Fans of Joss Whedon's legendary works like "Firefly," "Serenity," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and "Dollhouse" were in heaven this past weekend. The cast members from the television shows and movie were in the Dallas, Texas, area for the yearly Sci-Fi Expo. The event took place at the Irving Convention Center and was a rousing success. Thousands of fans from all over the United States packed into the venue to meet their favorite actors and get their autographs.
The event was put on by C2 Ventures, which hosts shows three times a year rotating between Sci-Fi Expo, Comic-Con, and Fan Days. This event was well-organized, as usual. Most of the activities took place in the Exhibitor Hall. The vendors were on one side of the room while the actors were all together in another area. The only thing happening on another floor was the question and answer sessions, which took place in the conference room on the third floor.
This year's Sci-Fi Expo had a heavy focus on "Serenity" and "Firefly." Four of the main actors (Ron Glass, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, and Sean Maher) from the show and movie were in attendance to meet fans (or "Browncoats," as they call themselves), sign autographs, and take professional photos. They even reunited onstage for a 45 minute Q&A session with the fans.
People began lining up to get into the conference room two and a half hours before it started. Some of them still didn't get in, as the room filled to capacity. The actors talked among themselves and answered questions, keeping the crowd entertained and laughing much of the time.
Eliza Dushku took the stage of the conference room next for her Q&A. Fans lined up in the middle of the room for access to a microphone to address the "Dollhouse" actress. She fielded questions about all the shows she appeared in, from "Buffy" to "Angel" and beyond. Several younger girls asked questions about her career and came up to the stage to give her hugs. It was very touching to see how Dushku has inspired females in their lives.
"Stargate" and "Touched by an Angel" actor Alexis Cruz was the last of the talent to take the stage. He was so pleasant and thankful for all his fans who attended his session. Cruz answered every question with such enthusiasm, also sharing with the crowd the new graphic novel he's producing titled "The Unprofessionals."
Noah Hathaway of "Battlestar Galactica" (Boxey) and "The NeverEnding Story" (Atreyu) fame was in attendance. Angie Bolling, who played Ellen Murphy in all three "RoboCop" movies, also attended. James Hampton from "Teen Wolf," "Sling Blade," and "F-Troop" appeared to greet fans as well. "Twilight" fans were excited when Ali Faulkner showed up on Sunday to promote her role in "Breaking Dawn - Part 1."
Comic book enthusiasts had the opportunity to meet and get sketches drawn by well-known artists like Bernie Wrightson ("Swamp Thing" creator), Bill Sienkiewicz ("30 Days of Night," "The New Mutants," "Elektra: Assassin"), Joe Jusko ("The Savage Sword of Conan"), James O'Barr ("The Crow" creator), and many more.
The event was rounded out by great vendors who featured plenty of collectibles from "Firefly," "Star Wars," "Star Trek," and other favorites. There were also plenty of people dressed up as their favorite comic book and movie characters, including the Joker, Green Lantern, "Star Wars" bounty hunters, and more. It was evident by the end of the weekend that everyone who attended had great time.
To see pictures from Sci-Fi Expo, go here.
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Eric Shirey is the founder and former editor of Rondo Award nominated movie news websites MovieGeekFeed.com and TheSpectralRealm.com. His work has been featured on Yahoo!, DC Comics, StarWars.com, and other entertainment websites. Eric has interviewed and worked with actors like Harrison Ford, Brooke Shields, Gerard Butler, Brendan Fraser, Selena Gomez, and many more.
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