Last weekend was Mini MegaCon in Orlando, Florida, and several notable "Buffy" stars were there. Charisma "Cordelia" Carpenter, Emma "Anya" Caulfield, Amber "Tara" Benson, and Adam "Warren" Busch. I was going to tell you about the Buffy Q&A panel they gave, but Phil of NeatEntertainment.com (and the panel moderator) just transcribed the whole thing, so I'll just send you there. Many of the photos on that page are from my Flickr set of the whole con.

The con was a lot of fun, if a bit smaller than I expected. The MegaCon folks planned this mini version a few years ago and made commitments just before the economy tanked, but they went ahead with it anyway. It was roughly half the size of their usual springtime con, which drew 32,000 people last March.

The big guests were supposed to be three stars from the Twilight series, but shooting conflicts forced them all to cancel. Still, the Buffy panel had to move to a bigger room, then had to connect the new room to the original room to make an area big enough for the crowds. You still got it, guys.

Also met Sylvester McCoy, the seventh Doctor. And Lisa Loring, "Wednesday" from The Addams Family. And a lot more, plus all the fanciful folks who populate the cons. Check my Flickr set for tons of pics and more details.

No reason.

No reason at all.

Just had a lot of free time, you know, since I haven't gone anywhere recently, or anything…

It's basically a mini version of the SDCC website, with a bit of interactivity. You get a countdown, the latest news (which opens the SDCC site in a browser instead of using RSS feeds or anything configured for an iPhone), a program list which allows you to select favorites (but not to call up a list consisting of only your favorites), a list of exhibitors, and maps of the different levels and exhibits. But the search function is only marginally useful, lists and the maps are not at all connected and the maps are simply graphics instead of Google-map-type programs.

All in all, a good first try. But it needs a LOT more interactivity to truly be useful. If I pull up an event, I want to be able to add it to my iPhone calendar, find it on an interactive map, and create a personal to do list. Hell, this is the iPhone, I should be able to select all the events and exhibitors and guests I'm interested in and be presented with a personal schedule with mapping directions to get me where I need to be, when I need to be there.

Maybe in the 2010 version.

Guests will include Discworld author Terry Pratchett himself, Terry's agent Colin Smythe, Jennifer Brehl and Anne Hoppe from Harper-Collins, the cunning artificer Bernard Pearson and his wife Isobel, and fellow authors Diane Duane, Esther Friesner, Peter Morwood.

If you've never encountered Terry at a con, you're in for a treat. Very friendly, very fan-friendly, and instead of staying safely behind an autograph table or in his room he'll walk around talking to people all over the place. To give him a bit of free time, the UK cons have developed an evil twin for him, so be aware of that fellow if you go.

The next Discworld book will be "Unseen Academicals," and is due to come out Oct. 6. And apparently he's taking on sports.

Football has come to the ancient city of Ankh-Morpork — not the old fashioned, grubby pushing and shoving, but the new, fast football with pointy hats for goalposts and balls that go gloing when you drop them. And now, the wizards of Unseen University must win a football match, without using magic, so they’re in the mood for trying everything else.

The prospect of a Big Match draws in a street urchin with a wonderful talent for kicking a tin can, a maker of jolly good pies, a dim but beautiful young woman, who might just turn out to be the greatest fashion model there has ever been, and the mysterious Mr Nutt, who no one knows much about. As the match approaches, four lives are entangled and changed forever.

Because the thing about football – the important thing about football – is that it is not just about football.

Preorder it from Amazon!

More Pratchett stuff: Harper-Collins' Terry Pratchett page, TerryPratchettBooks.com, TerryPratchett.co.uk, The L-Space Web, The Cunning Articer's Discworld Emporium.

"My favorite color?" he asked incredulously as the audience howled with laughter. "Who sent you? Who are you?"

"Have you never been asked that before?" the fan asked.

"No!"

"Maybe that's why I asked."

Nimoy considered, then smiled broadly. "Well, good for you!"

(It's blue, by the way.)

Nearly one hundred and fifty people were listening to "A Discussion with Leonard Nimoy" Sunday morning at the FX International convention at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Eager fans shelled out admission fees from $125 to $250. Each received a goody bag with a movie poster, various collectible items and a voucher for an autograph from the man himself (Nimoy was holding court).

