Category Archives: Conventions

2012 Los Angeles Anime Expo: Talking with Cosplay Fans (Day 2)

Did you like what we did last year? Here we go again! Check out what this years anime fans.


00:00 – Pink castle crasher is known for throwing rainbows everywhere.

00:53 – this guy is a nameless character from the Monster Hunter series gets his armor from a slain Congalala. He took 3 months making his costume and hasn’t slept in 2 days.

03:18 – LeBlanc from League of Legends has definitely put some time into her costume and has plans to design them for a living.

04:40 – Porco Rosso was a flying ace but avoids planes himself. He’s a video editor that shares his thoughts on 3D.

05:49 – An announcer from an upcoming steampunk webseries, Tinker, is out trying to promote their work. Check them out at on facebook. Their gear was provided by Wonderland Studios (Anaheim)

07:12 – I catch a special rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody performed by some guys and Master Chief.

08:19 – Static Shock is known for putting a shock to your system and shares his suggestion to story tellers of ending things on a high note rather than dragging them out.

10:20 – Gender bender Ran Yakumo from Touhou has a very complicated background as being a boss. She’s a middle child of the Yakumo family. His outfit has amazing stitchwork. You definitely want to go full screen HD for this guy. He also talks about the difference between the Los Angeles convention versus Sakuracon.

13:24 – My Neighbor Totoro is one of Miyazuki’s most noteable works. Her mom helped her with this costume and also helps a lot for Halloween. I express some concern and she tells me she feels like she’s in a sauna but about to take a break. She mentions getting very excited over seeing some no-faces.

15:37 – Madame Red from Kuroshitsuji is known for killing whores and loves her character’s depth and awesomeness.

17:13 – Lulu from Final Fantasy X loves her character’s costume and is seriously warm in her costume.

19:17 – Rikku from Final Fantasy X has taken years to create her outfit.

20:55 – One of the most talked about costumes, Fiddlesticks from League of Legends, bouts with another champion.

21:29 – Morgana from League of Legends isn’t a big gamer because she’s busy studying nutrition. She hasn’t heard about the proposed big soda ban in New York but thinks it’s a good idea. Check her out on facebook

22:54 – Rinoa Heartilly from Final Fantasy VIII is known for looking cute and being the main character’s lover. She talks about the logistic challenges of living far away from a convention.

25:01 – Mumbo Jumbo from Banjo-Kazooie is a magical character.

26:26 – The Green Ranger from the Power Rangers loves that his character took on all of the rangers and the ability to summon his monster on his own. He shares his thoughts on rebooting the series and the joy he had living in Japan.

28:40 – I can’t make out who this character is. She’s known for being pretty and also cosplays Black Rock Shooter. She loves anime because it’s fun to watch.

00:00 – Jinbei (One Piece) spent 3 months working on his outfit because he has no sewing skills.

01:08 – Genderbender Marissa (Tohou) is a jerk and has me looking at myself through his glasses. He notes the weekend is super packed since the X Games were going on at the same time. I ask him how he’s celebrating the 4th of July and without missing a beat he shows me his patriotic undergarments. He’s a civil servant.

02:14 – Dr. Kawashima from Brain Age has plenty to say and is very passionate about the game.

04:14 – Hetalia: Axis Powers represented by Italy, Prussia, Germany, America, England, and Hungary. They say the worst thing they’ve seen is ugly naked people.

07:28 – This version of the Cheshire Cat has a few tattoos recently graduated with a drawing and painting degree that she thinks is useless. Check her out anyway: facebook / jentakeda.com

09:29 – Majora’s Mask (Legend of Zelda) is Japanese and feels a strong connection with Anime. I ask her where the best place to get ramen and she says there’s a great place in Fullerton

12:29 – Axe Cop is a web comic that Fox recently picked up and talks about a few people mixing him up with real security. He’s an actor that’s done some commercials in Miami

14:19 – Who says Twilight Sparkle My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic can’t have a goatee? He loves seeking out knowledge.

