The last weekend in July has come and gone, and with it another comic con. It seems that comic con time is spent less about seeing cool things and more about waiting in a line to wait in another line.
The weather in San Diego was rather humid, more like Florida than Southern California.
Here are some costumed individuals;
Then I encountered some non-strangers dressed up as well;
Overall, I had a good time, despite the overwhelming amount of people and other negatives I made the most of it. Comic Con is definitely a community experience, to traverse these halls solo isn’t as much fun. And I’m not the only one to feel this way about how this “event” has changed, check this out. Till next year SDCC
It was as expected entertaining with multiple panels and even a premiere of a new thriller movie, “The Red House”. LBCHC even featured the cast of the movie in their own booth. The panels are always a good and informative, ranging from how-tos breaking into the business (either in animation or internet comics) to just entertainment panels like bringing back the Nightmare on Elm Street 3 cast.
Cosplay is always great. The Dark Knight Rises’ Bane is a popular one still. And regardless, I respect all those that put a cosplay outfit together. It takes some serious skills and patience. Respect.
The con only cost $5 online and $7 at the door. Imagine, all of the coolest artists that you’ve seen at various comic conventions all gathered in one location. And that is basically what DesignerCon is.
It is a great convention with many many artists, who were selling their custom artwork. In fact, many artists were in the middle of creating artwork live – be it painting, or even just designing artwork on vinyl toys.
Think of the things you might like. If you liked custom vinyl toys, it was there. If you liked funny comic pop culture artwork, it was there. If you like funny off color comics, it was there, including some people we have talked to before, like Ken Tanaka and ToonHole. There was an area sectioned off that they called “Suck Con”. It has a stage, and featured a talk show type set up.
I’d recommend going to this convention next year. Just remember to bring some money, so you can buy the unique paintings, buttons, posters, toys, etc. We will keep you updated on next year’s DesignerCon date and time.
We were there last year. We witnessed the mass zombie walk. And we shall return here to witness all the happenings of Long Beach Comic and Horror Con 2012.
The convention will start November 3 (Saturday) and continue to November 4 (Sunday).
Tickets are already on sale http://www.longbeachcomiccon.com/buy-tickets.php
This year they are projecting over 10,000 unique attendees (not including exhibitors, press or professionals). Some of the planned panels include SaveTheSupers.com cast & crew Q&A, Raw Entertainment, IDW, Aspen Comics, Web Comics, Focus on Young Adult Book Writers, Robotech, intensive training seminars hosted by industry veterans and icons, general how-to tutorials and more.
Exhibitors & sponsors include IDW, SGX Media, Mysterious Galaxy, Boom! Studios, CGC Comic Grading Service, Aspen Comics, Copic Marker, Hero Initiative, Raw Entertainment, ComiXology, ReadyComics.com, Prism, Dig Deep Entertainment, ComicsPro, Triptych Books, Comicraft, Big Wow Comic Fest and more.
Their confirmed guests include Howard Chaykin, Mike Mignola, David Finch, Steve Niles, Batton Lash, Amanda Conner, Olga Ulanova, Len Wein, Thomas Jane, Richard Starkings, Jimmy Palmiotti, Dustin Nguyen, Tim Bradstreet, William Stout, Bernard Chang and more.
00:00 – The ultimate mashup of Dr. Who, Rainbow Dash, Team Fortress explains why My Little Pony is such a hit. He says it’s a slice of life but can’t seem to describe it.
02:01 – Sonic the Hedgehog loves how much fun and active he is. He’s a gamer and also a grad student. He tells us why he felt a connection with the X-Men
03:52 – two friends cosplay characters from Dynasty Warriors. One’s known for being intelligent and the other is known for being quiet
06:39 – Lucca (Chrono Trigger) doesn’t like making eye contact. She’s behind on comics because her computer is dead. She confesses she got tackled a few times.
08:22 – Catwoman discusses her thoughts on Anne Hatheway portraying her in the latest Batman movie. Harley Quinn is very passionate about her version even though there are many other ones out there.
11:51 – I get severely tongue tied while talking to this Poison Ivy. Try not to laugh
13:39 – Kitty Pryde (X-Men) tells us how she got into comic books because of her dad and talks about being next to Stan Lee
15:41 – Super hero Ariel and Aurora are both big gamers and showing us an interesting take on Disney characters
17:58 – Flame Princess (Adventure Time) is known for her hot temper and shares her secret for a rigid hair look
20:16 – Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) picked this one of the four because he’s smart. Temari (Naruto) is from a sand village and is bad ass. She explains how her fan works and at what point you should be worried for your life. Leonardo is working on some other costumes
23:41 – Stan Lee talks about his latest projects and does some Q&A with the true believers
Raw Studios founder Thomas Jane and Tim Bradstreet will once again be return to Long Beach Comic & Horror Con for the fourth year in a row.