The 78-year-old Nimoy handled the room like a pro, telling stories and promoting the upcoming relaunch of the beloved franchise, JJ Abrams' blockbuster movie Star Trek, something he said he realized would be great after seeing the first, unadorned cut months ago:

"My wife is… she loves me a lot and I love her, and she's a great Star Trek supporter, but she's hardly a big science fiction fan, she's not like, like… well, you people," he said to general laughter. "So she was skeptical. About 15 minutes before it was over, she turned to me and she said 'I don't want this movie to end.'"

Nimoy had nothing but praise for the other actors, including Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Winona Rider as Spock's mother. "She's wonderful! Wonderful!"

"The movie is big, a gigantic movie, a cinematic movie, but it also has great heart for the characters," he said. He saw the final version recently and said, "I'm gonna tell you I cried a lot. I sat there and cried a lot, watching it. Don't tell anybody.

"Out of character for me," he added.

"Big, gigantic canvas and story, it's a big, big story and the people in it are so versatile, so human, and the way this crew comes together to become the crew of the Enterprise is a very wonderful story, you'll love it. You'll love it," he said. "See it seven or eight times."

With a slightly raspy voice the chatty, laughing Nimoy was light years away from his most famous persona. For most of the hour he answered questions from fans, which ranged from his voiceover work as Galvatron in the animated Transformers movie, to his relation by marriage to Michael Bay ("and he won't hire me!"), to his long-standing friendship with William Shatner, to the photography that has been the focus of his life for the past 15 years, to his upcoming guest spots on JJ Abrams' FOX show Fringe (one in the last episode airing May 12, and two episodes next season, "and then we'll see how the character develops").

One fan even asked him to reproduce his legendarily mocked musical performance of "The Legend of Bilbo Baggins," but instead Nimoy forced the Starfleet-suited fan to come up to the stage and perform it himself, even helpfully supplying the lyrics when the fan tried to back out.

But it always came back to Star Trek.

Shatner didn't really try to kill him in Star Trek IV The Voyage Home, but the robe Nimoy was wearing sucked up water and dragged him down to the bottom of the tank. The Vulcan hand gesture is from a childhood memory of a Jewish High Holy Days ceremony. He didn't appear in the seventh movie, Star Trek: Generations, because the lines written for him weren't Spock lines and he didn't see the point. He was very blunt about disliking "Generations," and not seeing any reason why Kirk had to die in it.

He was fascinated with the issues he brought out in the sixth movie, Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country, based loosely on the Russians' problems with the Chernobyl disaster and their crumbling economy. He loved the way The Voyage Home brought humor back to the Star Trek universe. And he battled with the movie studio over having an alien force in that movie that not only was impossible for humans to understand, but hadn't come to talk to us anyway. Their proposed solution? Subtitles for the probe.

"I said no, no, no, no, we're not gonna do that." He fought, and won, and when the movie was test-screened and the advance audience unanimously agreed that they understood the plot, Nimoy sent that back to the studios with a… well, I can't repeat it here, but it is distinctly odd to hear Spock cuss.

The final question was why, after turning down other offers to appear in the various incarnations of Star Trek over the years, he chose to bring Spock back to life for the new movie.

"I was done. I thought I was quite done, and for many years I was," he said, mentioning the photography that had become his passion. "I was aware of the TV work that (JJ Abrams) was doing, which I thought was interesting and well done. I got a call from him, would I come to a meeting where I met with he and the writers and a couple of the producers.

"And I was struck by the intensity of their feelings about the classic Star Trek material that we did. By their awareness of what the characters were about, and how important the characters' development was, and how important the ideas of those shows were. I was really touched by them, very touched. In fact, it's been reported I got misty at that meeting, and I actually did," he said.

"Because for a long time, I felt marginalized. I thought, no, (the new Treks) have nothing to do with me," he said. "It's over for me. But these people made me feel that what we had done in the original series was still relevant, and useful, and meaningful, and they wanted to get back in touch with that," he said. "And that's what brought me into the project."