16:47 – A steampunk couple explain why they love the genre.

18:32 – Rick Grimes loves killing zombies and cosplaying other zombie killers like Chris Redfield

20:02 – Tony Tony Chopper (One Piece) and Splicer (Bioshock). Tony Tony Chopper is holding cotton that she wishes was cotton candy

22:00 – Batman (cubecrafting edition) is a bit of a mashup and likes everything about anime and is studying criminal justice

23:20 – Reggie “My body is ready” Fils-Aime is a meme that has trouble seeing

24:54 – Thor finished her costume in 3 months because she got lazy. She explains that she likes gender bending because she’s not a big giant strong man but still loves the characters

26:36 – Pico (Boku no Pico) / Yuki (Tsuritama) are having a dangerous amount of fun and probably scaring children away. His water gun is definitely rated mature

28:20 – Jenova (Final Fantasy 7) definitely recognizes me. She talks about the challenges of making a costume being in your head and where she buys her materials. Check her group, SAUCEtown Cosplay. They are one of the best cosplayers out there drawing cameras towards them constantly at conventions. And how does one from SAUCEtown cosplay celebrate the 4th? Eating a trifle, of course!

Anime Expo, X Games, VidCon: What are you doing this weekend, L.A.?

With the fourth of July coming up fast, you lose track of time. If you live in the Los Angeles area, or are willing to travel here from wherever, there are some big events happening right now and into the weekend.

Anime Expo

Anime Expo (or AX) is the largest anime convention in the United States.  Featured events include the Masquerade cosplay contest, the Anime Music Video competition, Video Game Contests, and even a Karaoke contest. There is a long list of creators and voice actors that will be at the event Anime Expo also has a large variety of focus panels, workshops, and events, some of which are fan or industry sponsored. Finally, there are also a number of film and video rooms presenting anime screenings that run all day and night.

Overall, at this convention, I’ve seen really great cosplay outfits. They rival cosplay that I’ve seen at San Diego Comic-Con. Great stuff out there.  Anime Expo starts today.

For more information see their official site: http://www.anime-expo.org/

(Note, some of the main events do require an additional ticket that is not covered in the regular convention ticket.)

[Read more of our last year’s coverage of Anime Expo here.]

 

X Games 18

X Games is an annual sport event, by ESPN, which focuses on action sports. It’s the summer X Games, so events include Freestyle BMX, Skateboard, Motorcross, and even Rally racing.  It’s happening in the Los Angeles area, including the Staples Center, LA Live, and Nokia Theatre.

You’ve seen it on TV, why not see it in real life.

Find tickets here: http://www.ticketmaster.com/ESPN-X-Games-tickets/artist/976171

VidCon

VidCon is the world’s first and largest Online Video Conference/Convention. Organized by Hank and John Green of the Vlogbrothers YouTube channel, VidCon is the largest gathering of the online video community worldwide, drawing thousands of attendees representing billions of online video views.

Tomorrow will be the last day for this con. For more information you can view their official site: http://www.vidcon.com/

WonderCon: Talking with Cosplay Fans (Day 3)

So this post should have been up much sooner but I was busy doing other things.

00:00 – Joker and Harlequin loves that his character is so sporadic

01:27 – Captain America loves his character’s love for America

03:18 – A Underworld death dealer has very convincing fangs talks about a gender bender cosplayer that will scar her for life

05:55 – Peter Pan loves never growing up and cosplaying other Disney characters

07:10 – Ariel (Little Mermaid) claims she is not a hoarder but wants you to visit her under the sea

08:50 – Skull kid (Zelda) is a mini-boss is older than he sounds and supports PETA

10:35 – Kato (Green Hornet) thought Jay Chow did a great job as Kato even though he didn’t like the movie much.

