The Long Beach Comic Convention held its inaugural Masquerade Ball hosted by Mike Shields. Contestants showcased well crafted costumes in an effort to impress a small panel of judges. There were numerous awards given for different categories. Costumes included:
Gothic Toy Box
Alice in Wonderland
Devilman
Indiana Jones
Monarch Henchman
Captain America
Green Lantern
Halo Spartan – Benedict Choy
Bellatrix Lestrange
Dark Phoenix & Deadpool – Amanda & Greg
Princess Eilonwy – Amy Brown
Kick-Ass
Steamfunk (Steampunk + 70’s Funk mashup)
Velociraptor – Rene Carmel
Wonder Woman
Chekov, Sulu, Dr. MCcoy
Mike Shields did a fantastic job of keeping the crowd entertained and the show moving. We look forward to seeing him continuing this event as a tradition at the Long Beach Comic Convention.
Just when you thought meeting Stan Lee and Elvira was awesome, word on the street is that Mark Hamill will also be attending Comikaze Expo this weekend!
Just let that sink in for few seconds.
Guess what, tickets are still $12 for one day or $20 for a two day pass!
In case you don’t know (I really hope you do know who he is), Mark Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord Ozai in Nickelodeon‘s Avatar: The Last Airbender, and various other animated series, films, and video games.
Long Beach Comic Con is happening this weekend! Tickets are still on sale. Individual days are $25, and the 2 day weekend pass is $45 (savings of $5).
There will be a special Robot Chicken panel on Saturday at 3:00 pm. Co-creators/executive producers/directors/writers Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, executive producer/head writer Tom Root, actor/writer Breckin Meyer and writers Erik Weiner and Matt Beans are scheduled to be present in the panel. A Q&A, clips from upcoming episodes of season 5 (DVD on sale 10/25, a sneak preview of the exciting next steps for the hit series are some things you should expect to see.
For all you Simpsons fan, there’s going to be a Simpsons Treehouse of Horror panel. Jane Wiedlin (The Go-Gos), Tom Hodges (Clone Wars) and Bill Morrison (The Simpsons) will talk about Jane and Tom’s Treehouse of Horror story. The panel will be on Saturday in Room 103A at 11:00 AM, followed by a signing at the Golden Apple booth.
Other guests include Iron Man 3 director Shane Black, legendary filmmaker John Carpenter, and the entire cast of The Guild.
The Entertainment Matters Program just appointed Eliza Dushku as ambassador for the 2012 Consumer Electronic Show.
Eliza Dushku, a self-proclaimed tech geek, is no stranger to the digital entertainment community, engaging with fans through Twitter, tumblr, various voice acting roles in video games (Fight Night Champion, Wet, Saints Row 2), and an appearance on The Guild
That’s right, after November 6th, Elvira, the Mistress of the Dark, will no longer be making convention appearances. Comikaze Expo, at the Los Angeles Convention Center, will mark the last convention appearance of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. As the official “spooksperson” of Comikaze Expo, Elvira (aka Cassandra Peterson) will sign autographs, pose for photos with fans and take part in various events throughout the Expo.
Elvira became a household name as the host of Elvira’s Movie Macabre, the first nationally syndicated horror movie show. The weekly series featured the sexy, outrageous movie hostess’ sharp wit and clever banter throughout her tongue-in-cheek commentary of B-movie classics. Her reign as ‘Queen of Halloween’ spans three decades and includes two feature films, her long-running series and two motion control rides. Her appearance at Comikaze Expo solidifies the event’s commitment to horror fans and promises to be a memorable experience for all.
Comikaze Expo is the largest multimedia pop culture convention in Los Angeles. This unique event brings together the best in comics, gaming, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, anime and all other cult programming. Comikaze takes place November 5-6 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and offers a slate of innovative programming, panels, contests and other activities that provide fans access to their favorite artists and creators in this adventure-packed weekend. The event will kick off with an appearance by the father of modern comics, Stan Lee, at the event’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Tickets are already on sale for an awesome price of $12 and kids under 12 get in for free. Please go to the official Comikaze Expo page for additional information and a full list of scheduled guests and events.
