It’s all one, big happy fandom at GalaxyCon in San Jose

I’m a little more optimistic about the future after seeing the diversity on the exhibit floor at GalaxyCon, which opened its three-day run Friday afternoon at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.

I’m not talking about diversity just in terms of age, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation — though that’s all true, too — but in the different types of fans getting autographs, attending panels and connecting with each other in front of a booth selling 3D-printed sci-fi props or knockoff Labubus.

Anybody walking the convention floor will immediately be dispelled of the notion that events like GalaxyCon are only for teenaged boys and middle-aged men nostalgic for their own youth. Those fans are absolutely there, but they are well balanced out by women, couples and families.

That especially true among the vendor stalls, where you can buy everything from comic books and original art to crocheted characters and jewelry.

You might run into a guy in a Ghostbusters outfit, complete with proton pack, see Starfleet officers from several different eras taking a photo together or a group of young women buying handmade press-on nails from a woman in green face makeup. There are people dressed as recognizable characters from comic books, fantasy movies and TV shows and video games. But some you may not recognize at all, and there’s no better icebreaker at a place like GalaxyCon than asking someone about their cosplay.

That was my experience Friday when I talked to Star Mia O’Fairy and Nico Smith, who were costumed as Stolas, a character from the YouTube show “Helluva Boss.” The two friends — Smith came down from Sacramento for the show — were both excited to meet voice actors from both that show and “Hazbin Hotel,” which is also created by animator and writer Vivienne Medrano, who was very popular with selfie-seeking fans Friday.

Honestly, I didn’t know a thing about either show before Friday, but their passionate fandom was familiar. And it was shared by a lot of other people since “Helluva Boss” star Brandon Rogers probably got the biggest cheers at Friday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, which included GalaxyCon CEO Mike Broder, original “Hulk” Lou Ferrigno, actor Barry Bostwick from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” San Jose Barracuda mascot Frenzy; and San Jose Councilmember Rosemary Kamei, who got into the spirit by wearing a blue uniform top from the animated series “Star Trek: Lower Decks.”

Saturday’s celebrity guests include Jeremy Renner, Hawkeye from Marvel’s “The Avengers”; and Capt. Kirk himself, William Shatner; Dolph Lundgren from “Rocky IV,” and actor Giancarlo Esposito, whose fanbase ranges from “Breaking Bad” to “The Mandalorian.” There’s also a 50th anniversary “Shadowcast” showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and a costume contest.

Sunday’s schedule includes Q&As with Ferrigno, actor and director Soleil Moon Frye of “Punky Brewster” fame; character actor Danny Trejo, who has managed to steal scenes in just about everything he’s been in; and cast members from the original “Scream,” including Matthew Lillard and Jamie Kennedy.

That’s just a fraction of the schedule (go to www.galaxycon.com/sanjose for the whole thing). GalaxyCon is like a carnival that rolls into town with a coterie of tattoo artists, pro wrestlers, gamers, comic book creators, pop culture celebrities, YouTubers and cosplayers. At least here in San Jose, it’s refreshing to see people of varying ages and backgrounds come together to enjoy what they love — and it doesn’t matter if it’s Superman, “Scream” or everything in between.

ALL PLAY, NO WORK: Canyon Snow Consulting celebrated its 20th anniversary Thursday with a party at Rollati Ristorante in downtown San Jose, and the festivities brought together both clients like the Open Space Authority of Santa Clara Valley and Glydways and elected officials they lobby including U.S. Rep. Sam Liccardo, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and majorities of both the San Jose City Council and the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.

That prompted founders Jennifer Johnson and Leslee Guardino to playfully point out that no substantive business should be discussed at the party to keep from violating the Brown Act.

PARTY WITH A PURPOSE: Cancer CAREpoint is bringing its annual Garden Party back to a favorite venue, Nestldown in the Santa Cruz Mountains, on Aug. 24. And nonprofit, which was founded in 2010 to provide support services for cancer patients and their families, has two featured speakers set for the fundraiser to share their stories with an expected 350 supporters.

Hannah Haworth was diagnosed with cancer just five days after her daughter’s first birthday and credits Cancer CAREpoint with helping her make sense of her diagnosis. The other speaker is Joelle Kaufman, author of “Crushing the Cancer Curveball: A Playbook for the Newly Diagnosed and Their Family and Friends” and a tech start-up executive has battled cancer as both a caregiver and as a patient.

Get more information or tickets at cancercarepoint.org/gardenparty.

YOUNG AT HEART: The next time you’re feeling a little worn out, it might help to think about Betty Ann Chandler. This Sunday, the San Jose resident is celebrating her 108th birthday. She was born Aug. 17, 1917 in a house built by her grandfather in San Jose’s Naglee Park neighborhood, which was still a relatively new subdivision when she arrived on the scene. She still lives in the neighborhood, but not in the same house, and remains the oldest member of the San Jose Woman’s Club.

There was a big neighborhood celebration when Betty Ann turned 105 in 2022, and she’s still going strong. Her daughter, Athene Mantle, took a video of her this week wearing a new sparkly red ballcap that reads “108 Years Young” on the front. And that’s pretty much how Betty Ann thinks about her life.

“I’m not going to be old. I don’t want to be old,” Chandler says in the video. “I’m going to be young. And happy. I want to smile all the time.”