IN THE rarefied realm of celebrity and pop culture, where so often the atmosphere around these celebrities - with their publicists, entourages and stage-managed personas - seem off in another orbit, fan conventions like Supanova Comic Con and Gaming offer a thrilling jolt of counter-culture to the established order.

Supanova isn't just a peak behind the curtain, it's more like a AAA pass behind the scenes of sci-fi, fantasy, comic books, anime, manga, games and the entertainment industry at large.

Supanova is coming to the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre next month on April 28 and 29, continuing the convention's 16-year tradition as Australia's leading and largest event of its kind.

Close to 200,000 fans are expected to attend the Supanova events in 2018 across venues in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide as well as the Gold Coast.

No wonder the fans keep coming back: Supanova is an unrivalled celebration of fandom in Australia, featuring guests such as Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who, The Thick of It, Torchwood), John Barrowman (Torchwood, Arrow, DC's Legends of Tomorrow) and Arryn Zech (RWBY, Red vs Blue), bringing fans and their heroes together in the same room with meet and greets, musical performances, creative master classes, celebrity Q&As and competitions.

For Arryn Zech, the American actress best known for her role as Blake Belladonna from RWBY, interacting with fans face-to face is rewarding.

Speaking from the States, Ms Zech said that meeting her fans at these conventions is also vital motivation for her career.

"Meeting fans reminds me why I do what I do,” said Zech, who will be appearing at Supanova on the Gold Coast.

"I love the arts and love the crafts and just getting to be a different person when I do a project, but going to a convention reminds me what the show and the character means to people.

"I do have a lot of self-motivation, which is important in this industry.

"But finding stories about how people relate to characters, whether they're at a dark point and perhaps are going through self-image or mental problems, and are relating to these characters in a positive way, then it reminds we why I do it.

"I honestly just like the interaction and am honestly always going to be doing what I do because of what I get out of it. I like being a role model. I guess for people who don't quite have what they need in typical entertainment, it's great to be there for our fans.”

Supanova is indeed the perfect place for the stars to recharge and shine brighter with a little help from their fans - they are, after all, the people who give to them their glow.