Twelve bucks for a convention ticket isn’t gonna break the bank. Heck, parking usually costs that much. I’m quite excited to see what this convention will offer and how fun it will be. Come back for more information as the con draws near.
Comikaze Expo is Los Angeles’ first and only large-scale, multi-media pop culture convention. Guests of honor include legendary comic book created Stan Lee, and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Additionally, there will be star-studded panels with artists, writers and creators and cast reunions from Nickelodeon’s All That and the Police Academy movies.
Comikaze also boasts independent film screenings, live shows, celebrity appearances, fan contests, games, portfolio reviews and even a masquerade ball. Expect this expo to be a bit different than your regular comic convention, as Comikaze seems to focus more on the community and culture.
Blizzard’s BlizzCon 2011 is coming around the corner, it’s on October 21-22, 2011, and we decided to help post a guide and photos for new visitors or veterans of the convention. For those who want to skip to the gallery, make the jump.
Buying your ticket(s)
Easier said than done, since the event has been sold out since tickets were available this year. Generally, in order to go to this event, it does require you to queue in a electronic line and purchase your tickets online. However, for those who couldn’t purchase their tickets in time, there is always the Virtual Ticket (online streaming of the event). If streaming doesn’t sound appealing, there are also other means such as Craigslist and Ebay, but always exercise caution with those two options. If the price is at an unbelievable price, chances are it’s too good to be true.
Taking care of your body
This usually goes without saying, but sometimes we get a little excited for an event like this! Get plenty of rest, it’s going to be a long two days and you’ll want to be on your best form when pwning faces in StarCraft II or striking up an interesting conversation about why the Alliance is better than the Horde with another person. You may be on your feet for an extended amount of time either waiting in line to purchase merchandise, to try a game, and/or a booth offering free prizes. Get some breakfast before heading on down to the Anaheim Convention Center, stay hydrated, and get some coffee if needed. There are seats at panels for you to rest, if your legs get tired. Remember about hygiene too, you don’t want to scare somebody with your bad BO!
Understand the audience
Usually people who attend this are already true fans of the series, but sometimes significant others or new people do visit. Knowing what certain things, mean can help bridge the gap of confusion if this is new to you.
People who dress up may not always be professional models, but may be huge fans of series they represent. Always ask to take their photos, most will be glad to pose for the shots unless they are in a hurry. Don’t take it as a sleight against you if they refuse, as sometimes people have places to go or events to get ready for like the Costume Contest. They are on their feet for the entire day practically, so make sure to them thank for their time and hard work!
From the WarCraft series, red colors would signify the Horde and blue colors represent the Alliance. Allegiances run thick within this culture and many times you may hear shouts for each respected side (“For the Horde” and “For the Alliance”). However, don’t be too quick to judge other people just on the basis of preference. Respect each other for what they bring to the table and remember that without the other, the game would be completely boring (goes for all series and life). Everybody is here for the love of the game and variety is the spice of life!
Diablo, in short, is an action role-playing game about stopping the Lord of Terror. StarCraft is a real time strategy game involving three different factions with a rich storyline affecting each other set in space. Check Wikipedia or other wiki sources for more information on Warcraft, Diablo, and the StarCraft series.
When in doubt and you don’t know what to say, yell “For the Horde!”
Planning your day
Plan ahead! This can potentially save you time instead of wandering around aimlessly (though that isn’t a bad thing either). Check the BlizzCon forums for costume meeting times (they usually meet by the fountains) or realm meet up times (Gorgonnash FTW). Blizzard usually posts the schedules online (they are currently tentative at the moment) so plan around them accordingly. Some events may fill up faster than others (especially the popular events or panels). If you have any questions you want to ask a dev team or celebrity, write them advance. There is usually a Q&A session following each panel.
Charge your electronics
Don’t forget to charge your batteries for your camera, phone and any other electronic devices. Bring spare batteries if needed especially for your camera (and extra memory cards). A handheld game like Nintendo DS or 3DS can be handy when you’re waiting in a long line or waiting for the next panel to begin.
