(Nerds and Beyond) Nerds and Beyond traveled to FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention this year — Utah’s largest comic convention — for a weekend of cosplay, fan art, and more. Notable guests among the massive star-studded lineup for this year included Spider-Man himself Tom Holland, Hayden Christensen of Star Wars, John Rhys-Davies from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the star of many cult classics, Christina Ricci. I have been attending FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention off and on since its start in 2013 with other members of my family. The event became somewhat of a family getaway twice a year as we made a point of trying to go to both the spring and fall events. Every now and then, life would get in the way, and we’d have to skip one. It had been some time since I made it out to Salt Lake City for the full three days of my favorite event of the year. The event kicked off on Thursday, September 5 for yet another busy, fun-filled weekend. I showed up on Thursday afternoon, feeling like I had come home. The short day consisted mainly of me walking the convention floor with my family and getting a feel for this year’s layout. The great thing about FanX is that many of the fan favorites return every year and are usually in the same spots as previous years. The aisles throughout the floor seemed easier to move through this time around. I found it less packed as I wandered through the artist and vendor booths, and was able to take my time to admire and browse all of the fantastic items for sale. Food vendors lined the outsides of the space and there was also a food court set up. One of the best things was the added availability of seating near food vendors so that con-goers could sit down, relax, and eat. Every time my family and I stopped for something to eat, we always found a spot to sit, which wasn’t always the case at past events. Also, if attendees wanted to step outside for a little while, food trucks lined the sidewalks right outside of the Salt Palace and many restaurants are within walking distance of the building. No matter what you were in the mood for, FanX had it — burgers, sandwiches, pizza, tacos, or Chinese cuisine — there was a lot to choose from(…) READ FULL ARTICLE HERE