FanX: A staple of nerd culture in Utah

Mainstream nerd culture is a relatively new phenomenon, with popularity booming as late as the 2010s with the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Michael Bay’s “Transformers” franchise and even the revitalization of “Star Wars” in 2015 “The Force Awakens.” While many of these films found themselves at the center of controversies and debates among their fans, both old and new, it did open the doors for common consumers to become more exposed and familiar with nerd culture, even becoming involved themselves. 

For Utah, all of this newfound popularity pools together in FanX, Utah’s comic convention, where vendors of all types come together to display and share their love for franchises of all species, and even share original works. With each passing year, FanX strives to improve its overall experience, not only for its attendees, but for its vendors as well. Interviews the UVU Review held with various vendors show they were appreciative of FanX’s banning of AI generated artwork, a relatively new issue that has sparked debates and controversies across a wide array of fields, especially when it comes to the arts. 

Vendors aren’t the only ones who enjoy attending FanX; each year, dedicated fans work to create their cosplays: costumes of characters and ideas from the franchises they care about. Each year, what’s popular among the attendees changes, and many of the cosplays change to reflect this. With the exploding popularity of Netflix’s “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” dozens of attendees showed up to FanX dressed like many of the movie’s iconic cast members, with some participating in a panel featuring May Hong, who provides the voice of Mira, one of the movie’s main characters.  

Additionally, this year proved to be welcoming for independent animated series as well, with many attendees dressing up as characters from “The Amazing Digital Circus”, a popular independent series available on YouTube. Video game franchises also proved to be a hit among convention goers. With the release of “Silksong,” the much-anticipated sequel to “Hollow Knight,” attendees could be seen cosplaying as the game’s main character Hornet, as well as the previous game’s protagonist known simply as the Knight. Dragon Federation, a company with an interactive VR-based game currently in development, also had a booth in FanX. 

Video games weren’t the only kinds of games featured at FanX however; Tabletop games such as “Dungeon and Dragons” also featured many vendors, even featuring an entire room full of vendors in the Salt Palace Convention Center’s third floor. Dice, merchandise, even books and cosplay items were all available for sale across the convention, giving credence to Dungeon and Dragon’s ever-growing popularity. Friar’s Dice, a mainstay company that has attended FanX as far back as 2022, even hosts minigames for some DND fans, where they play a small game of Dungeon’s and Dragon’s for a chance to win a full set of dice.  

With the ever-growing rise of mainstream nerd culture, FanX has proven to not only be a mainstay in Utah, but also as a place where both vendors and attendees can come together to discuss and share what they’re passionate about. Since 2013, FanX has been a place for Utah-based fans to experience the franchises they love in a place far closer to home than San Diego, the city where the original ComicCon is held yearly. For UVU students who wish to explore the growing number of franchises and fandoms out there, FanX may just be the place for you.