Costumes
Not everybody needs to dress up in a costume. But for those who do, I salute you! For the veterans, there shouldn’t be any need to mention preparation. For those who are thinking of dressing up, sometimes the simple things are the best things. I remember two years ago, somebody came as a Level 1 Human Warrior and it was a major hit! Find something you enjoy and run with it. Like Mark mentioned in the Anime Expo article, “mashups = fun” and “mobility is inversely related to costume appeal.” Keep in mind that you may be stopped a lot for photo opportunities. A trend we notice last year was a lot of glowing light and stilt related costumes. Whatever you choose to dress up as, be safe with your costume choices (those stilts are crazy)!
If you are dressing up in costume, try to get some rest, as those last minute fixes and/or touchups can be quite stressful. Try to knock out your costume beforehand so you won’t be as stressed (easier said than done). You have until October 10th to register for the Dance and Costume Contest, if that is something you’re interested in.
Purchase merchandise early
If you already have your ticket (including virtual ticket holders), you can purchase from the Blizzard Store online on the BlizzCon page. The reason why is those lines for the Blizzard merchandise stores can be quite long! If you do purchase the day of, try to go when there is a big event where a lot of people may go. Lines usually thin out around the end of day and on the last day as well, but so does item stocks. Signs should be posted when items sell out.
Save up and know what item you want to get beforehand. Some vendors have exclusives for BlizzCon only so be on the lookout for that.
Food/Drinks
Despite that there are plenty of food and drink options that Anaheim Convention Center can provide, don’t forget to take a look at Google maps to see what’s outside the convention. The convention itself, does provide an cash bar (over 21 and older of course). If you drink, please be careful and have a designated driver! For more food options, there is a shuttle nearby that takes you to Downtown Disney as well.
Have fun!
Regardless of what you may be doing, there are tons of things for you to do at the event. In the past there was booth games to win prizes, treasure hunting, caricature drawings (be warned those lines can go long too), and more! For those visiting Anaheim or the Los Angeles area there’s always other tourist-y things, like Disneyland, California Adventure and Universal Studio Hollywood.
Take a look down below for photos from last year BlizzCon 2010! This may lean a bit heavier towards Lady Blaumeux in the beginning (a good friend of mine I bumped into last year).
BlizzCon is a celebration of the global player communities surrounding the Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo universes. The sixth BlizzCon will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on Friday, October 21 and Saturday, October 22, 2011. For more information visit www.blizzcon.com
Activision held it’s inaugural Call of Duty XP event, which was a 2 day event for gamers and fans of the series to connect through activities beyond gaming. Located within a large hangar in Playa Vista, California, fans were treated to various activities including:
Hands-on gaming booths for all recent games in the series: Modern Warfare 2, World at War, Black Ops, Call of Duty 4, and of course Modern Warfare 3. Since this event was sponsored by Xbox 360, there were no Playstation 3’s on site.
$1,000,000 tournament
2012 Jeep Wrangler course
Two paintball gun maps: Pit (Modern Warfare 2) and Scrapyard (Modern Warfare 2). I only made it in time for one of the maps, Scrapyard, but had a blast! This was my absolute first experience with a paintball gun. Even though I played defensive and stayed close to the base (Domination mode), I was able to score some great hits against the other team. The best part is that the guns looked like real arms (I had an M4). They provided 140 rounds, a mask, vest, and a jumpsuit. You get the keep the jumpsuit, which is great if you’re able to keep it spotless or in one piece. I probably should have worn tennis shoes rather than boots. Luckily I didn’t leave with any welts which is something I can’t say for other players.
Burger Town: yup. Haven’t you always wanted to taste what this Burger King parody has to offer. Apparently if you asked for “Special Sauce” they’d give you a shirt! They ran out when we tried though 🙁
Face painting. Get your “Ghost” on or choose from a folder of possible face paint options.
A sumo fighting ring
Black Ops cover art picture booth. This one was very addictive! Pose with a rifle or 2 pistols, recreating the Black Ops cover art with whatever goofy gangster pose you can come up with.
Zip line. This was one of the activities I wish I had done and taken video of doing.
Tons of free experimental Mountain Dew samples. I don’t think anyone turned into a zombie yet, right?
