FAN EXPO Boston is an annual pop-culture fan convention that features celebrity guests, panels, and chances to enjoy all things nerdy in South Boston, from August 8-10 at the Thomas M. Menino Convention Center.

It’s a bazaar of the bizarre, with vendors selling memorabilia and collectables, with a whole bunch of swords and smut scattered throughout. A highlight of every convention is the artist alley – a gallery of comic and animation artists selling original prints and signing autographs.

Salem-based artist and “Smiling Friends” animator, Hannah Daigle, mentioned she has been selling her original artwork at conventions since 2019. It is a side job that has helped her expand her original work with merchandise and gain experience in the business side of comics and animation.

“When I first started, I was printing them myself off of my little, like, hundred-dollar printer that I got from Staples. As I’ve learned and grown and been to more conventions and heard other people who have vended at artist alleys and their methods,” Daigle said. 

Her table was decked out with comics, prints, and stickers of characters from animation. “I’m really excited because I literally had like a week’s notice of this convention to prepare for,” she said

Coming from the other side of the country, Seattle, Oregon’s John Seuferling, the Pop Art Saint, sold Veladora-esq merchandise depicting everyone from Tony Soprano to Chappel Roan as saints. He said the idea came to him after seeing a low rider with a depiction of “Our Lady of Guadalupe.”

“There’s no way I could ever pull that car off in my entire life,” he joked. “My car would probably have Princess Leia as a saint. And that’s what gave me the idea.” 

Seuferling identified that different cities tend to flock toward certain characters, Mr T. in Spokane, Washington, for example. He was a tad surprised that Boston’s most popular item was a portrait of Luigi Mangione labeled “the voice of the many.”

“I wasn’t sure what Boston would be like. It’s my first time here,” he said. “The people are cool, and you guys got some of the best food in the country.”

Cal Dodd, the voice of Wolverine in “X-Men: The Animated Series (1992)” and its recent revival, “X-Men ‘97,” shared Seuferling’s praise of Boston’s cuisine. 

Dodd gave Boston’s dining the Wolverine seal approval – for the food, but more specifically for the beer. “Wolverine is easy to please,” he said.

The show’s biggest draw, or shock if you catch it second-hand on the Red Line, is the cosplay. There are not many places to catch drag Cruella Deville, Baldur’s Gate 3’s Shadowheart, or see life-sized recreations of “Star Wars” droids courtesy of the New England Chapter of the 501st Legion.

Nick Pace had multiple costumes lined up for the weekend, but on Friday, he took to the convention floor as Latin hip-hop sensation, Mr. Worldwide, Mr. 305, Pitbull.

His cosplay originates from the mother of a friend pointing out a resemblance to the musician shortly before his first convention. “I went to bed and woke up the next morning, looked at my suit in my closet, and I was like, fuck it, I’ll do Pitbull,” he said. “It was the most exhilarating experience I’ve ever had.”

It usually takes people a moment to recognize him, but he keeps an ear out and his speaker ready to blare “Fireball” whenever he hears a hushed “Is that Pitbull?” 

“I try to do it at least once a con. It’s a really nice fallback in case I can’t come up with anything, which is usually the case,” he said.

Next year’s FAN EXPO will take place from August 7-9. Tickets will be available starting on September 18, at 11 a.m.