Thousands of fans gathered at the annual San Francisco Fan Exposition (SF Fan Expo) to celebrate their favorite fandoms through stunning cosplays and the vibrant creativity of artists and creators at the Moscone West Center. The three-day event ran from Friday, Nov. 29, to Sunday, Dec. 1, attracting pop culture enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds.
“Fan Expo’s really cool because it makes you feel a sense of community,” said Emmett Rennich, a sophomore at Carlmont who often attends conventions. “There’s a bunch of cool stuff, and you get to see a bunch of different artists and creators.”
SF Fan Expo is one of many annual North American conventions organized by Fan Expo HQ, one of the largest comic convention producers in the world. However, before it became the spectacle it is today, Fan Expo HQ started in Canada as a small comic book convention founded by entrepreneur Aman Gupta, according to the official Fan Expo Canada website.
SF Fan Expo allows fans from all over to connect over shared interests, united by fandom. The convention typically features panels by celebrities and voice actors, an Artist Alley where creators can showcase their wares, and an opportunity to connect with the community through various activities.
“My favorite part about attending Fan Expo or just conventions in general is definitely the buyer’s hall or Artist Alley,” Rennich said. “All of the vendors were selling some really cool stuff; some were handmade, and some were manufactured. There were swords, figures, beautiful art, pendants, and jewelry.”
The Artist Alley at SF Fan Expo allows artists and small businesses to showcase their creations and works. Many artists rely on conventions and small businesses to make a living.
“It’s so much hard work, but it’s so worth it,” said Marie Aoki, an artist running her own booth at Artist Alley.
Aoki is a full-time illustrator from Seattle and owns Peachy Noodle, where she sells functional and practical products featuring a vibrant color palette.
“I sell stationery products, like postcards, prints, and stickers,” Aoki said. “People always say, ‘Oh my gosh, I never realized I needed or wanted this,’ and it seems people can still keep my art but also use it in their own life, which is important to me.”
Before SF Fan Expo, Aoki frequented local markets in Seattle and sold her wares online. This year is her first year attending conventions, and SF Fan Expo is her first out-of-state convention.
“I’ve never done an event in California. I had no idea what to expect, but everyone has been so nice and so sweet,” Aoki said. “My favorite part of going to conventions is meeting other artists and fans. Just seeing everyone’s creative work is great.”
Preparation for a convention or event can often be extremely taxing, but Aoki does her best to ensure her products are up to standard.
“If I have a big event happening, I usually spend a week making all of my products,” Aoki said. “I make a lot of it myself instead of getting it manufactured, so that takes a lot of time.”
Fei Zeng*, another artist running a booth at Artist Alley, shared a similar experience.
“Some artists want to make sure they have enough variety in their products and the right amounts,” Zeng said. “It wasn’t too much of an issue for me, though, since I sell most of my stuff online already.”
Zeng has run her own business, Mocha Mochi Cake, selling keychains, stickers, pens, and plushies online for four years. Like Aoki, this is her first year attending conventions and participating in Artist Alley.
“Selling stuff in person was a little intimidating, and I was a bit scared at first, but once I got started, I thought, ‘This is so fun,’” Zeng said. “My favorite part of attending conventions so far is meeting fans and other artists.”
The creativity at SF Fan Expo doesn’t stop at the Artist Alley; many fans will cosplay their favorite characters at the event. Cosplay is a blend word of “costume play” and refers to the practice of dressing up as characters from movies, TV shows, video games, anime, or other forms of pop culture.
“I get so excited to see any character I like, whether I’m in cosplay myself or not,” said Mish Mello*, a cosplayer attending SF Fan Expo. “I’m an extrovert, so I just get really excited seeing all my friends and nerds out there that like the same geek stuff that I do.”
For many cosplayers like Mello, the joy of attending a convention like Fan Expo comes from seeing fan-favorite characters come to life through cosplay. For SF Fan Expo, Mello and her friend Sunny Flores* cosplayed Vi and Jinx from Arcane, a popular animated TV series.
A lot can go into making a cosplay, according to Mello. Some of her cosplays can take up to 40 to 50 hours of work time, but bigger builds can take up to a year to complete. Flores shared the same sentiment and explained the process of creating a cosplay.
“It depends on whether you’re making or buying your cosplay, but first, you choose a character you really like,” Flores said. “You look at the character, then the design. You have to decide if you have to make the wig or wear contacts, how the makeup and outfit will work, whether you make or buy your cosplay, and your budget, resources, and time. All of these things go into the whole process of making or buying a cosplay, and it’s super fun but also stressful.”
With their combined experience and dedication to cosplay, Mello and Flores have learned a lot about the challenges and rewards of bringing characters to life. Drawing from their own journeys, they offered valuable advice for newcomers looking to cosplay for the first time.
“It’s not exactly about a competition,” Flores said. “Cosplay literally means ‘costume play,’ and it’s about dressing up and having fun. It’s like Halloween every day, and you shouldn’t make it into a goal of being the best in the world.”
Mello emphasized the importance of enjoying cosplay and showing love for characters through the craft.
“You’re your own biggest self-critic. People around you won’t be thinking about how one shoe is inaccurate, but in your head, you might think that every single detail matters,” said Mello. “It’s important to remember you’re doing this to look cool and become a character you love but also to interact with all the other people that like the same stuff you do.”
Whether it’s cosplayers’ dedication, the Artist Alley’s creativity, or the joy of connecting with fellow fans, SF Fan Expo creates a one-of-a-kind community experience. By bringing fans from different backgrounds together, SF Fan Expo highlights the power of fandom to inspire creativity, foster community, and create lasting memories.
*This source’s name is changed to protect their privacy. For more information on Carlmont Media’s anonymous sourcing, check out Scot Scoop’s Anonymous Sourcing Policy.