A gift bag containing a poster, Doritos and oh yeah… a redeemable code for Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition! Considering entrance was $150, this was definitely a lovely treat. Since the redemption page required an address and NOT a gamer tag, I’m guessing Activision is sending hard copies of the game?
Live sets by Dropkick Murphy’s (September 2) and Kanye West (September 3). As one of the biggest names in music entertainment, I can only imagine how much of a pay day for Kanye West this was. Since I only went on Saturday, I can’t comment on the Dropkick Murphy’s set. For Kanye West, however, I was expecting a small set. As I waited with thousands of others, watching the stage slowly take shape, I quickly realized the large hangar was hardly enough to contain the level of theatrics that I would soon witness. Kudos to Kanye West and Activision for pulling this off. While hardly related to gaming, this show added tremendous value to the seemingly high entrance cost. If you were dedicated enough or wait early, you could definitely get a pit level equivalent view. Kanye West did nearly all of his hit singles and that’s lots (I wish he did “Heard ‘Em Say”). Kanye West had 3 acts filled with high energy, laser lighting, and many dancers (Think classy like Cirque Du Soleil/ballet). I wonder what the Dropkick Murphy’s show was like. Check out the pics below.
Long Beach Comic Con – Lance Henriksen and David Finch are coming to Long Beach Comic Con on Oct 29-30, 2011.
I remember seeing Lance Henriksen spewing milk during his “death” scene in Aliens. Ever since then, I can’t drink milk without thinking of that scene. Of course, he’s been pretty active since that memorable film moment, appearing in many other movies, in TV series, even in video games.
In fact, LBCC is his last stop for his book tour of his biography, “Not Bad For a Human – The Life and Films of Lance Henriksen”. The book features art by several artists, including Eric Powell, Sienkiewicz, Mike Mignola, Tim Bradstreet, Ashley Wood, Kelley Jones and Tom Mandrake.
On the flip side, is David Finch who hasn’t worked in the film industry like Henriksen. He started out in Top Cow Productions on the popular Cyberforce title. Since then, he’s worked on various Marvel titles, such as Ultimate X-Men, Avengers, and World War Hulk. As of January 2010, Finch is signed onto DC as an exclusive artist. He’ll be writing and drawing a new series, “Batman: The Dark Knight”.
On March 16 to the 18th 2012, Anaheim, CA is getting a new tenant and its WonderCon! Traditionally in San Francisco, Wondercon finds itself having to either cancel the show or move due to renovation at San Francisco’s Moscone Center. In reaction to WonderCon announcement, ReedPop’s C2E2, which has been waiting to announce dates for its own show in March 2012, will now seek alternative dates while Wizard World has announced that it will postpone its April 2012 Anaheim show to help alleviate an overcrowded calendar.
“It certainly was not our wish to move,” commented David Glanzer, director of marketing and public relations for the nonprofit event. “However, when faced with the prospect of canceling the show for a year or moving locations, after careful consideration we decided to keep WonderCon on the 2012 calendar at a venue that could accommodate our needs.”
Though I am a bit sad to know they had to move, I am happier to know that its moved significantly closer to home
MAD Event Management is proudly presenting their 2nd annual Long Beach Comic-Con (LBCC) on October 29 and 30th!
An annual event held at the Long Beach Convention Center each fall, it is a celebration of comic books and pop culture. Within you’ll find talented writers, artists, illustrators, and creators of all types of pop culture. Likewise you can also find exhibitors promoting and selling various products, guest signings, and meet and greet sessions with celebrities. Some of this years guests include Felicia Day (actress from The Guild), Amanda Conner (artist and illustrator of Power Girl and Atlee), and Stan Sakai (creator of Usagi Yojimbo) just to name a few!
There are a couple exclusives such “Zombie Hero Exclusive Print” by Arthur Suydam (Hero Initiative). Other events include the LBCC Masquerade Ball, various tourneys for World of Warcraft TCG and Magic the Gathering and more!
Comic-Con has come and gone and we are a bit sad by that, but good times were had by all and this year was simply outstanding! What were your favorite moments? What costume/cosplay outfit stood out to you the most? Can’t wait to see more ?
We’ll keep you posted with our aftermath coverage but for now save the date for next year! July 12th to the 15th 2012!
