North Texas Daily

Who said that dressing up as your favorite character could only be done on Halloween?

Where Dallas Comic Con Fan Days are concerned, there are no rules.

The event was held Oct. 14-16 at the Irving Convention Center. In a building normally used for corporate get-togethers or large-scale meetings, the large, geometric building was home to a variety of pop culture worlds for the weekend.

A man standing at the stoplight directly in front of the building bore a scary resemblance to Thor and wore the costume to match. Joker and Harley Quinn duos walked around, mingling with attendees dressed as Batman and Superman. A tall Groot, of Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” waved to those walking around.

After parking outside of the convention center, I made my way up to the building, allowing the many costume characters to guide me into my first Con experience.

There was a crisp breeze and a gentle warmth in the air, a perfect day for such an event that caters to a large crowd. At the front of the building, clusters of people laughed and took pictures of each other, children played and hungry costumers waited in line at the food truck.

Through the large glass windows of the building you could see how packed it truly was.

Tickets ranged anywhere from $5 to $159 depending on the age of the person, how many days they wanted to attend or what kind of perks they wanted while there.

Once I walked in, it was game time.

Matthew Lewis, also known as Neville Longbottom from the “Harry Potter” series, was in attendance at the Con. Lewis participated in a Q&A with fans while also taking the time to pose for photos and sign autographs for fans. These photo and autograph perks range from $50 to $120 depending on the guest.

Millie Bobby Brown of the Netflix hit and 80s throwback “Stranger Things” also made her first appearance at Fan Days. Although Brown welcomed fans dressed as her show’s character, “Eleven,” she was starstruck herself. Brown was one of the first in line to receive an autograph from Lewis before heading off to experience the rest of her day at Fan Days.

The grand ballroom, the room used for celebrity panel Q&A sessions, hosted many other well-known guests. One panel included Elizabeth Henstridge and Brett Dalton from the hit Marvel television series “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” The show started in September 2013 and centers around elite agents taking on supervillains as they rise.

There were plenty of other popular names that made an appearance at the Con, including Tori Spelling and Ian Ziering from “90210,” Christian Slater of “Mr. Robot” and TJ Thyne of the television series “Bones.”

Comic guests included Steve Erwin of “Citizens of the Galaxy” and “Deathstroke”, Scott Harben a “Star Wars” production artist and Ty Templeton the 1966 “Batman”.

The exhibition floor room, the size of a small warehouse space, was hosted autograph signings and photo opportunities. The floor room was packed and buzzing with vendors from all over selling comic books, POP! Funkos, shirts, lightsabers and other Con memorabilia.

Instead of spending a large amount of money on meeting the famous guests, the exhibition floor room allowed fans to walk away with a different satisfaction from the day. Fans were able to leave with a piece of their favorite pop culture brand, a memory they could keep forever.

Overall, Dallas Fan Days Con Event was every fan’s dream. Whether you are into Marvel, Star Wars, Adventure Time or anything in between, nothing is missed. The event could easily be enjoyed by young children as well as adults without fear of judgement.

Although the next Dallas Comic Con experience is not until March, it is worth the drive and well worth the money for the memories and experience it provides. Whether you spend every day that weekend mingling and meeting follow attendees or a couple hours on one of the days, it’s definitely an experience to remember.