T’Lyn was always a special character because when she became a series regular in Lower Decks season 4, she was the first novel Vulcan main character in 23 years. She also filled in as more of a “straight man” to the other Lower Decks characters and their antics. So it was definitely a thrill to get a chance to see the actor who brought T’Lyn to life at this year’s con. 

Christina Chong at ST-CHI Trek to Chicago 2025. Photo: Marielle Bokor The last panel we saw at ST-CHI was with the lovely Christina Chong. Last but definitely not least. As the only panelist that is on a currently running Star Trek , Chong plays La’an Noonien-Singh on Star Trek Strange New Worlds . Not only is Chong a talented actress and a great dancer, she’s also a talented singer with a few albums under her belt–the latest even featuring Ethan Peck.  Chong came onto the ST

You wouldn't think that the holidays and conventions go together. I mean, there's con traffic, some of which kept us from The Breakfast Club even hours before the floor opened, then there's "late November weekend holiday shopping/events" traffic, and never shall the two converge. Not to mention, conventions are a big spend (especially in the merch halls) and we've all got LOTS of shopping to do for the holidays in our very near future. BUT. Sometimes, these things do collide.

We're a little over a month away from the Black Friday edition of the vinyl community's most divisive day of the year: Record Store Day.Introduced only two years after the first Record Store Day (which is usually in April), the Black Friday variant is much smaller and attempts to cash in on the shopping season with quiet honestly a very niche lineup of releases. So before you head out next month to pick up some releases, here are my thoughts on the good, the bad, and the comp

So here’s me thinking that League of the Lexicon will be a breeze, and I’ll crush my foes, see them driven before me and all that. But League of the Lexicon is fun not only because it has a fun mixture of categories with clever questions, but also because it's challenging even for those who have spent a lifetime playing with the English language. 

We’ve been surfing the scene since the very first BitBash. We were there for the Logan Playtest parties, VGA Gallery openings, collabs at MSI and the Art Institute, and the opening of Chi Gamespace. Sadly, a lot of that magic seemed to have vanished in the post-pandemic world, and we’d be lying if we said we didn’t miss it. Until we made it through the doors at the Chicago Indie Game Showcase presented by Indie City Games.

Gap's been doing creative, choreographed ads for quite some time, and has often pulled off some rather elaborate, amusing stuff, from the swing dancing khakis ads of the 90s to spots with Audrey Hepburn, Madonna and more -- and who could forget the iconic West Side Story inspired jeans vs khakis ad from 2000? Collabs are all the rage this...decade, really, so teaming up with someone like Katseye was a foregone conclusion. But was it also a calculated effort?

Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen at Fan Expo Chicago 2025. Photo: Marielle Bokor We got to catch Ewan McGregor on his Fan Expo...

By the end of the panel, Cena had cemented himself as one of the most straightforward Hollywood/WWE superstars out there. From his modest start at the All State Arena with WWE to being in some of the biggest action and comic book IP on the planet, even if you weren’t initially a fan, he will make you a fan

Fan Expo Chicago 2025 was one for the record books, with a fantastic guest list and a lot of exciting things to do. One of the highlights of the con came when we had a chance to interview some of the cast of Aliens, who we'd had the pleasure of seeing together in their Friday panel. For this task, we enlisted Antal Bokor, our managing editor, a combat veteran, and a lifelong fan of Aliens, to take on the task of interviewing people who quite literally influenced all of ou

I write about video games, and without Aliens, early video game history would look much different. Games like Contra, Halo, Half-Life and many more wouldn’t exist or would look a whole lot different without Aliens. And it's not just video games.  I’m not trying to discount Ridley Scott’s contribution with Alien, which introduces us to the seemingly unstoppable and terrifying xenomorph. But James Cameron saw this creature, and had a vision that has yet to find a worthy su

No matter what day of the expo you attend there are some guarantees you should come to expect. Great atmosphere, fantastic entertainment...

Photo: Marielle Bokor Ok, so to start off - there was an inordinate amount of tea talk that actually happened in the panel we attended...

While there are 40 rules for the Schrute boys to follow, Wilson said the most important rule was to “be kind.” “Be like 20 percent nicer than you think you need to be,” he said. “Going out into the world, I’m a pretty decent, reasonable pretty nice person. Give that extra 20 percent. How’s that? And if you don’t you get eaten in your sleep.”

Next time you attend a convention, we encourage you to stop for just a little bit and watch all the wonderful cosplay pass you by. If you see something incredible, give them a compliment or two, take some pictures of their hard work, and trade insta handles. It's a welcoming world full of fun creative folks, and one of the best ways to bond with other people who like the things you do or find new things to love. Here's some of the best things we saw on Saturday at Fan

Fan Expo is known for its packed schedule full of A-list celebrity appearances but one of the major highlights this year was Saturday's Guardians of the Galaxy panel.

It’s been two years since the series finale of The Flash on the CW. After 184 episodes and nine seasons, it’s a good time to reflect. Some of the cast reunited at Fan Expo Chicago to discuss their experiences on set as members of Team Flash. 

Fan Expo Chicago 2025 is FIRE. And not just because it's "hotter than we thought it would be" but also because, Chicago comes to (cos)play! Enjoy this gallery and come back tomorrow for more!

Just off the heels of Lolla, with Riot Fest on the horizon, it’s time to roll out the nerd carpet in Rosemont for Fan Expo Chicago! Back when the Wiz was in town, we’d already be on the floor, but tonight we’re hard at work crafting our traditional Choose Your Own Adventure preview so you can craft your own unique con experience based on your personal preferences. And, if you’re new to conventions, or just want a little sage advice, we’re here for you.

ACen or Anime Central is happening this weekend (May 16th through the 18th) at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, and we're psyched! Sandwiched between C2E2 and Nightmare Weekend, but ACen is its own special beast.