JJ Abrams' Star Trek premieres May 8, 2009. Watch the latest trailer at the official site.
Leonard Nimoy's photography (includes nudity): leonardnimoyphotography.com

"Cosplaying," short for "costume playing," has grown from throwing on a Halloween costume to a full-fledged subculture of people who devote great amounts of time, money and attention on crafting their characters in every detail. Cosplayers often attends cons in themed groups, posing for pictures and role-playing their chosen characters as much as a convention center will allow.

For most cosplayers it's a fun hobby, but Yaya Han, professional costume designer, model and cosplay entertainer (and celebrity guest at this weekend's FX convention in Orlando), does it full time.  She spoke to me recently about being other people for a living.

Why dress up for a convention? What do you get out of it?

It started out as a way to express my fandom. At the beginning it was just fun to portrait my favorite characters and interact with other fans. Costuming makes the most bold statement about what your fandom is, anyone can see what show you like from across the hall. It's a lot more creative and eye-catching than, say, wearing a shirt with the show's name on it, and it brightens the whole convention hall, which without costumers would be just a bunch of people in T-shirt and jeans.

In the last several years costuming has become more than just fun, it's
turned into my career. I make all of my own costumes as well as design
for customers such as TV production companies, clubs, and
photographers. I also make regular guest appearances at conventions to
teach panels and workshops on costuming, judge and/or host contests,
and meet my own fans and sign photos.

On top of all that, I an an exhibitor (vendor) at over 20 conventions
per year, selling my hand crafted costume accessories and items to the
general public.

So simple dressing up has led to a solid, integrated presence in the fandom community for me.

How long have you been cosplaying? How did you get started?

My first anime convention in the US was Anime Expo '99, and I went as
an artist showcasing and selling my work in the art show. From seeing
photos of the convention beforehand I knew people dressed up in
costumes that weekend, so I brought a kimono to wear and with the help
of a friend sewed a really simple costume. That was the first time I
used a sewing machine!

After that I was hooked like crazy. Until then the possibility of
dressing as your favorite manga/anime character never occurred to me so
all of a sudden the flood gates opened and all I could think about was
who to cosplay next! lol.

How do you choose which costumes to do next?

For replicating an existing character, It's a combination of love for
the character and the design of the costume. There has to be both for
me to want to spend the time and effort on making the outfit. For
designing my own costume, I get inspired by almost anything – music,
books, artwork and photos, movies etc. Usually something strikes me and
I become obsessed with turning an idea into a costume, and I start
sketching and looking for materials immediately. Deciding on a new
costume to make is very exhilarating, and I love the process of making
a costume even more than wearing it.

How much does each one cost, and how long do they take to make?

They cost between $50 – $600+, depending on complexity, and I have
spent as little time as 6 hours on a costume, and devoted more than 5
weeks to one. I have become much faster at sewing and crafting these
days so outfits that used to take 2 weeks I can now finish in a few
days.

Which ones are your favorites?

I love all my costumes, and it's hard to pick favorites. But if I had
to, these following ones were especially fun to make or fun to wear:

Baelfir the Fire Fairy because I put so much time and love into the
costume, even when I had no idea what I was doing, lol. I would like to
re-make this costume with the knowledge I have now.

Lady Deathstrike (from the "X-Men" comics and movies) because it is so fun to take fighting photos with everyone at conventions!

Empyrean Eyes, my Peacock costume, is one of my favorite original
designs. It's really comfortable to wear and easy to get into, but has
many textures and layers. I feel very elegant in it!

Which one do you think is the closest to your personality?

Ada Wong (from "Resident Evil") because I love posing with guns and she's such a kickass character.

Do you mind when people stop you to take pictures?

Of course not. As with every costumer, getting your photo taken is part
of dressing up. About the only time I do not enjoy photos of me to be
snapped is while I'm eating lol. You'd be surprised how often that
happens actually, to all of us costumers!

With all the attention, do you ever get to relax enough to have fun at a con?

I always make time for fun! The greatest benefit of traveling to over
20 cons per year is to see and meet people, and I am a lucky girl who
gets to see many of her friends who are scattered across the country.
Yes, it can be insane, getting up at 6 a.m. to go set up a booth, then
sell all day, and meanwhile dress up in costume and take photos, etc.
But I enjoy the cons a lot and at the end of day there is always a
group of us heading to dinner and then to hang out and chill.

