15 ways to make your stay at FanX pay

FanXperience — sort of a midterm Comic Con at the Salt Palace Convention Center — plays Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 17-19, with an array of appearances and panels.

No one person can attend everything, because some of the events run concurrently. And not just because some panels run concurrently.

If you went to everything, your brain might explode.

But here are 15 panels/appearances worth checking out … along with a few topics of conversation.

(Note: Times and locations are subject to change.)

Sasquatch • The Legend of Bigfoot Meets Science: Boise State professor Jeff Meldrum insists there is scientific evidence that Bigfoot exists. Ask him why no one has ever found any remains.

When • Thursday, noon

Where • Room 255F

Micky Dolenz •The one-time drummer for the '60s TV band The Monkees puts in an appearance. Ask him why he's appearing at a sci-fi convention.

When •Thursday, 3 p.m.

Where •Room 355F

Local ghosthunters •Nate Van Hulten, Cami Skousen, Russ Cook and Josh Elmer talk about their experiences. Ask them about the City-County Building. And the Salt Lake Cemetery. And the Shilo Inn. And so on and so on.

When •Thursday, 4 p.m.

Where •Room 250A

Chandler Riggs •Fourteen-year-old Riggs stars as young Carl in the hit series "The Walking Dead." Ask him if it's hard to play a kid who annoys so many of the show's fans.

When •Thursday, 6 p.m.

Where •Main stage

Evil Dead: The Musical • The cast talks about the process of turning Sam Raimi's gross thriller into a stage musical that plays like a Gallagher concert — particularly for those sitting in the splash zone. Ask them if they'll cover your dry-cleaning bill.

When •Friday, 10 a.m.

Where •Room 255F

James Marsters •Best known as the vampire Spike on "Buffy" and "Angel," Marsters has also appeared in everything from "Smallville" to "Torchwood" to "Warehouse 13." Ask him about how bleaching his hair to play Spike blistered his head.

When •Friday, noon

Where •Main stage

Natalie Dormer • She's been in "Captain America: The First Avenger," "Game of Thrones" and she's in the upcoming ""Mockingjay." Ask her about playing Moriarty in "Elementary."

When •Friday, 5 p.m.

Where •Main stage

Peter David •The prolific author's TV credits include "Babylon 5" and "Ben 10"; his comic book credits include "The Incredible Hulk" and "Aquaman"; and he's written some of the best "Star Trek" novels of all time. Ask him why they don't let him write a "Trek" movie.

When •Friday, 5 p.m.

Where •Room 151A

Billy Dee Williams •He's been on "General Hospital" and "Dynasty." He starred as Gale Sayers in "Brian's Song." He's been Harvey Dent and Lando Calrissian. Ask him if the rumors that he'll reprise his role as Lando in the upcoming "Star Wars: Episode 7" are true.

When •Friday, noon

Where •Main stage

Nathan Fillion •The star of "Firefly," "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" and "Castle" — and a fan favorite — takes questions. Ask him about the season he spent on "Desperate Housewives."

When •Saturday, 10 a.m.

Place •Main stage

Hello Sweetie Podcast •The members of this all-female geek podcast — Charity Mack, Kristal Starr, Rebecca Frost and Danielle Über Alles — record at FanX. Ask them anything about geek culture, but if you're in the slightest bit condescending they will beat you with your own cosplay lightsaber.

When •Saturday, 11 a.m.

Place •Room 151D

Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis • Remember when Worf and Deanna Troi were an item on "Star Trek: The Next Generation"? Then he went off and married Dax on "Deep Space Nine" and she finally married Will Riker in "Nemesis." Ask them if they were sorry to see each other go.

When • Saturday, noon

Where •Main stage

Monsters and Mormons •Some of the authors and the editor of this 2011 anthology talk about the stories — missionaries vs. zombies, bishops vs. demons, and Mormons in space. Ask them if any of these stories are fact-based.

When • Saturday, 2 p.m.

Where: Room 150G

Butch Patrick and Pat Priest •He was young Eddie in all 70 episodes of "The Munsters"; she joined the cast as Marilyn in Episode 14. Ask Pat about growing up in Bountiful.

When • Saturday, 4 p.m.

Where • Room 250A

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Sing Along •Singing along — it's not just for "The Sound of Music" anymore.

When •Saturday, 8 p.m.

Where •Room 255F —

FanX

The Salt Lake Comic Con, in its second iteration after a wildly successful debut last September, includes dozens of celebrities — William Shatner, Karl Urban, Karen Gillan, Adam Baldwin and Edward James Olmos among them.

FanX also will host more than 70 panels, ranging from tips on becoming a voice actor for film, television and games to the history of Batman's sidekick, Robin. See saltlakecomiccon.com for full details.

When • Thursday-Saturday, April 17-19

Where • Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City

Tickets • From $10 for Thursday-only youth pass to $175 VIP pass; available at saltlakecomiccon.com.