whenever they receive more information on any more expected guests.
Besides celebrity guests there are a number of events scheduled during the con including a costume contest, question and answer sessions, and live music. Performing in concert for the convention will be a number of bands such as Jiggawatts, Shallowpoint and more.
“We try to have something for everyone,” said David Heynen, the promoter for Fanboy Expo.
Jeremiah Turner, an attendee of a previous Fanboy event agreed.
“When I attended the event I saw various stands with comics, video games, wrestling, TV and movie based merchandise,” said Turner.
The costume contest will take place on the second day of the convention, Saturday the 29, and will have five categories. Anyone wishing to participate can register at the convention up until an hour before the contest. A full list of rules and description of costume categories can be found on the Fanboy Expo website by going to the ‘Schedule’ tab and selecting ‘Costume Contest’ from the drop down menu.
Anyone planning to attend the convention is encouraged to dress in costume even if they do not plan to participate in the costume contest.
“It helps make the convention more interesting, and, for the attendee, it makes it more interactive,” said Heynen.
Heynen also advises anyone planning to attend a Fanboy event to familiarize themselves with the guests who are expected to be there.
“It really changes the dynamic of the show,” said Heynen.