At long last one of the largest fan conventions this side of the East Coast has returned to the City of Brotherly Love. That’s right ladies and gentleman – tomorrow kicks off the long awaited, three day FANEXPO Philadelphia convention. Folks, there are so many amazing people slated to attend what is sure to be one heck of a good time. As I have said before, it feels so good to have in person fan conventions back on the block.

Without further ado, here is the full schedule of events:

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From celebrity Q&As to industry, cosplay, gaming, anime and entertaining, informative sessions from all areas of pop culture, FAN EXPO Philadelphia presents its collection of nearly 200 programing panels and meetups during the event, Friday through Sunday at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City Philadelphia. There’s truly something for every fan and every taste every hour of the show into the evening throughout all three days of the convention, right until Sunday’s 5 p.m. finish.

FAN EXPO Philadelphia celebrity guests like William Shatner, the David Tennant (“Doctor Who”), “The Mandalorian” standouts Ming-Na Wen and Carl Weathers, “Star Trek” universe stars Brent Spiner, John de Lancie, Jonathan Frakes and Gates McFadden, Guardians of the Galaxy’s Michael Rooker and many others will conduct interactive sessions with fans, headlining the thorough slate.

On the comics front, in addition to dozens of informative, entertaining panels by superstar artists and writers, C.B. Cebulski, Editor-In-Chief, Marvel Comics will also be doing portfolio reviews. Details to follow on the FAN EXPO Philadelphia website.

Fans can review the entire event schedule at https://fanexpohq.com/fanexpophiladelphia/schedule/. Most panels are free with event admission. Just a few of the highlights include:

Friday:

·       4 p.m. (and all day!), Learn to Play new and classic social games in the Gaming Zone

·       5 p.m., #TeamSpike Spotlight on James Marsters, Main Stage

·       5 p.m., Let’s Talk Todoroki, Conversation with David Matranga, Theater 3

·       5:30 p.m., Shut Up and Take My Money: A Conversation with Billy West, Theater 2

·       5:30 p.m., Storytellling with Michael Golden, Theater 11

·       6 p.m., No Rematch: Carl Weathers Spotlight, Main Stage

·       7 p.m., Cosplaying When One Size Does Not Fit All, Theater 13

·       8 p.m., Official FAN EXPO Karaoke, HQ Stage

Saturday:

·       11 a.m., “Q” & A with John de Lancie, Main Stage

·       11 a.m., Saturday Morning Cartoons, Theater 7

·       Noon, Acing the Pitch: Perfecting Your Ideas with Dan Didio, Theater 4

·       Noon, To Boldy Go: Spotlight on William Shatner, Main Stage

·       1 p.m., I’m No Jedi: Q&A with Ashley Eckstein, Main Stage

·       2 p.m., Bang! Cowboy Bebop with Steve Blum, Theater 3

·       2 p.m., Sketch Duel: Roy Miranda vs Kael Ngu, Theater 4

·       2 p.m., The Book of Ming-Na Wen, Main Stage

·       3 p.m., Fear the Reaper: Q&A with the cast of “Sons of Anarchy,” Main Stage

·       3 p.m., Supernatural Psychology: Always Keep Fighting, with Dr. Travis Langley, Theater 8

·       3:15 p.m., The History of Archery and Superheroes, Theater 9

·       4:30 p.m., Star Wars vs. “Star Trek” Debate, Theater 7

·       5 p.m., The Business of Cosplay, Theater 13

·       5 p.m. The Roddenberries, HQ Stage

·       6 p.m., Name that Toon, Theater 8

Sunday:

·       10 a.m., Animation Celebration: Top Ten Animated Cartoon Characters, Theater 8

·       11 a.m., Class Reunion! The Voices of “My Hero Academia’s” Class 1-A, Theater 3

·       11 a.m., Creator Spotlight on Greg Capullo, Theater 4

·       11 a.m., Inconceivable! Chris Sarandon Q&A, Main Stage

·       11 a.m., We’re Still Here: Fandoms and Disabled Fans, Theater 8

·       Noon, Genshin Impact Q&A with Cristina Vee, Mark Whitten and Zach Aguilar, Theater 3

·       Noon, The (10^th) Doctor is in: David Tennant Q&A, Main Stage

·       1 p.m., I’m Mary Poppins Y’All!: Michael Rooker Spotlight, Main Stage

·       1 p.m., The Art of Modern Audio Drama, Theater 8

·       1:45 p.m., The Return of Comic Book Gurus Podcast, Creator Stage

·       2 p.m., Let’s Get Started: Q&A with Carolina Ravassa, Theater 2

·       2 p.m., The Measure of a Man: Brent Spiner Q&A, Main Stage

·       3 p.m., Crushing It: Q&A with Gates McFadden, Main Stage

·       3 p.m., Writing for Comics and Television, Theater 11

·       3:30 p.m., Remark, Recap of Hallmark Movies, Creator Stage

FAN EXPO Philadelphia will follow official government and local authority guidance as well as any venue or location-specific regulations. For more information on the health and safety measures in place, please visit fanexpophiladelphia.com.

**Note: Due to a schedule change, David Tennant’s Q&A has been moved to 5:00 PM on Saturday.**

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Tickets are still aplenty for this weekend’s convention at the Philadelphia Convention Center. Doors open at 2:00 PM on Friday for VIP ticket holders and then at 4:00 PM for general admission. Best advice would be to arrive at least an hour or two early prior to the doors opening. This way, you won’t feel rushed trying to find a parking spot AND deal with the “lovely” traffic. Also, make sure to wear comfortable shoes as you will be doing a lot of walking and waiting in lines, (both for food and autographs). Third, don’t forget to stay hydrated and eat throughout the day. There will be food vendors inside of the convention center – along with a host of restaurants located outside of the venue as well. Last but not least, carry some cash on you because the ATMs tend to run out very quickly during the event weekend.

Oh and one final, final tip…have fun! This weekend is about you, the fans – first and foremost. Get that autograph or that photo with your favorite guest,*if you can without breaking the bank, as it were.*We hope to see you all there!