Fan Expo Philadelphia returned from June 2-4, 2023 for its second year at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Everything was bigger & better than the last show, starting with fan fave celebrity guests like Michael J. Fox & Christopher Lloyd, Hayden Christensen, Charlie Cox & Vincent D’Onofrio, Shameik Moore, and Peter Cullen… as well as a stellar Artist Alley filled with creators big & small including industry names like Joe Quesada, Dan Slott, Frank Cho, Jim Shooter, Mike Hawthorne, and J.G. Jones!
Each day was packed with meet & greets, photo ops, attractions, and amazing programming such as panels, meetups, live demos, and even sketch duels where a handful of lucky attendees could potentially win the original art done during the live draw (Chris Campana & Shawn Daley below):
Needless to say, there were hundreds of artists across the Exhibit Hall, showcasing everything from custom stickers to published comic book pages, all for sale all weekend long! Fan Expo Artist Alleys are always a great place to meet your favorite creators and discover some new ones along the way. Whether you’re looking for embroidered canvases from Snips & Co., hand-drawn copper art from Jackie Stier, or even licensed sketch cards from George Vega… it’s all there!
Fans were quick to line up early each day (above) to get autographs from the special guests hailing from all fandoms: Star Wars, anime, live action Marvel, Disney animation, and so many others. While most guests offered a selection of photos that could get signed, fans are more than welcome to bring something from their personal collections, or even prints & collectibles purchased at the show… because there certainly wasn’t a shortage of merchandise for sale at Fan Expo Philadelphia: action figures, model kits, plushies, LEGO, statues, Funko Pops, jewelry, video games, trading cards, you name it!
Not to mention the plethora of comic books, like vintage & modern key issues, complete sets, trade paperbacks, signed & graded books, and so much more. CGC (via Captured Collectibles) and CBCS were both on site, offering their services for grading & encapsulation for collectors who wished to submit their comics, especially if getting witnessing for signatures which was a popular choice for fans meeting Dan Slott, who was busy signing first & second printings of the comic book featuring the first appearance of “Spider-Boy”:
And as if all of that weren’t enough, Fan Expo also featured some fantastic attractions to give fans the most immersive experience possible. We’re talking about a gaming area, anime section, family zone, interactive displays & cosplay-friendly backdrops, and promotional movie booths for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and a fun manhole photo op for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!
Fan Expo Philadelphia was such a memorable con, and it’s only going to get better for fans in the Philly area! Next year’s dates have already been revealed: May 3-5, 2024, with announcements to come shortly! Be sure to visit the official website for updates, and meanwhile check out our full photo gallery and video below:
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