The mega convention Fan Expo Dallas took place last weekend at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, attracting a vast array of enthusiasts from multiple genres including anime, fantasy, comics, sci-fi, and gaming.
KERA Morning Edition host Andrew Garcia and I attended the opening day of the event, where we engaged with hundreds of cosplayers transformed into their favorite characters.
This was my inaugural experience at such a grand fan convention.
Although Andrew had attended smaller conventions before, he hadn’t experienced one on this scale and mentioned that he had been away from the comic-book scene for a few years.
However, he showcased impressive knowledge, easily identifying various comic-book characters we came across.
“I know the difference between Doctor Strange and Doctor Fate,” he allowed, revealing his expertise.
In contrast, my familiarity with comic-book characters is limited primarily to Archie and his crew.
Luckily, there were plenty of recognizable cosplay characters from well-known franchises like Ghostbusters.
COSPLAY CREATIONS ON DISPLAY
As we made our way to the main hall, we encountered Erica Beasley, adorned in an impressive Ghostbusters costume complete with a fully functional, blinking proton pack.
She dedicated several months to perfecting her costume, having begun her project in December.
“I basically gutted this entire proton pack and redid the inside,” Beasley explained.
“ It has custom lighting, custom sounds and stuff like that.”
Beasley was not alone; Taylor Lymbery also showcased a striking Tusken Raider from The Mandalorian.
His costume featured a custom mask, long flowing robes, and an innovative mechanism that mimicked the character’s signature roar.
“I built a contraption where I have buttons on my hand,” Lymbery elaborated.
“I have four different sounds here that I plugged in that I got from a soundboard.
It’s on a little memory card, and when I hit a button, it makes noise.”
The sound he demonstrated resembled a chaotic car engine mixed with an agitated pterodactyl—a frightening yet authentic touch that perfectly captured the character’s essence.
ANIMÉ AWARENESS AND COSPLAY MAGIC
Both Andrew and I observed that Star Wars characters were the easiest to identify, though I initially mistook Lymbery’s Tusken Raider for Gandalf from Lord of the Rings.
Yet, knowing the characters’ names wasn’t crucial to the overall enjoyment of the convention.
One of the standout costumes of the day was worn by 16-year-old Ava Williams—an explosion of pink and red with pink ears, a pink wig, and a vibrant red dress.
She carried a giant red hammer, and though I didn’t recognize her character, it was clear she embodied the spirit of animation come to life.
Ava revealed she was dressed as Amy Rose, the pink hedgehog with a crush on Sonic from the Sonic the Hedgehog video game.
Accompanied by her father, Shane Williams, Ava described their attendance as a yearly tradition.
“It’s like her Super Bowl for the whole year,” Shane shared, mentioning Ava’s dedication to costume creation over the past 10 months.
Ava expressed her joy in crafting her costumes:
“I love seeing the end product so much.
Whenever you see the end project and you look at yourself, you’re like, wow, I can’t believe I made that.
I’m so proud of myself for what I did, and I love seeing my projects progress over the years.”
FIRST-TIME ATTENDEES SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES
We also met Rossell Lopez, who donned a costume of Marvel’s Captain America for his first fan convention.
“I’m really a fan of the movies and the comics,” Lopez remarked.
“I really like all the honesty.
He’s always for the greater good.”
The theme of “greater good” resonated with many cosplayers, including members of the North Texas Ghostbusters, who utilize their cosplay skills to raise funds for charitable causes.
Numerous attendees remarked on the community aspect of the convention, highlighting that cosplay not only connects them with iconic characters from beloved franchises but also fosters connections with fellow fans.
Lymbery, our Tuskan Raider, shared,
“It just opened up the door for a very lush world of characters that all have backstories.
It makes me feel a little more connected and understanding that everyone has a story, everyone has a place.
Seeing a vastness in something like Star Wars or Ghostbusters reminds me of the vastness of the world I live in.”
Arts Access is an arts journalism collaboration powered by The Dallas Morning News and KERA.
image source from：https://www.keranews.org/arts-culture/2025-06-05/the-cosplay-worlds-of-sci-fi-gaming-and-comics-collide-and-co-exist-at-fan-expo-dallas
