How FanX Brought Big Stars to SLC: William Shatner, Stan Lee and Millie Bobby Brown

It has been determined by Estately.com that Utah is the nerdiest state in the nation. It’s number one when it comes to Sci-Fi Geeks; Lord of the Rings and Hobbit nerds; and trekkies, Star Wars fans. Comic book collectors and lightsaber ownership is right up there with gun ownership in Utah.

So when Dan Farr decided to hold the first Comic Con convention in Utah, and invite stars such as William Shatner, Lou Ferigno and the man himself: Stan Lee, the nerds and fans came out of the woodwork to attend. It was certainly a cultural phenomenon.

How and why did Dan Farr initiate Comic Con in Utah?

Farr says that he discovered the energy of comic conventions and wizard shows from the point of view of a vendor, and knew that that sort of event should be happening in Utah. He tried to lure in existing convention producers, without success, so he decided to address the market demand himself and see if he could pull it off.

The rest, you could say, is history. 30,000 attendees in the first year. Thousands of autographs signed by hundreds of stars, and Utahns who spend months making their costumes preparing for each year’s FanX.

Be sure to check out our interview with Dan Farr on the Utah Stories Show podcast brought to you by Wasatch Brewing Company.