“Raw Studios and The Long Beach Comic & Horror Con have enjoyed a great relationship over the first 4 years of the show,” said Thomas Jane. “LBCHC treats their guests with the utmost respect and friendship. In many ways we consider the show to be our “home base” in terms of representing our company in a convention atmosphere.”
Raw Studios will be on hand to meet with attendees, sign autographs, draw sketches and generally have a weekend full of fantastic conversations. And if you miss them at their booth, Raw Studios will also play host to several panels, which will feature news, Q&A sessions and screenings of some of Jane’s film projects. You might remember seeing the Punisher short “Dirty Laundry” on Youtube over the summer.
You can see Thomas Jane, Raw Studios and many other special guests and exhibitors at Long Beach Comic & Horror Con (LBCHC). The LBCHC will be open on Saturday, November 3 from 10:00am to 7:00pm, and from 10:00am to 5:00pm on Sunday, November 4. Check their website for regular updates on guests, panels, and hotel information. We hope to see you there.
One of the biggest attractions at the 2012 Comikaze was the Zombie Apocalypse Escape inside the South Hall K. Fans of zombie survival were treated with a large course to test their ability to escape the deadly clutch of zombies.
I met up with one of the course survivors to get his reaction and feelings about the course. We also spoke with Justin McNeal about the Zombie Apocalypse Escape’s learned more about the course, challenges of logistics, the talents behind the scene, who escaped the course with the fastest time, and where the company is headed next.
We didn’t capture as much footage of last weekend as we had hoped. Sorry guys. There’s no costume contest video 🙁
Check out some interviews with cosplay fans below.
00:00 – Steampunk fans tell us why they love the culture. It’s very accepting but remember to bring some katanas for self-defense
02:03 – Marvel Girl and a gender bender Catwoman. He loves her because she has good taste. Marvel Girl wanted to take a picture with Stan Lee. She wants another X-Men movie done right and Catwoman agrees. Her favorite moment is watching other fans loose their cool while meeting Stan Lee
04:20 – Henchman of the Mighty Monarch (Venture Brothers) are a little older than most of the kids out at Comikaze but they just as much spirit and enthusiasm. They would love to see a movie made or a Dr. Strange.
07:10 – Tifa Lockheart is a standard cosplay character at conventions and this one picked Tifa Lockheart because of peer pressure. She games a lot and hopes to one day work for Disney.
10:02 – This New California Republic Soldier (Fallout) is somewhat obscure but still gets recognized by gamers. He wanted to cosplay a character that was less known and he really pulled it off. He’s studying history but doesn’t know what he’ll do with the degree. His flag doubles up as a signature canvas.
13:10 – The R2D2 couple caught the attention of many people and cameras. All you could hear is “Awwwww”
14:28 – Walter White (Breaking Bad) is a fan of the show and shares with us the secrets to making the meth used in the show (raspberry rock candy)
16:09 – I ran into a lot of memory card issues while recording this interview. What a shame. Suki (Avatar: The Last Airbender) wanted to show her face entirely. She made the costume herself and worked on her costume for months. She liked the costumes of the movie but doesn’t offer any praise for the movie.
18:25 – Steampunk Storm (X-Men) is part of a group of cosplay friends who really turned heads with their rendition of a steampunk X-Men. It’s hard to tell, but she’s a bit older than she looks (came to this country in the 60’s).
While walking through the halls of the 2012 Comikaze, I noticed a booth that looked very patriotic. The booth was sprawled with red, white, and blue. On closer inspection, I discovered what appeared to be a campaign booth. Suddenly it hit me. 30 Rock’s Dot Com was here at Comikaze and running for president. Oddly, he seemed to go unnoticed among all the fantastical booths but it looked like he had an important mission to share with the folks. He was at Comikaze for something bigger than comics.
Dot Com was nice enough to tell me about his campaign and didn’t dodge the hard ball questions I threw at him. Is America ready for Dot Com?
Be sure to follow Kevin Brown on Twitter for all the latest campaign news : @dotcom30rock
With Stan Lee and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, at the helm, this Comikaze Expo looks to be quite epic.
There is already an event called “Elvira’s Horror Hunt”, which looks to be as they call it on the site:
… outrageous and unapologetic brand of humor and horror film savvy to a competition that’s one part movie review show, one part film festival, and all parts funny as hell.
A full list of events has not yet been released on their site.
Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo states it is a Comics, Gaming, ASci-Fi, Fantasy, Anime and Horror convention, and their guest list reflects that. Todd McFarlane … you remember him? Yeah, he’ll be there. Tara Strong, famous voice actress, Lou Ferrigno (best known as Incredible Hulk tv series), James Hong, and many more. See the full guest list here.