Will you be cosplaying this weekend at FX?

All three days! I am bringing costumes for general wear and for
scheduled photoshoots. You will be able to find me at booth #1019 with
CMI Toys, signing photos and in costume. I will also have items from my
cosplay store available.

What advice would you give beginner cosplayers?

Have fun for yourself, don't dress up in costumes for attention or to
fit in – those are not fulfilling reasons to put all this time and
effort into a hobby. Really try to find the joy in researching and
making your costumes – you can google for just about any crafting and
sewing technique these days and there are many tutorials.

Also, don't judge other people and their costumes, and don't let them judge you either. Just go have a blast!

You don't have to be a professional seamstress or model to cosplay, of course. At least month's MegaCon Crystal Rodriquez of Palm Coast became Mia the Unicorn, based on "Peter S. Beagle's Last Unicorn, the Unicorn Tapestries, and a little bit of My
Little Pony." Mia was her Rodriquez's first costume, and it changed her con experience dramatically.

"Normally I go to conventions in a t-shirt and jeans and always enjoyed shopping
and taking pictures of cosplayers," she said. "Megacon 2009 was Mia's debut and the
reception I got, I could never have predicted it would be that big. At one point
in the costume, a 5-minute walk took me 45 minutes because everyone stopped me
for pictures. I've never been the center of attention before and it was very
new, but I enjoyed every minute of it."

Christian Mercado, 18, from Apopka, cosplays at every convention he attends. "I wouldn't have it any other way!" he said. "It's definitely a completely different experience going in costume! It is so much more fun, in my opinion. And it's immensely satisfying when people come up to you to take pictures and compliment on your work!"

Which characters does Mercado cosplay? It might be easier to list the ones he has not. "Being a Star Wars junkie, my first costume ever made was my Darth Vader, which was used for a movie themed Christmas showcase in December of 2007," he said. His other costumes have included "the original Joker from Batman, Snake from Metal Gear Solid, Garindan from Star Wars, a New Republic Jedi from Star Wars, Mario from Super Mario Brothers, a Nazgul (Ringwraith) from Lord of The Rings, Rorschach from Watchmen, Luffy from One Piece, and Edward Elric from Full Metal Alchemist. I have also made my own interpretations of characters from either books or series that have pretty generalized characters, such as the Thought Police from the book '1984,' The Pirate King from the musical Pirates of Penzance, a Robot based off the ones in the Animatrix, and a Hollow from Bleach. I'm also currently working on cosplaying Light Yagami from Death Note, Son Goku from Saiyuki, and Auron from Final Fantasy X!"

"It's just so much fun walking into a hall or (dealers) room and seeing people scramble to take pictures of you and your friends," Mercado said. "Good memories and tons of fun!"

You can find more about cosplaying and plenty of pictures of Yaya Han in costume — along with details on the characters and what each costume entailed — at her website AngelicStar.net. Don't miss seeing her (and many, many other cosplayers) at this weekend's FX convention at the Orange City Convention Center in Orlando. And if you're interested in giving it a shot yourself, you can check out sites like cosplay.com or even my own tips on cosplaying here.

All Yaya Han images © AngelicStar.net and the respective photographers, used by permission. Mia image © C. A. Bridges. Rorshach image © Christian Mercado.

Well, you wouldn't, actually, because trying to boil it down to a single word would probably do nasty things to your brainmeat. But then again, so does his work. It might be easier to describe the sorts of things this Australian commercial-artist-turned-comics-superstar does, and let you draw your own conclusions.

- Artist and co-creator with Steve Niles of "30 Days of Night" (and many spinoffs), about a vampire gang living in Alaska. Became a movie with Josh Hartnett, Melissa George and Danny Huston. Nominated for an Eisner Award, comics' highest honor. Won the Spike TV Scream Award for Best Comic.
- Creator of "Wormword: Gentleman Corpse," about an extra-dimensional sentient maggot that embodies corpses in order to drink Guinness and, occasionally, save the world. Hardback collection made the New York Times Bestseller list.
- Artist for "Fell," written by Warren Ellis, about an honorable detective in a city gone feral. Nominated for an Eisner Award three years running.
- Creator of "Welcome to Hosford," where a prison run by Russian werewolves gets a new inmate/hunt victim named Ray Delgado, who turns out to be just the right kind of delusional murderer to fight back.
- Artist for "Groom Lake," written by Chris Ryall, about the day-to-day job of keeping UFOs secret.

