Fan Expo Chicago swings into Rosemont with wall-to-wall pop culture enthusiasts

The annual celebration of pop culture now known as Fan Expo Chicago returned to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center for the weekend from August 14-16. Courageous ticketholders battled crowds at 5555 North River Road in Rosemont, Illinois, beginning on Friday at 4 p.m. after an early preview. Saturday and Sunday started at 10 a.m. and grew more challenging by the hour as the venue became jam-packed later in the day.

There was a great deal of territory for guests to explore inside the space on two levels. After passing through security checkpoints, the maze wound into a massive retail area surrounded by autograph areas. To the left, a path led to the stages for scheduled panels and to the right, a large food court offered sustenance for hungry conventioneers.

The second floor provided a gaming zone, more photographic opportunities, and the main stage.

One highlight on Sunday at the stage was a Halloween movie reunion with director John Carpenter, his co-creator partner Tommy Lee Wallace, Michael Myers actor Nick Castle, actress P.J. Soles and cinematographer Dean Cundey. After the question-and-answer portion of the program, Carpenter talked backstage about his first original graphic novel, Cathedral.

His newly released project was initially about the music aspect, which involved his son Cody Carpenter on synths and has led to collaborating on an album. This story about Lieutenant Christine Marks avenging the death of her father turned into a family affair with Carpenter's wife Sandy co-writing the gruesome tale.

He described receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2025 as “amazing,” and John mentioned that he attended Keith David's star ceremony just a few months ago.

Carpenter joined David and Kurt Russell for combined photos thanks to The Thing, a science fiction horror flick from 1982. The group photos came at a hefty price tag and a single picture with a sitting Kurt Russell cost $399.99.

Celebrity culture played a big part in the weekend's programming and booking time with a famous person was only limited by the amount of money a consumer could afford to spend.

Experiences with notable personalities were hit or miss. Controversial public figure Mel Gibson disappointed many people with a sour attitude, while Supernatural's Jared Padalecki hugged fans all day long.

The sky seems to be the limit on what a celebrity could charge for autographed memorabilia, and each individual played by their own rules. The photo opp can be an unpredictable moment where the star of someone's favorite show doesn't smile or engage with the paying customer. It can be extremely awkward and leave a lasting impression.

Gone are the days when fan conventions only charged an entrance fee and had their comic books signed for free. The Artist Alley at Fan Expo not only offered commissioned drawings for the right price, but the average autograph on their artwork begins at $20.

This was the case with comic artist Michael Golden, who is known for illustrating The Micronauts and co-creating the X-Men character Rogue.

There was queer representation throughout Fan Expo, like out and proud star of indie movie hit Obsession Michael Johnston and Broadway performer Joel Perez.

Several members of the LGBTQ+ community were present to sell a variety of novelty items and Moocroft Photography specialized in showcasing queer folk through the lens.

Capturing the moment through a camera to freeze a moment in time was the goal for many over the course of three days. Sometimes this was during a posed photograph, a candid moment or a brief selfie.

The demand for a high-profile celebrity photo continues to grow to Hulk-sized proportions and that is reflected in the price tag. The real heroes are the fans who have diligently worked hard to create dynamic costumes. Just walk up to a costumed character at one of these gatherings, ask permission and most likely they will oblige by taking a picture for free.

Stay tuned, true believers, to fanexpohq.com for a countdown until next year's Expo Aug. 20-22, 2027.