Artist Alley remains the true heart of Fan Expo Vancouver 2026. From rare comic finds and Canadian animation history to candid creator chats and reflections on the evolving photo-op experience, part two explores where the real magic lives.
When a first-time pop culture convention-goer asks a veteran where the real heart of the event lies, most will say Artist Alley. That’s where creators sit ready to talk about production schedules and how they broke into the business. This area is where writers, illustrators, and production artists can discuss what they have coming next. These conventions do not have to revolve solely around big-name celebrities.
While the fanfare has cooled for a certain Disney film shot in this city, I did wonder whether anyone who worked on TRON: Ares might quietly be attending Fan Expo Vancouver 2026. It was released in October 2025 and performed respectably. Spotting original art tied to that production for sale would have been a genuine thrill. Although Disney Parks currently holds a monopoly on certain product lines, I did manage to snag Mirka Andolfo’s Stitch #1 variant cover. It arrived on the final day. Because of the previously mentioned shipping mix-up (see part one), the merchandise floor felt uneven. Some comics appeared late; others never arrived at all.
Fan Expo Vancouver 2026 widened its halls and boosted nostalgia with Smallville reunions, Jim Cummings panels, and packed auctions. But vendor hiccups and Artist Alley told the deeper story. #FanExpoVancouver #Smallville #VoiceActors
At long last, Fan Expo Vancouver 2026 moved its ticketing area to another floor, significantly expanding the main stage footprint and widening the “red carpet” corridors. Attendees finally had breathing room to navigate the show floor. That improved flow, however, could not fully mask a last-minute vendor shake-up. In a story not widely known, it appears someone at Informa, the parent company, mishandled paperwork, resulting in inventory meant for Vancouver getting sent elsewhere in Canada. As a result, several booths I had hoped to browse and buy product from simply never materialized.
Rare finds are increasingly elusive at these massive corporate events. For serious treasure hunting, a dedicated comic convention remains the better bet. In the Lower Mainland, that king belongs to the Vancouver Comic & Toy Show. It is no-nonsense, focused on local artists, and hosted at the PNE grounds without leaning on media guests to drive attendance. For fans eager to meet favourite actors, however, the Fan Expo and ReedPop brands remain the go-to experiences. On a personal note, I finally completed my collection of photographs with the Smallville main cast.
When Greater Victoria is home to Island Fancon, can this event grow to replace the huge gap that nerds living in this region need?
When Island Fancon becomes the event for pop culture enthusiasts to congregate in the Greater Victoria region, let’s hope this show will keep on going. The convention takes place in Langford, British Columbia, and chief organizer Lonnie Eckardt is committed to keeping this celebration going. He is aware of the challenges and will do his best to make it work.
After last year’s news from Capital City Comic Con that they cannot continue, no other party with similar offerings exists. And I discussed the problems this city faces in a separate editorial. In a nutshell, this region has trouble with keeping a convention going after three or so years.
As Fan Expo Vancouver continues to get sell-out crowds, what’s the future going to be like? While part of the experience is always great, plans must be made if they want more people coming.
After looking into how other Fan Expos manage their floor plan to mitigate crowding, and spending time on various platforms like Reddit to ask around, this show has a similar map structure. Nearly everything is crammed into a single space! The delay in getting this report about Fan Expo Vancouver 2025 (FXV) is because I need to make sure my information is current. I also spoke to a few vendors who have attended this brand of shows in other cities to find out just how different it is. After a solid ten years, I’ve made friends who run booths too!
In this write up, I have lots to say. And thus, have broken up my thoughts into sections:
Overall Impressions (The Crowding Problem)
During Fan Expo Vancouver‘s busiest day, the crowds were thicker than molasses! Saturday is traditionally the busiest, and while I have the experience of knowing how to get from one end to the other reasonably fast, other folks may not. It’s best to identify where the slow and fast lanes are. It’s like driving on the highway.
Although the convention center layout determines the best placement for the various sections–the main stage, photo booths, and panel rooms–it’s also true that not all shows can use the building at its utmost. The upcoming Calgary Fan Expo will use the BMO Centre’s newly added space, and I will pay attention to reports when it starts! In the meantime, I’ll be fondly remembering the best years when the Terminal City show used two floors of the West Convention Center Building. I feel those were the best FXV years.
I wish coat check, a feature of past events, had been brought back. On rainy days, no one has the backpack space to store or wants to wear their jacket indoors; The organisers really need to spend the money to rent a room for this offering and tell staff to only accept coats. That way, this offering to lighten the load can’t be abused.
Will Fan Expo Vancouver Change Dates?
While the early years often saw FXV shift dates around a lot, I doubt anyone noticed this year was not on a holiday weekend. Technically, there was Valentine’s and BC Family Day on the same weekend, but no explanation was ever announced. In 2026, they will return to their traditional date.
No matter what, the event will always take place two weeks before Emerald City Comic Con. I’ve heard from one representative from Tsukino Con who says some folks skip their show in favour of the big city one. There are better opportunities for fun. I can vouch for that as I saw the ferry terminal filled with youths coming home on a late Sunday night, with expectant parents there to pick them up!
Comic Con or Carnival?
Back when these shows were about comic books, the focus was awesome. But ever since San Diego Comic Con defined this century’s popular culture landscape because of the huge entertainment media presence, it’s tough to call some events a comic con at all. Not every publisher wants to market outside where their headquarters are based. Also, some writers and artists who live in Vancouver are more interested in promoting themselves at a proper Comic Arts Festival instead.