Templesmith will be attending the FX convention in Orlando this weekend, and took a moment to talk to me about it.

Vampires, werewolves, corpses, inexplicable Nixon-mask-wearing nuns… Is the inside of your head a safe place to be?

Absolutely. It's the guys that draw cutesy crap, the Mickey Mouse guys, who you need to worry about. They internalize everything, until it all boils over. Me? I get it all out onto the page, so I'm honestly a nice guy if you were to meet me face to face. Well, except for my small baby eating habit.

How did you get started in comics?

An art director for
Todd McFarlane Productions ( He's the guy that created Spawn, etc ) saw
my work online at my website and offered me a job. That's it in a
nutshell.

Are there any artists that have influenced you? I see a bit of Sienkiewicz in there…

Can't
claim to be a huge Sienkiewicz fan. Didn't grow up looking at his work
at all really. I did however, grow up admiring people who were heavily
influenced by him, so I'm more second generation on that. However, my
real early influences are Ralph Steadman and Victor Ambrus, two non-comic guys.

What attracts you to the comics medium? Do you have plans to do more work with movies?

For
me, it's about telling stories. To be able to control the visuals, the
pacing and get your ideas out there in rather pure form. It's most
definitely my medium of choice but I am, these days, looking at other
media. I get asked about doing things elsewhere all the time now though
I'll always go back to comics.

What's your typical work day like?

Right
now, until June, I actually work out of one of my publisher's offices on actual office hours, which kills me. (I'm a night owl usually) So I
wake up at an ungodly early hour, grab a coffee, head into work around
9 a.m., sit there and draw/paint/twitter etc until 6 p.m., then go home
and collapse or simply do a bit more work. My natural work flow for
years has been to wake up around 12 p.m., chill out, grab some food
then work through til the early morning at my home studio, crash into
bed, then repeat the next day. I'm no good at the standard office
hours.

And your con day?

Not as fun an answer.
Wake up, ungodly early (since I was probably out late drinking with pro
friends the previous night), drag myself into the con, sit at my booth
and proceed to draw commissions and meet fans. That's really about it.
I rarely leave my booth since I get a steady stream of people to meet
and greet, then when the con closes all the pros go out and catch up.

Why do you go to cons? Do you primarily come to sell, to meet fans, or to see colleagues? Or is it a soul-gathering thing?

Primarily
it's to meet and greet the kind of people who buy my work which allow me
to pay my rent. Recently I've brought stuff to actually sell, which
people seem to like. Meeting fellow pros is also a highlight as
generally comics can be a rather solitary profession, notwithstanding
the internet chats.

Do whimsical horror writer/artists get a different class of fans at cons?

No idea. I get some very friendly and dedicated people. A particular niche demographic I guess. I'm lucky to have anyone!

Has anyone come up to you in a Wormword costume?

More
and more. About 5 now. Each time, they get better and better, so the
most impressive one was at my last con. No one has yet dressed up as
any of the demonic strippers with living tattoos as yet though. (Hint
hint hint…)

What's your favorite con experience, either as guest or fan?

Coming
from Australia, I never grew up going to cons, so my only convention
experience was as a professional basically. As a guest, I don't have to
pay to get in, I know that!

Will you be at the Drink and Draw event Friday night?

If it's at a bar, no doubt I will be. I am Australian, I think I lose my citizenship if I *don't* turn up.

You can find more about Ben Templesmith at his site Templesmith.com, and you can probably find out far more than you ever wanted to know about Ben Templesmith by following his frequently updated Twitter account. And be sure to look for him — and over 170 other artists and writers including Special Guest of Honor Michael Golden ("Batman," "Vampirella," "Captain
America," "Micronauts"), Olivier Coipel ("Thor"), Mark Texeira ("Moon Knight," "Ghost Rider"), Frank Brunner ("Doctor Strange," "Conan the Barbarian," "Red Sonja," "Vampirella," "Man-Thing," "Silver Surfer") and many more.
Avatar Press will be making its first U.S. convention appearance, with
limited edition comics made especially for this FX con, and editors
from Marvel Comics will be holding panels and making announcements. And
don't miss Creators Alley filled with more than a hundred artists of
all disciplines displaying their work. — this weekend at FX 2009.