12:13 – Talon is way into his character says the craziest thing he’s seen is his creator nerdgasming over him

14:07 – this original character is a steampunk/rogue warrior is very impressive looking. Check out her cosplay page on Facebook

15:47 – Kromp is known for stealing, drug deals, putting children on sex trade, and thinks elmo is a unic. He gives indispensable advice for surviving the ghetto. Check out more kromp at puppetmayhem.com

18:30 – The pedo bear thinks we’ll believe he is a pokemon player. He’s studying child development and knows kids love candy

19:59 – storm trooper escorts Chewbacca

20:18 – Scarecrow’s outfit has gone through several redesigns

22:05 – Red Robin doesn’t care for the new Batman movie. He doesn’t like the look of Nolan’s versions of the Batman

23:18 – Star Wars cosplayers gives a special message to George Lucas

24:33 – The Ice King loves his character’s swag

25:25 – Yuna (Final Fantasy) loves her kickass character

WonderCon 2012: Interview with Alex “Ultra” Buckner (Ultra Sabers)

One of the busiest booths at WonderCon was run by Ultra Sabers. Workers were constantly moving, showing off, and assembling light sabers. A convention with avid fans was definitely the right place to sell a lot of sabers.

I talked with Alex Buckner about how the company started and was rooted in building his kids light sabers that were more durable than the retail ones that were expensive and often broke so easily. Through growing requests from friends, Alex recognized his talent of making light sabers could be turned into a business. One of the main selling points of Ultra Sabers is the fact they are produced with cosplay choreography specifically in mind. Unlike other sabers in the market, you can strike Ultra Sabers together and not worry about lights going out.

As far as unconventional light saber blades goes, Alex noted some common requests include trident blades, curved blades, and very long blades.

If you thought they looked busy at the convention, Ultra Sabers knows how to crank out light sabers. Alex noted that a comic book store once ordered 500 blades.

Although these blades won’t actually disembowel your foes, I was curious about the steps necessary to fly with a light saber. Alex noted after proper disassembly, they can be transported and recognized as a flash light by the TSA.

The journey to a perfect light saber is never ending. When I poked Alex for what the future holds for saber wielding fans, he was tight lipped about details but hinted at advanced components for the next generation of sabers.

Check out Ultra Sabers on the web: ultrasabers.com and like them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UltraSabers

WonderCon: Interview with Katie Leigh

Voice actors are an interesting bunch of people. Take the Simpsons. They’ve been on the air for years now. Would you recognize the voice actors if you saw them while shopping at your local supermarket? We know the voices but often overlook the faces behind them.

Katie Leigh spoke with us and gave us the low down on her accomplishments as a voice-over actor. One of her biggest achievements is being on the longest running radio show, Adventures in Odyssey as Connie Kendall. Katie also talked about the challenges of auditioning and keeping her voice in shape. She also offers advice for aspiring voice-over actors but says she doesn’t have plans to give up voice acting because she enjoys working with great people.

Check her out online at katieleigh.com

WonderCon: Talking with Cosplay Fans (Day 2)

00:01 – Rocketeer talks about loving jet packs as a kid and who he thinks would make a great Rocketeer if the franchise was rebooted
01:28 – Bad Girl (No More Heroes) likes that her character is a psycho despite her cute dress and mentions getting photobombed by Big Bird
04:12 – Knights Who Say Ni (Monty Python and the Holy Grail) sends a special St. Patrick’s Day message to all
05:35 – Zombie Snow wants to do special effects makeup and shares her influences
07:30 – Vulcan Zombie Red Shirt is another fun mashup and introduces a term to me: “bi-fi” (Stars Wars AND Star Trek fan)
09:29 – Chowder is known for eating and talks about running in the rain to avoid messing up his makeup is a big fan of Guillermo Del Toro
11:30 – Joker would actually prefer to be Flash
13:05 – A steampunk fan caught my attention with a creature on her shoulder and talks about the convention scene in her neck of the woods.
15:03 – Spade Slick is much less known figure but still shows up at WonderCon
16:51 – Soranik Natu (Green Lantern) would love to see more of the Green Lantern Corps talks about meeting a man with a green lantern wedding band
19:25 – The Mad Masker and Samara (Mass Effect) are very impressive. The Mad Masker talks about the most complicated mask she’s made
23:03 – Batman likes his character because he is relate-able and is trying his hardest to stay away from trailers. Batgirl talks about photobombing and tackling someone, on accident of course. Check out his site: http://batmandeathwish.com/
25:13 – I try to get find gold every day and this was probably it for day 2. A gender bender Batgirl gets lots of folks to take his picture. He owns it and knows that’s what people like. I had a problem with the recording so some of this fabulous interview gets cut 🙁
27:50 – Rick Grimes (Walking Dead) was kind of to talk to me after being harassed by another cosplay fan for various poses.
29:47 – The Riddler loves the intelligence of his character (and also the neurosis aspect). He’s a big fan of Jim Lee and particularly loves the way he makes the Justice League look
32:02 – Ang (Avatar the Last Airbender) loves his characters development and talks about getting some spotlight with the music composer of The Legend of Korra
33:51 – Super Skrull really made me laugh and you can see how much I lose control of the camera. Check out his Facebook page
36:00 – An avid convention fan talks about his love for comics and creators
37:46 – Jar Jar Binks stays in character. I don’t even know what happened here

