Established by the success of San Diego's multimillion-dollar-grossing Comic Con (which has grown from less than 300 attendees in its founding year of 1970 to a capacity of nearly 135,000), there's now a festival devoted to worshipping at the altar of the famed all the time in the United States and Europe.
Dallas is no exception, as Fan Expo Dallas is set to return to the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center on May 30. Fans of gaming, anime or cosplay will line up for autographs, photos and meet-and-greets with an array of celebrities at varying points in their fame journey, from Mr. T to Michael J. Fox.
Now, pop culture phenoms of the moment like White Lotus actors Walton Goggins and Parker Posey are mixing in with cult classic TV and film stars, and it's because of the enterprising efforts of Demeter Talent founder Samantha Osborn that they're there in the first place.
Osborn, a former Dallas resident, became a personal appearance agent through the most random circumstances. In 2012, the then-stay-at-home mom of six took her daughter to a convention devoted to the CW fantasy show Supernatural near the Galleria.
"Talent management is an industry you kind of fall into," Osborn explains. "I don't even know how it happened that we ended up there, but I was very curious and asked the girl working there how it all ran, and she said, 'You could just volunteer.' So I did."
Initially offering her help for free, Osborn worked at a convention in Houston for The Vampire Diaries, helping patrons file in line and tearing tickets. She soon worked her way up to handling the photo room and met many behind-the-scenes players in the convention industry.
"I guess when you even have a remote inkling of being able to follow directions, they like you," laughs Osborn.
She also credits her time working at spots like T.G.I. Fridays with her ability to multitask.
"I'm extremely patient," she says. "I feel like a waitress because I have to remember so many things, and there's so much on my plate. I started doing logistical work, then organizing volunteers and transportation."
Osborn's connection to Twin Peaks is what ultimately led her to form her own company. A friend who moonlights for a theatrical agency was booking Kimmy Robertson (who plays Lucy Brennan) and Harry Goaz (Deputy Andy) for a 2016 comics show at the Richardson Public Library, and the pair asked Osborn to help them find more permanent fan fest representation.
"I went around and asked the agencies to book Harry and Kimmy, and they weren't interested," Osborn recalls. "So, I ended up doing it for them. Then I started collecting more Twin Peaks people and all kinds of horror and sci-fi clients, and it grew from there. I now have over 60 clients of all different types — they're all over the place, and I run a horror convention called Mad Monster in Charlotte and Arizona."
Osborn herself was a devoted fan of Twin Peaks, so representing actors like Sherilynn Fenn (Audrey Horne) and Sheryl Lee (Laura Palmer) was a no-brainer.
She never envisioned herself building a huge business around the convention industry, however. Instead, she believes the convention life chose her.
"I got into it because I was bored, and I'm a fan of movies and television, but I never thought this is what I'd be doing," explains Osborn. "It happened really quickly — 2018 is probably when things really took off for me. Funnily enough, Covid didn't stop me from working. I got creative. We did private signings, in-store signings and drive-in theater events. Anything I could think of to bring people out to meet celebrities, I did, and it kind of exploded in that time."
Since Osborn began, the idea that cons are for actors on the downslope of their careers has changed. Now, it's closer to a badge of honor for stars at the peak of their power, like Goggins (currently triple-heading in Fallout, The Righteous Gemstones and White Lotus), to make a little extra scratch while getting closer to their fans.
"When I started, there was the stigma that (cons) were for people who don't work anymore — they're washed up, or it's a show in an airport somewhere," Osborn says. "It has dramatically changed in the last five to eight years, and it's a massive business. Superhero movies helped things, as did San Diego and New York Comic Con. People also realize it's a real way to connect with your fans."
Doing it with grace: Helping fans meet stars like Debra Messing is what makes Samantha Osborn's (far left) job worthwhile.
Courtesy of Samantha Osborn
"A lot of it is just emailing people," Osborn says. "They maybe think you're insane and don't respond or think it's something real. I resorted to texting Walton, but it took me a good year to even get him booked because he's just so busy — he had previously done conventions years ago but hadn't done one in a good 10 years."
Now based in Las Vegas, Osborn is on the road more than she is home. She balances her time between booking clients, arranging travel and "holding their hand" at the signing table.
"I handle things where it's easy for them to show up, and they don't have to worry about anything but meeting their fans," she says. "Most of the time, people are extremely respectful. Very seldom have I run into anyone who has given me an issue. Has it happened? Sure, but not very often. I'm also a very heavily tattooed, slightly imposing figure, so when they come near me and see there's a frown on my face, [fans] respond very quickly."
For now, Osborn wants to take on more anime actors and hopes one day to represent Danny DeVito. Although she feels her career "is almost like being a carny," the love that goes into helping a fan meet their favorite celebrity keeps her coming back for more.
"It's never a dull moment for sure," Osborn laughs. "You get to hear these stories about how you've touched these people. Movies and TV are a lot like music — they're the background to our existence. You remember movies from when a boy took you on your first date or your favorite cartoon you watched growing up. These are moments that matter in people's lives. A celebrity will meet a thousand people going through that door, but that one fan is going to remember that experience for the rest of their life, and it can be a magic thing facilitating that."
Fan Expo Dallas will run from May 30 to June 1 at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center.
