Although Soares testified that fans go to cons year-round, some may want to attend one con and leave it at that. The question for Colorado Springs residents then is whether to go to Fan Expo Denver or Colorado Springs Comic Con — or both. Vance Lindsley, a local con enthusiast who works at Escape Velocity Comics & Graphic Novels, attends each con annually and is well versed in the benefits of each.
The most obvious advantage of attending Fan Expo Denver over Colorado Springs Comic Con is the fact that Fan Expo Denver typically features bigger names, from Brie Larson and Antony Starr to Rosario Dawson and Rainn Wilson. The downside, according to Lindsley, is that Fan Expo Denver doesn’t typically have returning guests like Colorado Springs Comic Con does. This keeps the guest list fresh each year, but it can also be fun to see some guests multiple years in a row.
Fan Expo Denver guests are also somewhat removed from the crowds of fans who attend their panels. Colorado Springs Comic Con’s smaller venue creates a more “intimate” atmosphere that allows more opportunities to interact with guests, Lindsley said.
Fan Expo Denver is usually held around holidays, Lindsley said. It has become tradition to hold Fan Expo Denver on Father’s Day weekend, which can be inconvenient unless you have a dad who is more likely to read DC Comics than the newspaper with his morning coffee. This year, Fan Expo Denver was held on the Fourth of July weekend.
Because of the distance, Colorado Springs Comic Con is a “no-brainer” for city dwellers, but Lindsley says it’s a trade-off. Lindsley reported that it was easier to find restaurants within walking distance of Fan Expo Denver than at Colorado Springs Comic Con, where the easiest and closest option was to eat at Broadmoor World Arena.
Lindsley wouldn’t say one con offers more value than the other, although Colorado Springs Comic Con is more expensive than Fan Expo Denver. This year, one-day passes to Colorado Springs Comic Con cost $54 to $64 depending on the day, with a three-day pass costing $124. One-day passes to Fan Expo Denver this year cost $29 to $55, with a four-day pass costing $109.
Ultimately, the decision to attend Colorado Springs Comic Con or wait until Fan Expo Denver will come down to personal preference, budget and fan base, but Soares said Altered Reality Entertainment isn’t feeling the pressure of competition.
“Our goal is not to compete with any show,” Soares said. “We compete with ourselves, with how we get better and better every year. That’s our competition.”
