It’s 93 degrees in the Mile High City. Do you know what that means? It’s Fan Expo Time. Fan Expo Denver, to be exact. Nerds of a feather flock together and jam into the poor air conditioning of the Colorado Convention Center to do one thing: celebrate joy.
Fan Expo Denver 2025
Guests this year span the fandoms, ranging from the ever-present DC animation crowd to a growing contingent of voice actors, cult figures and even a welcomed surprise this year with members of The Mummy cast reuniting for a 26th anniversary. Please allow this John Hannah fangirl to “squee” with delight. Then, there’s Brendan Fraser. Let this be your reminder: we don’t deserve Brendan Fraser. Stay tuned for more on The Mummy panel when day three rolls around.
With four days of panels, celebrations and retrospectives, no one’s to-do list is going to look quite the same.
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For this humble writer, a packed Friday included William Shatner serenading a packed house with his thoughts about quantum mechanics. Apparently, the perennial favorite recently returned from Antarctica with Neil deGrasse Tyson. That’s quite the pair. However, Captain Kirk also mentioned in passing that he has an album coming out at a yet-to-be-announced date. “Rocket Man” fans, rejoice.
The acting legend was also forced to announce that he hasn’t indulged in as many Star Trek remakes as he probably should. While many weren’t surprised, it must be said, “For shame, sir.” With each passing year, the Star Trek universe continues to expand in ways other franchises can only dream.
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Ninja Turtles and a Mistress of the Dark
Then, for the millennials among us, the convention brought together cast members from O.G. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to celebrate the film series’ 35th anniversary. As someone who remembers seeing those films in theaters, please respect my privacy during this difficult time.
The panel lineup included Francois Chau, Kenn Scott, Robbie Rist, Brian Tochi and Ernie Reyes Jr. Speaking honestly, these are all the best convention panels. There is something truly heartwarming in watching casts come together years later to remember how celebrated these works of nostalgia remain in popular culture. I hope all working artists can experience the infectious delight the cast showed in this panel.
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Friday came to a close with a hotly anticipated sit down with actress and horror host Cassandra Peterson, otherwise known as “Elvira Mistress of the Dark.”
Peterson spent her formative years in Colorado, so there was a distinct vibe of homecoming to the panel. The horror host even admitted to eating at the mythical, wacky and pricey Casa Bonita the previous night. Colorado folks will get the reference. Google it for the weirdness, kids.
The horror legend engaged in a wide-ranging discussion. She revealed that her eyes were opened to scary movies when she watched the 1959 Vincent Price classic House on Haunted Hill at far too young an age. I can confirm the William Castle classic does have that unsettling effect if you aren’t expecting it. I, too, had nightmares.
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Peterson also let it slip that she has not one but two book releases coming up in the near future. Horror nerds with a flair for the culinary should keep an eye out for Elvira’s Cookbook from Hell. The Mistress of the Dark releasing a cookbook? Yes, please. Peterson’s Instagram lists a release date of October 7, but she also mentioned to keep an eye on her TikTok for more information.
More to Come
Friends, this was just day one of a long holiday weekend of programming. For those in and around the Mile High City, more information can be found on the Denver Fan Expo site.
- FAN EXPO DENVER 2025: Day One of Fun - July 6, 2025
- Movie Review: JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH - July 3, 2025
- Movie Review: M3GAN 2.0 - June 27, 2025