For Fan Expo Vancouver to bring that comic book vibe back with an after event party with three artists (out of the dozen who attended) got to graffiti an art board, not even I was particularly excited. Although it went off okay, when one of them admitted to me he’d rather draw than attend (he was in the billing), that’s an issue. While they do not entertain on the same level as William Shatner and Rhys Davies, it’s still worth checking out.
But for main events, the organisers stick to inviting who are popular. Both Q&As, featuring the Supernatural supporting cast and Hazbin Hotel group of voice talents discussing their on-set experiences, were packed!
I also got a good seat to check out the Avatar: The Last Airbender partial cast team up and enjoyed this Q&A the most. Aside from the excitement that Michaela Jill Murphy (Toph from the cartoon) expressed about going to meet her live-action counterpart, all this event offered for news is that season two is deep into filming and fans can expect great things when it finally debuts.
Exhibit & Merchandise Floor
It’s possible to find something cool, but when I’ve been collecting for over two decades, trying to find something new at a generalized pop culture convention is tough. While nothing surprises me these days, the fact there were five vendors selling nearly exactly the same stock of lightsabers was numbing. I wanted to get an upgrade, but am glad I waited. Next week, I will post a guide on how to shop for one, and my advice is to not always buy at conventions. It’s not just about haggling, but knowing exactly if you like what you impulse bought.
By luck, I found Studio Ghibli (mostly Totoro) merchandise. While I could’ve gone for broke, I instead risked hoping to get a particular Stitch in the mystery Cosbi Box. I had no luck, but I at least got the baby fuzzball with a huge drink mug as a picture!
I think this toy line is way cooler than Funko by miles because they resemble anime versions of various popular franchises! I’m sick and tired to seeing these dotty eyed statues. They’re neat to have, but honestly, there’s no long term safe investment value at all. As for Hottoys, the parent company who manufactures Cosbi, the variety is miles above what the Washington based company offers! They catering to those rich nerds who can afford those life-size models to place in their man (or woman) cave!
Final Thoughts
Unlike other North American Fan Expos, these events don’t all squeeze every activity zones into one arena. These events space put certain aspects of the program to another area, and the dining options remain the same. The Calgary show fully uses the space; its larger size makes navigation easier. Also, it was an independent operation before being acquired by Informa. I suspect this company had to sign a contract with the previous operators who insisted some aspects of the celebration must not change in before they took over.
In Toronto, which had always been with the brand, Fan Expo Toronto uses both the North and South Buildings. However, crowding is still a problem, and people still say they feel like they’re trapped in a sardine can. It’s a persistent problem no matter what the spectacle, and while some folks get used to it, others claim to never want to return. While being stuffed into a vast place is no different at San Deigo Comic Con, folks either have to live with it or not.
While VP Andrew Moyes said FXV will stay in the West building, in order to use the full space will mean still looking at final attendance numbers and what the profit margin is. Whatever that number is, I believe it’s time to consider either changing dates or booking space at the hotel next door. Since having it in the same building is not possible because there is another event happening (I asked building security about that this year), someone has to budge.
Although it took a while for me to collect my thoughts, presented here is my look at how Emerald City Comic Con has changed this decade.
Emerald City Comic Con certainly exploded in size since 2019. Instead of occupying one building and a quarter during the time I last attended, it’s a full building and a half! I’ve heard stories about last year’s and am glad I didn’t go. Folks had problems navigating around and getting used to the new space. And although the pandemic caused this event to lose momentum back in 2020, it continued in 2021 with health checks in place. To get those certificates verifying you’re safe to arrive from out of the country was a hassle. While the medical concern is today considered an endemic level threat, I heard on Facebook three vendors in Artist’s Alley caught Covid-19.
On Friday and Saturday, the two exhibitors’ floors were packed! Maybe 15% of the people walked around wearing face masks. Although the new building is much more spacious, I doubt spreading things out further can help limit the transmission of con crud. Even after following all the talk concerning the move to Washington State Convention Center‘s Summit Building (last year’s show), this new space is much better than the old one! And after last year’s blunder, there are signs pointing to the basement level where the best vendors are located!
Not every guest celebrity was easily accessible at Fan Expo Vancouver 2024, and thankfully one moment made this year memorable.
Fan Expo Vancouver 2024 is over, and it took a while for me to unpack everything that I had enjoyed from it. This event’s 15th anniversary is approaching, Informa Connect has not started planning or taking in suggestions on what to offer. Maybe they don’t want to announce plans have started because this is their 13th show and there’s a superstition with this number. A year was lost due to the pandemic
Although not everyone noticed, the sections where the stage, photo ops and autograph tables are located was changed around. The shuffling was done because there’s more space to relocate some things. Perhaps the more noticeable aspect is more anime and k-pop style content. As for why there isn’t as much industry support and sponsorship, perhaps that’s because they’re not what the organisers want to focus on. Instead, they want to be engaged with the local groups and communities that exist in those cities this company has an annual show.
When a first-time pop culture convention-goer asks a veteran where the real heart of the event lies, most will say Artist Alley. That’s where creators sit ready to talk about production schedules and how they broke into the business. This area is where writers, illustrators, and production artists can discuss what they have coming next. These conventions do not have to revolve solely around big-name celebrities.
When 
Emerald City Comic Con
Fan Expo Vancouver 2024