(All images © Ben Templesmith and/or IDW Publishng, used by permission)

As we get closer to FX 2009, the massive pop culture convention coming to the Orange County Convention Center this weekend, it's time to dig a little and see what you can expect. First up, a few words from FX's Director of Exhibitions Michael Herz.

It's been 20 years. How did FX get started?

The first show was actually in Tampa in 1989, it was promoted by Bruce Zalkin and called the Tampa Toyfest. Meanwhile, I was promoting the Character and Collectible Show in Maryland. Bruce and I got together in 1990 and in 1991 changed the name to the Florida eXtravaganza (FX). We ran it together until 1997, and I bought it back from him in 2004. In 2007, the show became to big for me to run myself anymore and I took a corporate partner, that's when it became FX International.

What have your attendance numbers since it started?

We've gone from maybe 300 in 1990 to 10,000 in 1996, to 3,500 in 2004 and back up to an expected attendance this year of at least 20,000.

How do you set yourself apart from MegaCon and other scifi/comic conventions in the area?

My dream has always been to be different from the other big events. We want FX to be everything for everyone: A collectible toy show, a comic-con, a sci-i-fi show, a horror show, a sports show, with anime and gaming events and panels and celebrities,your basic pop-culture overload circus! I have always strived to bring in new and different genres and cutting edge activities. This year we have added the celebrity poker challenge, the Drink and Draw, The Disney Pin event, the Sports Pavilion and Project Vinyl has been amped up from prior years. I am always very interested in anything that supports art and artists of any genre, so we have a lot of art-centered events this year.

What's the biggest hassle of organizing what is essentially a small town in an even smaller room?

That's
a good analogy! There are a lot of hassles involved with promoting an
event of the size and scope of FX. I think the biggest one is that
everyone waits until the last second to get involved. Dealers,
industry, sponsors all wait until we become a blip on their radar,
which in most cases is in the last 60 – 90 days before the show. So our
staff is heavily involved in logistical tasks that could have been done
many months earlier, rather than the promotion and advertising. It
makes the last days before the show days of high stress and no sleep.

How much of the con is handled by volunteers?

We
have a huge group of wonderful, talented and loyal volunteers, I'd
adopt them all if I could. They make up about two third of the show
staff.

How do you decide which guests to invite?

Do
you remember when you were a kid throwing sharpened pencils at the
ceiling tiles to see how many you could make stick? Same thing. We all
brainstorm and come up with an A-list, then I start making offers. I
probably wind up making 8 – 10 times as many offers as I get in final
guests. I try to bring in guests from vintage entertainment that I
would consider icons. I also strive to bring in fresh hot stars and
guests from cult favorites. No matter who we get, I like for them to be
fresh newcomers to the show circuit.

Do you have a favorite guest story (that you can tell us)?

I
have quite a few of my favorites that I can't tell you! When I retire
from this business call me and we'll write a book. I have a couple of
sharable faves. One involves Hayden Panetierre. I was sitting with her
as her handler (actually at the New York Comic Con) when a young man,
probably 18ish, approached with his photo to be signed and he was
trembling and I don't mean slightly, this guy was shaking from head to
toe. He handed her the photo in a motion that looked like he was
fanning her and she said, "you're shaking, are you OK?" He replied back
that he was nervous meeting her.

Hayden gently took his hand
in hers and said that there was no reason to be nervous that she is a
person just like him. He almost immediately calmed down. The encounter
obviously made his month. She is great with the fans.

Another
favorite involved Nathan Fillion at FX last year. A handicapped woman
on a motorized scooter had just gotten her autograph from Nathan. He
very nicely asked if he could borrow the scooter for a moment, she said
yes, and he proceeded to tear around the exhibit floor on it, it was
very funny. Some of the ride was captured on video and is available on
YouTube. Nathan's the best all around guest we've ever had at FX.

Do you get the sense that FX attendees are a community unto themselves?

