[Fangaea 2026] Zapp Brannigan Must Die

Fangaea 2026 took place on March 21, 2026 at the Handerly Hotel in San Diego, CA. One of the many conventions in the Silk Road family (San Diego Anime Con, AniPop, Hentai Matsuri, etc), Fangaea encompasses all things pop culture packed into one day. It combines local science fiction, fantasy, anime and childhood nostalgia. This year’s Fangaea focused on women in pop culture. Portraiture of key women in pop culture decorated the halls.

The drive from Orange County was not so bad. Finding parking at the hotel was not so much a challenge as the more popular San Diego Anime Con. However, it was evident that this event was growing. There was a significant number of attendees this year than the previous year. I dressed up as Saber from the Fate series.

Cosplayers from all forms of media showed up!

The vibes at the convention were very chill. This was a laid back hotel con. Dealers and vendors were spread out between ballrooms on the first floor.

We had a ton of artists show up at the event. Most of them sold prints and charms. I do appreciate the No AI signing. Considering that AI has slipped into vendors and artists marketplaces at cons, it was nice to see artists take a stand.

Food selection was limited at the con. While I did appreciate the con sell pizza right by the registration line, getting anything of a step above a slice of pizza posed as a challenge. Postcards, the hotel restaurant, was closed. We were subject to the tiki bar. The service was horrible; the waiters didn’t know how to seat us. Our table was missing a seat. None of the wait staff made eye contact with us when we needed to flag them for a water or an extra chair, but my group was starving and one of us had to take medication. Definitely won’t recommend this place for dinning. You’re better off packing your own lunch to the Handerly.

 

 

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I stopped by a few of the main events during the con. I watched the medival joust in the courtyard. I also attended the cosplay contest. Below you can see the winners.

For a small con, there was a lot to do and check out throughout the day. Fangaea is the next generation of what Science Fiction and Fantasy conventions should be. All ages and stepping up the program to attract new and younger audiences.

Of course, our reason for going to Fangaea was Cosplay Wrestling Federation. My friends volunteered to be our Fangaea’s show referee and tech horse.

We wanted to do something different for Fangaea and tie it in with the theme of women in pop culture. So we had Zapp Brannigan from Futurama act like a jerk to the femme contestants. Regardless who won the belt, we would unleash feminine rage against Zapp.

Overall, we always appreciate working with Silk Road Productions and their events. We seemed to have grown a strong Cosplay Wrestling Federation fanbase in San Diego. We don’t intend to abandon that anytime soon! For CWF, the next San Diego event will likely by Hentai Matsuri. (I’ll be in Philly that weekend, so don’t expect me there! lol). Fangaea is on the right track in combining all things fandom in one short day. I hope current science fiction and fantasy conventions see what they’re doing right to expand their programming to what’s current and reach out to local community acts to keep the fandom momentum going. Fangaea didn’t feel like a geek retirement home, it simply felt like home.

Also…where’s Taylor Swift in the women in pop culture gallery?