Heroes & Villains Fan Fest made its first ever stop in Chicago and, boy, what a fun weekend!
Never heard of Heroes & Villains Fan Fest? That’s because the Chicago event was only the convention’s third outing! Heroes & Villains Fan Fest is all about bringing fans of superheroes (and villains) a memorable and immersive experience. Fans have the chance to meet all their favorite stars, load up on swag, and even hone their superhero skills (like archery).
Though it may be a new convention, that didn’t stop Chicago Arrow and The Flash fans of all ages from coming out in droves. If you’ve never attended (or even heard of) Heroes & Villains Fan Fest, here are a few highlights!
The convention’s size
Because Heroes & Villains Fan Fest is still so new in the world of conventions, it’s relatively small in size. But that doesn’t stop it from bringing out some of today’s biggest DC TV stars. In fact, you’ll be hard-pressed to find other conventions of the same size that have a guest list that’s even half as exciting.
The really great thing about the convention’s size, however, is that fans get to get more personal with the guests. The lines for photographs are relatively short, guests get a bit more time at the signing tables with the guests, and everyone (and I mean everyone) is able to see all of the panels. Because the panel stage is in the same room as everything else, even if fans can’t get a seat for the panel they can watch from the sidelines. Plus, there really isn’t a bad seat in the house because the panel area isn’t super spread out. Heroes & Villains Fan Fest’s size really works to its advantage.
The guests
Heroes & Villains Fan Fest’s guest list from event to event is just insane. There are conventions that we know and love going to that would have a really hard time booking the immense star-power that Fan Fest has. Sometimes conventions have one or two big names that they put all of their weight and marketing behind, but Heroes & Villains Fan Fest Chicago had so many large names (in terms of DC TV shows) that it was hard to count them all on one hand.
But the really cool thing about this convention’s guest list is that, instead of bringing in a variety of stars from different shows, Heroes & Villains Fan Fest assembles multiple stars from a few well-loved shows. Doing so makes this convention more worthwhile, in my opinion. After all, going to a convention where there’s just one guest that you really want to see isn’t all that much fun. But, by booking a group of guests all from one show, Heroes & Villains has much more of a draw.
And man, talk about this convention having quite the draw. Basically, the entire cast of Arrow and a good portion of the cast of The Flash were on the premises of the Chicago event. There were even multiple stars from Gotham (including fan-favorite Robin Lord Taylor who plays Oswald Cobblepot) and Heroes: Reborn in attendance. Fans of any of these shows get more than they usually bargain for when attending conventions (but in the best possible way).
The panels
Not only is it really cool to see all of these stars together in real life, but it also makes for a much more enjoyable panel experience. Instead of watching a single star chat politely with a moderator, the Heroes & Villains Fan Fest panels have you watching a group of people with a ton of chemistry just playing off of each other. It’s almost like you’re experiencing what life is like on set. Panels are just more fun this way.
To put the atmosphere of these panels into perspective, it was almost impossible to stop smiling while sitting through them. Really. Heroes & Villains Fan Fest coordinated their panels by show so that you could see all of your favorite stars together talking about one (or two) specific shows. But, from there, the panels were sometimes split up. For instance, there were two Gotham panels: one with the good guys and one with villains.
There were also two Arrow panels as well: One for the Arrow ladies and one for the men. While I was bummed at first that all of the Arrow guests wouldn’t be on stage at once during a huge panel, I definitely preferred it split up. Both panels were insightful in different ways and had two different tones that were both interesting to experience. I especially loved the ladies’ panel because they had some great stories and advice for the audience. (But the men’s panel was fantastic too, mainly because there was so much singing going on!)
The audience
One of the biggest differences between Heroes & Villains Fan Fest and other conventions (aside from size) is the wide range of attendants’ ages. Because this convention is tailored toward fans of the hottest DC shows at the moment, mainly Arrow and The Flash, it actually has a broader age appeal than most other conventions.
It was hard not to notice all of the parents bringing their smiling kids onto the convention floor. Some of the kids were dressed up as the Green Arrow, Felicity, or The Flash (which was super cute). Instead of complaining about all of the walking they had to do and how tired they were (like kids do normally at all-day events), all of the youngsters at Heroes & Villains Fan Fest wanted to be there. After all, for the younger fans, it was a chance for them to meet their heroes in real life!
My favorite thing about having younger kids around was watching them ask questions during the panels. Some knew well enough to address the actors as actors but others addressed them as their characters. Others just wanted to know what the Arrow guys’ favorite kind of candy is. (Fun fact: Colin Donnell loves any and all sour candies.)
The young fans’ excitement really added a lot to the convention atmosphere. The fact that they had such a good time at a type of event that normally draws a slightly older crowd is a real testament to how much Heroes & Villains Fan Fest really cares about their guests and embraces the enthusiasm of the younger fans.
The verdict
Heroes & Villains Fan Fest is such a fun convention for people who love DC television shows. They bring out some of the best talent possible and really cater everything to the fans. The convention really makes it clear that the fan experience is their top priority, which is a bit rare in today’s world where there are so many conventions popping up. While it may be a relatively small event, the panels and the stars make the convention completely worth attending. Besides, with the stars Heroes & Villains brings out for every event, I can’t see the convention staying as small as it is for long.
Fans of DC television shows like Arrow, The Flash, and Gotham really need to check out Heroes & Villains Fan Fest. Attend just one of their conventions and you’ll want to keep going back again and again.
Check out more photos from our weekend at Heroes & Villains Fan Fest Chicago!
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