Category Archives: Events

Comikaze Aftermath with Photos

Comikaze was a triumph!  It’s hard to overstate our satisfaction with Comikaze Expo.  We were amazed by the dedication of the volunteers and the very huge turnout of fans.

There were so many things and people to see and here are some of the highlights (listed in no particular order):

  • Smaller venue – This one is a bit misleading, because the venue was just right for the occasion.  It wasn’t as massive of a scale as San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) but as a smaller venue it still maintains its fun.  There weren’t too many people to dodge (sort of) when walking around.  We watched 2 guys in full body suits go into an impromptu dance off and everybody was cheering at the end of it.  At the end of the convention, we saw a Jurassic Park hunter and raptor chasing each other on a Power Wheel Jeep throughout the floors of the convention.
  • Low cost – We believe this was the leading reason why the turnout was so great.  For $20, you get to go for both days.  At such a low cost, it doesn’t bleed out your wallet. Now you have money to buy any item at the convention like comic books, artwork, plushies, swords and so on.  Other low price promos, such as Groupon and Goldstar, helped in creating a good crowd as well.
  • Diversity of the booths – There was a lot of options available of varying interest, from a steampunk outfitter to your regular toy/plushie/comic book vendors. They even had a tattoo artist booth, that were available to give you a tattoo on the spot!
  • Celebrities – There was an incredible number of fans that came for headliners Stan Lee and Elvira!  Fans lined up and stretched for quite a while. Even when the locations would change a bit, the fans just shifted over and continued to wait in the long line just to meet their favorite celebrity.  The venue was intimate enough to meet and converse with other celebrities like Ernest Borgnine, Miracle Laurie and/or Garrett Wang (Ensign Harry Kim of Star Trek Voyager). In fact, we learned that Sean Kanan, who was the villian in Karate Kid Part III, has a cookbook!
  • Artist signing/drawings – Being able to get custom art or purchasing some of the art (whether it was a poster or a shirt) from your favorite artist is always great.  Sure you may see their work in comics and web sites, but being able to talk to them in person is always a nice bonus on top of supporting them.  There was even an artist who was willing to draw you in zombie form.
  • Informative panels that was both funny and engaging – Morgan Fairchild knows a great deal of paleontology.  Garrett Wang watched the 2009 Star Trek Movie nine times.  Being able to debate who would in a fight is always fun, well besides facing Batman (he has an answer for everybody).
  • Costume Masquerade – A bit unorganized at first, and it was standing room area, but it was nice to see the turnout of cosplayers in quality and quantity.  Costumes were fantastic!  We saw so many well done costumes, there’s too many to list (thankfully we have photos below).  The three hosts (Dante, Chun Li and Jake from Blues Brothers) did an excellent job of maintaining order and keeping it fun.

Here are things we thought that could’ve been better (listed in no particular order):

  • No time schedule/program readily available – Though there was a schedule posted at each booths and makeshift rooms (more on that later), there was a sense of confusion when you didn’t quite know when some panels were going on.  This was slightly addressed on Sunday when there was a time schedule printed on a poster board near the front, but there were many that weren’t aware of where Room 306 AB was or that a panel even existed up there.
  • Makeshift rooms – There is an understanding this is the first convention so we’re hoping this one will get addressed.  The sound was atrocious as the people within the panels would become hard to listen, mostly because of the ambient noises from the convention itself.  Some people could break through the curtained off areas to sneak into the panel from the side (good or bad thing).

Despite the minor complaints, it was a great outing and we look forward to seeing this event next year!  Likewise Mark has been posting quite a few videos we took as well.  Enjoy the crazy amount of photos we took that weekend!  Photos were courtesy of Danny and myself and have been combined for your entertainment.

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 took place November 5-6, 2011 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.

Please go to the official Comikaze Expo page for additional information.

2011 Long Beach Comic Convention: Angus Oblong Scared Me

Angus Oblong is an interesting person. If you saw him on the streets, I’m not sure you’d recognize him right away. I say that because he wore his usual face paint at the Long Beach Comic Convention.

Many of you may be more familiar with his series, The Oblongs, which was recently salvaged by Adult Swim, purveyors of once under-appreciated works like Family Guy and Futurama.

Angus Oblong talks about making art for his own amusement and offers indispensable advise for aspiring artists. I was admittedly intimidated by his appearance despite the fact I really felt a connection with his art. I wish I could have spent more time asking him questions but I was clearly unprepared for the man I met. Take a look below.

Discover more about Angus Oblong:
twitter
his site

2011 Long Beach Comic Convention: Brian Buccellato Talks Flash

We talked briefly with Brian Buccellato at the 2011 Long Beach Comic Convention where he discussed The Flash’s appeal, DC’s slow output of movies, and who he’d pick to star and direct in The Flash movie reboot.

Learn more about Brian Buccellato:
twitter
his blog

2011 Comikaze: Interview with Miracle Laurie

I won’t lie. I was scared to ask Miracle Laurie for a few minutes of on camera Q & A. She’s tall, attractive, dresses well, and I didn’t know a thing about her. Luckily that didn’t matter to David, who was bold enough to push me out of the nest like a confident mother bird.

Miracle Laurie was kind and patient enough to answer a few questions with us. She discusses her character on Dollhouse, what drew her to the role, challenges of portraying the character, the geek in her wanting to play Wonder Woman, thoughts on 3D, what makes Comikaze different from other conventions, masks freaking her out, Goodnight BurbankThe First Ride of Wyatt Earp, working with Alan Cummings, a ukulele cover band she’s in with her husband, Uke Box Heroes, her favorite songs to cover, and the need for a physical keyboard on her phone.

