Anime Expo 2015 took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center July 2 – 5. The convention was filled with special events featuring guests from here and abroad, an expanded Exhibit Hall, and a wide range of activities that kept everyone entertained.
Man, it has been quite a while, since I have stepped into a convention floor. And I am glad it was at Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo Los Angeles. This convention is a good one because it’s just big enough to be fun but not so big that there’s too many people there and not enough room.
This year, with the popularity of Guardians of the Galaxy, there were more cosplay related to that – Starlords and Groots. And of course, Disney Frozen was represented with multiple Elsas and Annas. Unexpectedly, I saw husband and wife, Adam and Barbara, from Beetlejuice and a couple of female Army of Darkness Ash(es).
Comic book conventions are wonderful, because the range of what cosplayers dress as varies greatly. From current popular movies, to classics like Beetlejuice or even Big Trouble in Little China. But as always, I’m impressed with everyone’s talent and effort that they put into their cosplay.
View the gallery below and if you’re a cosplayer, see if you can find yourself.
Also, I threw my cousin in a couple of pictures, because I like messing with the kid. It was his first time at a convention and so, I wanted to make him feel awkward standing by living comic book characters.
It’s been a pretty long time. I finally returned to Comikaze to talk with cosplay fans at the 2014 Comikaze Expo. If I had to sum up trending costumes, I’d say Marvel has really figured out how put obscure characters in the spotlight. I saw MANY people dressed up as characters from Guardians of the Galaxy. I probably should have talked with some…
00:00 A basketball showcase
00:39 I’ve never been more creeped out/impressed with a take on Bram Stoker’s Dracula than this. Check out her work here.
01:44 Wall-E and Eve wander the halls gather attention from many. It’s very impressive how Eve floats right next to him.
02:08 A fan favorite, R2D2 shows it’s inner child, literally
02:22 Aang is really a Jimmy John’s delivery guy from Wyoming. Who would have guessed?
03:37 El Chapulín Colorado is not very well known. That’s because he’s from Mexico. He’s a clumsy hero with a hammer
04:14 Uncle Fester is a regular at the conventions and I finally spoke to him about how he transformed into the lovable oddity. He assured me that he’s carrying real fat and actually more scary without the makeup.
06:03 Radioactive man is an original creation that shines bright. He works with electronics so the costume probably was a cinch to make.
07:38 It’s a guy with a small body or a puppet with a large head. This is a pretty fun costume and the guy pulls it off well. Check out his work at lincolnworld.com.
09:00 Zapp Brannigan and Leela tell us about their love for Futurama and energy efficiency.
Interviewing Futurama’s Leela and Zapp Brannigan
11:17 fans try to break a world record of connected Tetris pieces.
11:44 a very impressive Slender Man cosplayer strides across the halls on tall stilts
11:52 Smoke (Mortal Kombat) loves every single Mortal Kombat and plays Diablo and hopes to get Dragon Age Inquisition. She shares her thoughts on gamergate. Oh yeah. She’s also vegan. Check her out on Facebook
14:05 Raiden was probably one of my favorite cosplay fans. It’s probably because I just like led lights. His hard work of constructing the outfit for 3 months definitely paid off. We get his thoughts on the future of Mortal Kombat on the big screen. When he’s not Raiden, he’s a longshoreman.
16:03 I’ve always heard how crazy Game of Thrones. I’ve only watched the first episode and was pretty shocked at not just the nudity but very carnal nature of the show. It seemed that I would find very young fans getting into the spirit of some characters from one of TV’s grittiest shows. I asked about the dragon and it turns out to be a creation of one’s mother who’s a big fan of the show.
18:38 Harley Quinn loves being fun and awesome while carrying a bat around. If there was another Batman movie with Harley Quinn, she’d want Sarah Michelle Gellar to play her because she loves Buffy. She’s a musical theater dancer that dreams of being on Broadway.
21:07 These two girls do Anna and Elsa from Frozen so naturally because they’re sisters! One is in marketing and one is a scientist.
22:52 I bumped into the Chicano Joker/Harley Quinn represent the Mexicans of Southern California.
Interviewing Chicano Joker
24:14 I probably sound like the biggest ignoramus when it comes to Lord of the Rings. How crazy is the facial hair on Fili and Kili. They agree with me on the franchise being stretched out a bit thin. They’re no stranger to the cosplay scene.
28:00 Hellboy loves men with giant fists and wants to be a game artist.
30:26 Mystique is a model that’s been in makeup since 9am. This is her first Comikaze and she’s very impressed with the large robotic cosplayers. Check out EI School of Professional Makeup if you’re seriously into makeup.
32:28 The Pikmin do it all for the ladies.
33:40 A weeping angel from Dr. Who can send you back in time and tells us who her favorite Dr. Who is. She took a month and a half to make her costume. She wants to be a homicide detective.
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
Doctor Who is the longest running sci fi show in history. It first went on the air in November 23, 1963, a year before Star Trek hit the airwaves.
This year celebrates its 50th anniversary, and below are some videos of how that celebration will be… well, celebrated.
Not only will the special be broadcasted on television, but it’ll be in theatres and then released on DVD two weeks after.
We get to see the current Doctor, Smith, join forces with the fan favorite 10th Doctor, Tennant. Fun will certainly be had by all.
I have a couple thoughts as to what this special will be about, but they might be spoilers.
WWE’s 2013 SummerSlam was held at Staples Center in Los Angeles. WWE also transformed neighboring Nokia Plaza into the ultimate fan event SummerSlam Axxess. Fans got a chance to get autographs from WWE Superstars, purchase official WWE gear, watch live matches, and much more. SummerSlam Axxess was the perfect holiday getaway for all wrestling fans.
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.
View the images below:
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.
View some of the images below in the gallery.
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.
For full information, you can find it at their main website: http://www.longbeachcomiccon.com/
Better late than never!
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.