WonderCon: Interview with Ed Luce

At first I thought I saw David Cross venturing into a new endeavor of comic books. I stepped closer and met the man behind Wuvable Oaf.

Like many great artists, Ed Luce prefers letting people experience and interpret his characters on their own. He describes Wuvable Oaf as a “queer Scott Pilgrim” and a melting pot of his interests. Growing up, Ed read Marvel and DC comics, and eventually grew into illustrating. He confesses he didn’t feel his style had the necessary polish for super heroes. He later dove into the world of independent comics such as Eightball and the Hernandez brothers. His fine art background further shaped his style of using detail and big shapes.

I asked about crowd reaction to his work and Ed mentioned a few security guards finding connection with the oaf. Ed commented that everybody knows a wuvable oaf (it’s true!) and that the figure even transcends sex.

Check out the Wuvable Oaf online and follow the Wuvable Oaf on twitter: @wuvableoaf

WonderCon: Interview with Kyle Brummond (Splatter Comics)

Co-creator of Splatter Comics, Kyle Brummond, talked to us about their fresh approach to story telling. Kyle describes the multimedia experience of Splatter Comics that combines still images, voice acting, sound effects, and narration.

Kyle later shares the inspiration of Splatter Comics’ latest creation, Army of Nun, starting from a bumper sticker. He also notes the benefits of Google when researching the subject as well as talking with friends who were in real life experiences.

Those interested will be pleased to hear that Splatter Comics is offering their content for free online with the possibility of print versions later.

We start talking about movies and Kyle mentions a famous book series he would be interested in seeing on the big screen. Obviously, I had to ask Kyle who he would pick to portray the lead role in Army of Nun.

Check out Splatter Comics online

WonderCon: Toonhole

Remember when we talked to Toonhole last year? They became one of our favorites.

We decided to stop by their booth at WonderCon and see how life has changed for them. What did we find? Laughs. Nothing but laughs. Old or young, everyone who peaked into the world of Toonhole left smiling. This time around, Toonhole Chris was present.

The boys were nice enough to share some time with us and talk about their busy agenda filled with appearances at more conventions like HempCon San Jose (June 15-17, 2012). I asked about their creative process and discovered the key to their comedy is heavy drinking and embracing sensitive subjects. Toonhole also revealed the benefits of having the strongest cartoonists on the web.

If you aren’t following them on twitter (@toonhole) or checking out their site, what are you doing with your life?!?

WonderCon: Interview with Ken Tanaka

Ken Tanaka spoke with us and brought us into his heavy hitting book, “Everybody Dies, A Children’s Book for Grown Ups”. Ken describes his style as Ken Tanaka-esq and says he is also working on another title called “Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What the Fuck”.

Ken recalls his early interest in comic conventions and being encouraged by friends like David Mack.

See more of Ken Tanaka here and follow him on twitter: @kentanakalovesu