Check out more of Miracle Laurie on the web:
Uke Box Heroes on iTunes
HDNet’s Goodnight Burbank
twitter

 

 

 

 

2011 Long Beach Comic Convention: Chris Moreno Talks About “Zombie Dickheads”

Freelance comic artist, Chris Moreno, gave us a few minutes to talk about his latest project: Zombie Dickheads. It’s a unique twist on the zombie apocalypse where some zombies DON’T eat people. Moreno also chats about his source of inspiration and discusses the relevance of tablets like the iPad and Kindle in the comic industry.

Check out more of Chris Moreno’s work:
http://www.chrismoreno.org/
deviantART
http://zombiedickheads.blogspot.com
twitter

2011 Long Beach Comic Convention: Who Is The Cannibal Banana?

During our visit to the 2011 Long Beach Comic Convention, we bumped into (and thankfully didn’t slip) the Cannibal Banana. We asked what his deal was and he gave us details about the character’s motives, his potassium seeking goggles that help him with a deficiency, and weighed in on a hypothetical Twilight versus Jersey Shore battle.

It turned out the Cannibal Banana was just a booth banana for Sheika Lugtu (@OMGcow).  You can check out her quirky online comic diary here.

2011 Comikaze: Interview With STEFCON 1 From The Los Angeles Derby Dolls

The Los Angeles Derby Dolls were at Comikaze promoting their league. I was lucky enough to check out an intense game a few weeks ago (Tough Cookies versus Sirens), so I was excited to chat with them for a few minutes and find out more about the sport and players.

STEFCON 1 gave us the low down on the history of its founders, the fresh meat program, public classes, injuries (broken collar bones, ankles, tail bone injures, wrists), other roller derby associations, the league’s involvement in “Whip It”,  the growth of bank track leagues, hanging out with other teams after the game, and getting hit on by guys and girls.

If you’re in the Los Angeles area, I definitely recommend checking out the Derby Dolls:
twitter: @laderbydolls 
tumblr: http://laderbydolls.tumblr.com/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laderbydolls

 

Sorry about the video glitches. My camera is on it’s way to Canon for repair 🙁

Long Beach Comic Convention Hosts Inaugural Masquerade Ball

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.
Here is footage of the show

 

 

This is the 2011 Long Beach Zombie Walk

If zombies were real, they’d be our worst nightmare. The thought of people chasing us at a fast pace or at a slow crawl sends chills down the spine of even the toughest person you know. The image of even the most eloquent man slowly losing the ability to express coherent messages is also tragic. Just imagine your closest friend with ghoulishly pale/purple skin slowly diverging from rational behavior. And let’s face it, cannibalism is NOT socially acceptable. There is no corner or room safe enough to protect us from the relentless hunger of a zombie. No matter how far we run, zombies can smell us and hunt us down. What’s worst, zombies multiple.

Until they become a reality, let’s embrace them and have fun with the idea. Let’s line up in droves for zombie movies and buy zombie t-shirts. Let’s count down the days until Halloween so that we may shred a blazer, rip a blouse, apply facial paint, smear fake blood, use colored contacts, and even use makeup that makes it look like our skin is falling off our bodies.

Last weekend, people showed their love for zombies by transforming into the undead and joining the 2011 Long Beach Zombie Walk in an effort to break records. However, the participants didn’t just transform into the zombie version of their regular themselves. They used the event to express their creative sides and come up with interesting spins on the zombie. Instead of regular ol’ zombie Joe, they changed into zombie Bob’s Big Boy holding a severed Burger King King’s head.

The best part about a zombie walk is that there are no barriers to entry. We saw kids, teens, adults, elderly, couples, and entire families participating. Take a look at nearly 20 minutes of footage and see how many different zombies you spot. Here are some we’ve found:

00:00 zombie at the door
00:44 zombie Mario, zombie nurse
01:14 zombie Captain America
01:31 zombie cowboy
02:05 zombie bunny
02:25 zombie Kick-Ass
02:43 zombie fisherman
03:11 zombie doctor
03:20 zombie ward patient
03:31 zombie ship captain
03:41 waldo
03:59 zombie hippies
06:16 zombie eating head
06:42 zombie Michael Jackson
07:01 zombie Fred Flintstone
08:16 “KEEP Brains MEDICINAL”
08:24 “Zombies Occupy Long Beach. We are the 99%”
08:43 zombie in a straight jacket
08:56 zombie fireman
09:43 zombie nerd, zombie pilot
10:21 zombie Akuma

00:02 zombie Mr. T
00:07 “will work for brains”
00:27 zombie priest
00:41 Bill Lumberg (not zombie)
01:36 Tyrone Biggums
02:13 zombie cop
02:38 zombie bride
02:46 “EQUAL RIGHTS FOR THE DISEMBODIED DEAD”
03:40 zombie pirate
03:49 zombie Bob’s Big Boy
05:41 zombie Caltrans worker
06:07 zombie soldier
06:30 zombie prisoner
07:18 zombie patient with blood drip
07:47 zombie geisha
08:12 zombie Marilyn Monroe

The Force Is Strong with Comikaze Expo!

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.

Check his IMDB page or Wikipedia page for a full list of credits.

He’ll be there at the Sushi Girl Panel Nov 5th at 5pm! Room 306AB!  I for one, can’t wait for this weekend!

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Long Beach Comic Con & Horror Con This Weekend!

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.

Full Program Schedule can be found here

For more information including tickets and parking can be found at the Long Beach Comic Con website

2012 CES Entertainment Matters Program Names Eliza Dushku Ambassador

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

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