FanX sets attendance, vendor records during 14th annual convention

It’s been 14 years since FanX (known as Salt Lake Comic Con for its first two shows) first brought artists, musicians, actors, producers, other various celebrities and fans of multi-genre pop culture to the Salt Palace Convention Center (100 S. West Temple). Over that time, FanX has continued to grow in attendance and monetary impact for the state’s economy.

This year’s FanX saw attendance at an estimated 120,000 — with a record number of vendors and guest appearances from film, music, animation, television series and actors. Some of those visiting guests have been part of the FanX experience for the past decade and a half.

Jess Harnell is one of the “originals,” as FanX creator Dan Farr calls him. Harnell is a voice actor of over 111 video games, movies, television shows and web series. He’s best known for his work as Wakoo Warner in “Animaniacs,” Ironhide in the “Transformers” franchise, Chilly in “Doc McStuffins,” and the voice announcer since 1998 for “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”

“This is the only show I do,” Harnell told us. “No one does a Con like Salt Lake City. My wife (Cara) and I come here every year and we plan to keep coming even if Dan stops inviting us.”

Farr originally brought Jess out to FanX in 2014-15. “I saw how he was with the fans. … He knows them by name — [Jess and Cara] come back year after year to see them, and he develops that relationship with them. He makes everybody feel like they’re his best friend.”

Farr calls Harnell “our secret weapon. People have started calling him our mascot, and I’m honored that he wants to be here every year.”

On the flip side, this was Viviene Medrano’s first time appearing at FanX. Medrano is an animator, writer, creator, director and producer. She is best known for her animated musical television shows “Hazbin Hotel” and “Helluva Boss.”

“It’s a great boost of adrenaline to be reminded by the audience of why we’re doing what we’re doing — being reminded of how much it means to people,” Medrano said.

Being in the animation world and working with voice actors, Medrano gets to spend only a short amount of time with her cast, in comparison to other actor relationships on television shows and movie sets.

“One of the reasons I do Cons is to spend more time with (my cast). They’re fantastic,” she said.

Medrano’s cast took up a full row within the Salt Palace’s exhibit hall. Keith David, Joel Perez, Blake Roman, Amir Talai, Christian Borle, Kimiko Glenn, Krystina Alabado and Harvey Gullen were able to join her for the Con.

This was not only Medrano’s first time at FanX, but in Salt Lake City at all. As a self-proclaimed huge soda drinker, she had to go try Swig. She’s already making plans to go see bison up close on her next visit.

“I love nature, and unfortunately, I didn’t realize how … easily accessible it is from here. Next time I come, I would love to explore the mountains,” Medrano said.

This year’s Celebrity Row featured a number of superstars. “Star Wars” star Hayden Christensen appeared on Sept. 26, and his photo-ops and autographs (starting at $200 a pop) sold out quickly. Actress McKenna Grace, of “Ghostbusters,” “Screen 7” and the “Handmaid’s Tale” fame, was present both Sept. 26 and 27, with fans waiting in line for their moment in the sun.

But there was more — much, much, more. There were over 800 vendors mingling across the 515,000 square feet of the exhibit halls: a part of the Con coordinated by Kadee Duclou, who has been working with FanX since its beginning.

“We had more than 1,200 vendors apply this year,” Duclou said. “Many of them have been coming for years.”

She said it is always a logistical challenge to get so many tables and booths, and hundreds of thousands of products, in and out of the Salt Palace during the four-day window.

“I love working with them, and there’s a harmony to the way we have to do it, but we always (find a) way to make it happen,” Duclou said.

“Mamma Truffle” has been vending at FanX since the beginning. When her friend first called her in 2013 urging her to get a booth for her business, The Truffle Cottage, Jennie Hales had to Google what the Con was. During her search, she thought to herself: “I can’t do just normal chocolate.”

Hales and her team started making specialty chocolate and truffles themed around popular shows like “Star Wars,” “Doctor Who” and Marvel. She remembers her first year vending at FanX starting off slow. But after a few hours, they were sold out.

“People started throwing cards at us. We were writing down card numbers and addresses, even though we had no chocolate to show them, so we could deliver products after the convention,” she said. “It was wild.”

Since then, Hales has learned to operate The Truffle Cottage with a bigger kitchen, more product, longer tables, a larger booth, and a bigger team, who starts making chocolates in July to be ready for the FanX weekend.

“Because we’ve been here 13 years, we have our regulars that come back,” she said.

Loia and Andy Meerdo are some of those repeat customers. “We come all the way here (to FanX from Cache Valley) just for our favorite chocolate,” Loia Meerdo said.

Hales said keeping up with the popular trends to craft chocolates around shows and characters has been a very great creative outlet for her. Her edible artwork can be found through The Truffle Cottage website (www.thetrufflecottage.com).

On the flip side, this was Tony Poulson’s second year vending at FanX. South Jordan local artist (and Brighton High alumni) Poulson began his journey as “Hand Over the Hero,” drawing characters he loved and grew up with, like the Ninja Turtles.

He spent four years selling prints of his artwork at shows while working a full-time job. After having their second child, Poulson’s wife encouraged him to quit his job. He was rather taken aback.

“‘Take the chance. You go 100 percent on you.’ She believed in me. I was so lucky that way,” Poulson said.

Now selling various prints and vinyl stickers, he’s made it to the point where he can be picky about the artwork he composes. Poulson said he likes to be constrained in his art process. He only works with ink and physical tools, so that means he has only 200 colors to work with (not the unlimited amount of colors digital artists draw from).

Poulson’s artwork can be found through Hand Over the Hero’s instagram handle (@HandOverTheHero) or website (www.handoverthehero.com).

FanX 2026’s list of celebrities also included Gene Simmons, Alec Baldwin, Helen Hunt, Ann-Margret, Mr. T, Jennifer Grey, Sean Astin, Karl Urban, Misha Collins, Mark Sheppard, Giancarlo Esposito, Lou Diamond Phillips, Rainn Wilson, Zackary Levi, Jane Seymour, Paige O’Hara, Drake Bell and Josh Peck.