After experiencing the first Heroes and Villains Fanfest ever, I can honestly say that I see no point in ever going to any other convention again. And I say this as someone who has been to their fair share of cons throughout the country. From their array of fantastic guests (which included practically the entire cast of Arrow, along with some major actors from The Flash as well) to their spot-on organization, this event was more entertaining and ran more smoothly than any other I’ve been to. Instead of spending most of your time waiting in lines, you were able to spend that time seeing and interacting with the guests you wanted to see and were even able to experience what being a superhero might feel like yourself.
Before the convention even started, I was impressed with how Heroes and Villains handled their social media and promotion of the event. They had multiple contests where people could win free VIP passes, some of these contests even being informational and encouraging you to visit their ‘frequently asked questions’ page. This allowed everyone to go into the actual convention with a solid idea of how things would be organized and created a positive buzz about the event in advance. On top of that, they gathered a great group of panelists, all of whom genuinely seemed excited to go and interact with the fans.
In large part, thanks to all their advanced planning, the actual convention went off without a hitch. The open format of where the panels were held, which I questioned at first since I had never seen anything like that before, ended up being a great idea. It allowed those who couldn’t make it into the seating for the panels to still be able to hear and see if they stood off to the side but it wasn’t so distracting that people in other parts of the floor were able to hear. For these panels, it was definitely worth buying either the Platinum or Gold pass, as these badge holders had the front few rows designated for them and did not have to clear out between panels.
Even for regular VIP (like me) and general admission, clearing the rooms was no problem as you were able to quickly get back in line for the next panel. They made sure that if the seats reserved for Gold VIP weren’t filled, each row behind that could move up in an orderly fashion so that no seat was left open. There’s a lot more I could say about how impressed I was with the organization of this event , but overall, it was just flawless. If you’re cautious about going to a con because you’ve never been to one before, I can say without a doubt that this would be the perfect first one to go to.
Not only was the organization perfect, but the programming was fantastic as well. From the very first panel of the event, which included a game of charades featuring Arrow cast members Willa Holland, John Barrowman, and Neal McDonough, laughs were plenty as the guests made sure the crowd was entertained. Quickly the game of charades turned into a dance-off where Neal McDonough surprised us all for the first time that weekend. No one really knew what to expect from him coming into this convention, as it was his very first one, but he did not disappoint. When his turn in the dance-off came, he gathered a group of men at the bottom of the stage and put his life into their hands, diving into the crowd. Even Barrowman was shocked by this, but he knew a challenge when he saw one and immediately followed Neal, crowd diving himself. We couldn’t have asked for a more entertaining start to the convention.
The other panels on Saturday may not have included dance-offs but they were equally as entertaining. Robbie Amell and Danielle Panabaker teased how Robbie might be able to return to The Flash (Earth-2, anyone?) and Caitlin’s hopeful eventual journey to Killer Frost. While they both laughed at how quickly Caitlin moved on from Ronnie, Robbie made sure everyone at the panel knew that he was not okay with it. Or with being dead again, for that matter. The interactions between these two felt very fun and natural, as it’s clear they and the whole Flash cast get along great on set, and it was a pleasure to get a glimpse of that.
One of the most unique panels of the event involved James Bamford coming out on stage with Caity Lotz, David Ramsey, and a few stunt men to demonstrate how he goes about directing stunts. We got to see Bamford take Lotz and Ramsey through some warm-ups before bringing the others out and setting up an actual stunt, like one they would perform on the show. They started out doing the stunt slowly, adding elements to it as they sped it up, resulting in a very impressive-looking stunt by the end. No other convention would ever try to show the audience something like this, and it was definitely a unique and exciting experience to see the actors and crew work on something that they regularly do while filming the show.
In his panel on Saturday, Stephen Amell proved once again that he knows how to command a crowd’s attention, and he clearly has a deep understanding and knowledge of Arrow and the character he plays, something that comes across when he talks about the show. His panel was delightful as one would expect as he took question after question from the crowd, even being presented with a cake of himself as the Arrow at one point. And, in case anyone was wondering, if anything were ever to happen to Felicity, Oliver’s reaction would be one of “confusion, desperation, utter sadness, and complete rage.”
The Lance family panel, which was the last one I attended on Saturday, was an interesting one. Paul Blackthrone was able to discuss his potential budding relationship with Mama Smoak after such a long dry spell, while the girls talked about how great it is to have so many strong females on the show, all of whom support each other. The panel was a nice way to close out the day, and John Barrowman, in true Barrowman fashion, was able to spice it up the panel by crashing it and then proceeding to jump on the bouncer for the duration of the panel, resulting in some much needed laughs.
While not technically part of the convention, Heroes and Villains did partner with Nocking Point Wine for a party on Saturday night. Stephen Amell and his buddy Drew definitely know how to throw a party, and with great additions from the Arrow and Flash casts, such as John Barrowman, Robbie Amell, and Neal McDonough, showing up, this was a night to remember. Between Robbie calling his fiance Italia Ricci on Facetime so we could tell her how much we missed Chasing Life to Neal absolutely destroying it on the harmonica, it was nonstop fun. A wine party is the perfect atmosphere to interact one on one with the stars, as everyone is relaxed and there to have a good time. Stephen and Drew work hard to make sure everyone is enjoying themselves and overall this was a great addition to Heroes and Villains.
Sunday featured quite possibly the most epic trio of panels ever, starting out with one that featured Stephen and Robbie Amell. They shared hilarious stories of growing up together (apparently Robbie would use Stephen’s ID and no one could ever bust him on it because they looked so much alike) and even played a game of cornhole with two audience members. Even if you didn’t know they were cousins going into the panel, it was obvious by the way they joked and bantered with each other in a way that only family can. While Robbie continued to lament the fact that his character in The Flash is dead, Stephen shared his idea of what an Olicity baby would look like: coming out of the womb with glasses and a six pack.
The fun didn’t stop with the Amell cousins, as David Ramsey took the stage next to discuss his beloved Arrow character, John Diggle. He shared stories of baby Sara, who can allegedly outact him in any scene and teased that we’d be getting to see more of Diggle and Felicity’s backstories this season. Quite possibly the most adorable moment of the convention came when a fan began asking David a question but couldn’t get through it because she was shaking and crying. In response, he invited her on stage to sit with him for the remainder of the panel, showing just how much these actors care about and appreciate their fans. It’s safe to say that David went above and beyond to make this convention special for his biggest fan.
John Barrowman closed out this amazing trio of panels, with his usual energy that everyone loves so much. Between inappropriate innuendos and stories of seeing Stephen shirtless on set, Barrowman knew how to keep a crowd entertained. Not to be outdone by Barrowman at any point during the convention, Neal McDonough made an appearance during his panel, one Arrow villain fighting another in a silly string/nerf gun fight. But it was a little boy who couldn’t have been more than two years old, dressed as the Arrow himself, that ended up defeating the two villains in the most adorable way. It’s safe to say that these actors went out of their way to make sure every single panel was interesting and exciting, providing the audience with so many laughs.
On top of everything else, Heroes and Villains provided some great entertainment in the form of artist booths and extra perks, such as ziplines and bouncers that made you feel like an actual superhero. With so much else going on, I didn’t get a chance to try either but it’s definitely on my list for next time. There was never a dull moment at this convention, as they made sure you always had something to do or see, that didn’t involve standing in obnoxiously long lines. It was the perfect size for a convention and couldn’t have been more fun. With events coming up in New York this January and Chicago in 2016, I highly recommend attending a Heroes and Villains Fanfest if you get the chance.
[Photo via HeroesFanFest.com]
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