Phoenix Fan Fusion is a speculative fiction entertainment and comic book convention held annually in Phoenix, Arizona. It was founded as the Phoenix Cactus Comicon in June 2002, and originally consisted of a one-day six-hour event held in Ahwatukee, Arizona. The convention plays host to comic related panels, programming events, art contests, and autograph signings for all ages. It is a three-day event (Friday-Sunday) held during the summer at the Phoenix Convention Center in downtown Phoenix. On Thursday evening prior to the official opening of the event, there is a preview for professionals, exhibitors, and select guests pre-registered for all four days.
The Phoenix Convention Center has hosted the annual convention since 2010.
Phoenix Comicon 2017
Stan Lee addressing attendees at the 2014 Phoenix Comicon.
A comic book convention or comic con is a fan convention with a primary focus on comic books and comic book culture, in which comic book fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other. Commonly, comic conventions are multi-day events hosted at convention centers, hotels, or college campuses. They feature a wide variety of activities and panels, with a larger number of attendees participating in cosplay than most other types of fan conventions. Comic book conventions are also used as a vehicle for industry, in which publishers, distributors, and retailers represent their comic-related releases. Comic book conventions may be considered derivatives of science-fiction conventions, which began in the late 1930s.
Phoenix Fan Fusion's 2017 convention in Phoenix, Arizona
During panels at comic book conventions, the audience is sometimes invited to line up and ask questions using a dedicated microphone.
A Fallout Cosplayer photographed at a Comic Con in a Fallout Themed area