Last year, Comikaze had a “All That” reunion. And this year, they are continuing to renew our nostalgia (well for older folks like me) by having a “Salute Your Shorts” reunion!
This only the second year of this event, but it looks to be even bigger and better than last years! Stay tuned for more news and updates.
00:00 – SF-A2 Miki (Vocaloid) is known for having a voice similar to Miku.
01:34 – Kaito (Vocaloid) is known for singing and being a computer person tells us how her aunt played a big role in her cosplay efforts
03:13 – Derpy Hooves (My Little Pony) is known for derping and works for a moving company
05:32 – Sister Tender Shall is nice and white but a very evil person. She also cosplays Zombie Miku
08:10 – James (Team Rocket) is missing a wig. He chose this character because it’s fun playing a bad guy. He’s seen many boobs over the weekend and even had some hands-on time. He server for the marines and now works for the cable company
10:04 – Frank West from Dead Rising has a great vented mask. His costume is very impressive for a first time and it’s good to know he’s a caregiver
12:38 – At first, I thought I was dealing with a girl… because of the outfit… then I realized this fellow had just put in lots of time to perfect this look of a death knight night elf from World of Warcraft. He shares the agony of focusing on building his costume
16:27 – Battle Bunny Riven (League of Legends) likes cosplaying different video game characters and beating a game a week
18:59 – John Egbert (Homestuck) is known for being silly and aloof and talks about his first experience with anime
21:25 – Fans of the japanese harajuku talk about crazy fans asking for too many pictures and wanting to be a sex slave
23:36 – Sheryl Nome (Macross Frontier) has been working on her outfit for a year and it really shows. She gets energy from anime and explains she can learn so much from anime. She even did her thesis on cosplay
28:03 – Censorship is a group of guys capitalizing on fans trying to see some skin
30:20 – Some Avatar cosplay fans discuss his method to maintaining his fit body
31:58 – Once again, the Pokemen put on a show
33:34 – Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin (Ouran High School Host Club) are known for the twincest. They talk about the anime scene in Chicago being much smaller. They mention running into some wild fans with interesting requests
37:08 – Gingerbread man doesn’t want anyone seeing his face38:50 – Some swimmer guy is known for swimming and catches me off guard with questions of his own. We discuss Ninja Scroll
00:00 – Pinkie Pie (My Little Pony) is known for parties and ball-breaking and discusses the challenges of standing out as in the overly saturated vlog world. Check out his youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/RandomEncountersEnt
03:34 – Moka Akashiya (Rosario + Vampire) is sweet and has a split personality and is slightly crazy like most women. She’s going to school to become a veterinarian and is big fan of venomous reptiles. She traveled all the way from Utah to be at the convention and is also going to the San Diego Comic Convention. Stick around and watch her get proposed to by a horse head fan
08:06 – A group of cosplayers show off their very well crafted Alice in Wonderland costumes and talk about their first experience with anime. Their name is The Antics, but I can’t seem to find them on Facebook
10:28 – Seong Mi-na (Soul Calibur) shares a great story about how she got into playing the game (hint: it all started at a laundromat). She’s a Japanese tutor and shares her experience of being around during the earthquake. She also talks about a hidden ninja village
14:47 Harley Quinn (Batman) gives an intimate explanation of why she likes her character and why she chose her major in college
17:25 – Panty (Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt) is known for being an angel that uses her panties to fend off bad guys. She loves cosplaying and hopes to travel around the globe
19:37 – Sally (Nightmare Before Christmas) isn’t much of a chatter but I definitely recognize the group from other conventions
20:57 – Harle (Chrono Cross) is one of the bad characters of the game. Her costume is amazing and she traveled all the way from Quebec and decided to pack costume for her vacation. Her red eyes scare me.
23:12 – Samus (Metroid) loves the complexity of her costume. I don’t remember the character having a Monroe piercing though. She’s a big fan of the red power ranger because he embodies the spirit of the conventions
25:29 – The anime expo dancer shares some time telling us how she got into anime.
26:54 – the infamous red ranger tangos with another cosplayer. Watch out for the bulge
28:38 – Hurcule (Dragon Ball) embraces his character. Once I find out he’s a chef, we talk about his experience with strange orders and the beauty of food trucks
31:15 – Frederic Chopin (Eternal Sonata) loves cosplaying Mega Man and plans to watch a soccer match for the 4th. He really wants to cosplay Voldo from Soul Calibur
34:09 – Katrina (League of Legends) plays a lot and discusses her gaming tactics. She dualed with the Fiddlesticks. She is studying pharmacy because she loves health care but hates dealing with blood
38:15 – Asagi (D) finds the vocalist to be creative. She is studying costume design and wants to create her own fashion brand
39:47 – Facebook profile is funny and getting lots of laughs. You can even place your face in his window and be his friend. I ask him about his history with anime and he discusses the joys of fansubbing. He prefers old anime.