Yes,
it is like a reunion every year. I think that log distance friends plan
to get together to attend each year. It is the same with our staff.

FX
runs from Friday, April 17 to Sunday, April 19 at the Orange County
Convention Center on International Drive in Orlando. You can find more details here, and schedules, guest lists, and ticket information at fxshow.com

"We want FX to be everything for everyone," he said. "A collectible toy show, a comic-con, a sci-fi show, a horror show, a sports show, with anime and gaming events and panels and celebrities. Your basic pop-culture overload circus!"

This year's FX show, the 20th anniversary of the annual event, is expected to bring 20,000 fans from all over the country next weekend to the Orange County Convention Center on International Drive in Orlando to join together in the great, geeky bliss of a massive costume party that has overrun an indoor fairground during a music festival. So why should you be there?

For The Celebrities

FX has a reputation for attracting cult-favorite media guests, and this year is no exception with Leonard Nimoy from "Star Trek," James Marsters from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Smallville" and "Dragonball Evolution," James Kyson Lee from "Heroes," Lindsey Wagner from the original "Bionic Woman," Scotty "Scotty 2 Hottie" Garland from the WWE and many more from movies, TV and wrestling.

"I try to bring in guests from vintage entertainment that I would consider icons," Herz said.

For some of the guests, doing a con is like coming home. "When I was 10…13…I had a big afro, and I would go to Star Trek conventions with pointed ears and arched eyebrows. I had my Star Trek uniform that I hand-sewed myself," actor James Marsters said in a 2008 interview for Fannish Inquisition, a fan site for TV shows "Stargate" and "Firefly."

"And I found there were — at conventions — people that I enjoyed being around. Intelligent, a little weird and full of life. That's why I enjoy doing conventions now. I just love it."

Stars bring lots of fans but FX has an system of tickets and scheduled
times that eases the long autograph lines. There also will be
professional photo opportunities, themed discussion panels, and "A
Conversation with Leonard Nimoy" on April 19 (separate ticket required)
with goodie bags of collectibles for all attending.

For The Artists

More than 70 of the hottest comics writers and artists working today
will be signing autographs and showing off their stuff, including
Special Guest of Honor Michael Golden ("Batman," "Vampirella," "Captain
America," "Micronauts"), Ben Templesmith ("Welcome to Hoxford," "Dr.
Who: The Whispering Gallery," "30 Days of Night"), Matt Fraction
("Uncanny X-Men," "Casanova," "Invincible Iron Man") and many more.
Avatar Press will be making its first U.S. convention appearance, with
limited edition comics made especially for this FX con, and editors
from Marvel Comics will be holding panels and making announcements. And
don't miss Creators Alley filled with more than a hundred artists of
all disciplines displaying their work.

For the third year, FX will host Project Vinyl, featuring designer toy
artwork and appearances by popular vinyl toy artists such as Ron
English, Buff Monster, Angry Woebots, kaNO, and Peekaboo Monster.

For The Stuff

Aside from the hundreds of exhibitors selling comics, toys, books,
armor, clothing, weapons and DVDs, FX will start something new this
year with a Disney Pin Swap every day of the con. Six exclusive,
officially licensed, FX-themed disney pins will be available, with a
seventh completer pin offered if you buy the set. Plus, FX-exclusive
editions of Warren Ellis' comics "Anna Mercury" and "Ignition City," as
well as limited edition Phantom and Captain Action figures are slated
to be on hand.

For The Costumes

For many attendees, costume playing or "cosplaying" is at least half
the fun of going. Cosplaying is as much performance art as dressing up,
with cosplayers acting out their meticulously crafted roles throughout
the weekend for each other and the many eager photographers. You'll see
Supermen of all sizes chatting with Princess Leias, a team of Sailor
Moons being chased by Captain Jack Sparrow, a man dressed as a giant
Japanese chocolate treat dancing in the lobby and more Wolverines,
Klingons, Poison Ivys and Naruto Uzumakis than you ever dreamed
possible. Bring your camera.

For The Tattoos

Yes, the tattoos. The FX 2009 Tattoo Festival, presented by Mark
Draven's Ink-Fusion, brings in nine popular ink artists to put a
favorite character, scene or original design where it will last: on
you. If you've ever been curious about getting a tattoo but not curious
enough to visit a tattoo parlor, this is your chance to see it done,
ask questions, and think about what sort of artwork you'd like to wear.
All city health codes are observed.

For The Partying

Join some of the most talented artists in the industry on April 17 as
they get increasingly unsteady in the Drink and Draw Social Club at the
nearby International Plaza Resort and Spa. Then come back April 18 in
the evening to celebrate FX's 20th anniversary at FX Rocks! with music,
contests, celebrity guests, and giveaways. Or stay at the con to see
"Buffy" and "Smallville" actor James Marsters perform a one-hour
acoustic concert (separate ticket required).

For The Games

On April 17 you can face off against celebrity dealers in the Celebrity
Poker Challenge. There will be prizes, auctions, souvenirs, and all net
proceeds go to the American Cancer Foundation. It'll be $100 to play,
$25 to watch, and donations beyond that are welcomed.

Various booths at the con will host contests, giveaways and auctions.
And you can find rooms devoted to board games, role-playing and video
gaming from the current hit titles all the way back to the retro, 8-bit
era.

About FX

FX started in 1989 as two separate conventions: Bruce Zalkin's Tampa
Toyfest and Michael Herz's Character and Collectible Show in Maryland.

Over the next two years they joined forces and created the Florida
eXtravaganza, or FX. FX changed hands between the two of them until
Herz took it over in 2004 and then took a corporate partner in 2007,
when it became FX International.

In the first six years, attendance grew from 300 to more than 10,000 fans. This year, 20,000 people are expected to attend.

Con Etiquette

It can be scary walking through several thousand brightly dressed
people who all seem to know each other. But all you need is common
sense and courtesy.

Be polite, enjoy the sights, but don't stare. Keep your bags close and be aware of traffic flow.

Cons provide unrivaled opportunities to meet your heroes face to face.
Respect their generosity by not bugging them in the bathroom or while
they're eating and keeping your panel questions under 30 seconds.

Most of the fans in costume will let you take pictures but remember, they're not paid mascots — they're there to have fun.

Ask before you snap a photo (often just holding up your camera and
smiling first will do the trick) and don't be offended if you get a no.

Don't block the aisle taking your shot. If they've already been holding
a pose, ask before you shoot in case they're about to collapse from
muscle strain. Don't take pictures in bathrooms, or when they're
adjusting, and never touch without asking. In fan terms, "glomping"
means aggressive and unexpecting hugging, and it's frowned upon.

If you're in costume yourself — go, you! — please be aware that you
will be stared at. Be aware of the limitations of your costume and plan
accordingly.

This year the trend continues with Jewel Staite and Morena Baccarin coming to one of the busiest cons in the southern USA. Oh, and there's also Leonard Nimoy, James Marsters (and an acoustic concert!), Julie Benz, Juliet Landau, Claire Kramer, Camden Toy, Jonathan Frakes, James Kyson Lee, Ray Park, Lindesy Wagner, a bunch of horror and wrestling stars, and a couple hundred writers and artists.

Whedony events include:

WOMEN OF THE WHEDONVERSE – Join the lovely and talented actresses without whom the works of Joss Whedon would be so much less fun and appealing as they talk about their experiences on set, their current projects, as well as a tribute to their friend Andy Hallet. He was taken from us too soon, and in remembrance, fans will have an opportunity to donate to the American Heart Association in the hopes of preventing this type of tragedy in the future. Featuring Julie Benz, Juliet Landau, Jewel Staite, Morena Baccarin, and Claire Kramer.

JAMES MARSTERS: LIFE AFTER SPIKE – As fans of horror, science fiction, and comics, we are all well aware of who James Marsters is. From Spike to Brainiac, he has brought some of our favorite characters to life, and left an indelible image upon the landscape of popular culture. Join James as he talks about his previous roles, his recent work, and what lies ahead.

JULIET LANDAU AND JASON C. MILLER (lead singer for Godhead) – Be among the first to see the fruits of a new collaboration between actress turned director/producer, and an incredible new musical talent. This will include a screening of a brand new music video.

More details are available at fxshow.com, and at my newspaper article about it. Check it out!