Tag Archives: comikaze

2014 Comikaze Expo: Cosplay Pictures (day 2)

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.

 2014 Comikaze Expo Cosplay Pictures

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2012 Comikaze: Zombie Apocalypse Escape

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.

2012 Comikaze: Talking With Cosplay Fans (Day 1)

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).

2012 Comikaze: Dot Com (aka Kevin Brown) Is Running for President

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

Stan Lee’s Comikaze is Almost Here

Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo

September 15-16, 2012

Los Angeles Convention Center

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.

You can buy the full price tickets on TicketLeap here

If you are looking for some discounted tickets for that weekend head over to Goldstar.

 

Read about last year’s report and see pictures of our experience at Comikaze Expo here.

2011 Comikaze: Talking with Cosplay Fans

Yup. We did it again. Another intimate look at cosplay fans. Check out the clips below and discover who showed up at the 2011 Comikaze.

00:00 Nerfpunk (Nerf + Steampunk mashup) talks about supporting Comikaze because it’s for the geeks, by the geeks. Check her out on the web and on twitter: @MakeUpBySiryn
02:11 A psychology student cosplays Link (Legend of Zelda)
03:13 A sheriff cosplays Pyramid head and explains he loves the character’s darkness.
05:29 A 6th grade student teacher cosplays a deku from Legend of Zelda (Ocarina of Time) and says “no comment” when asked how to solve the education system’s problems
08:01 Ariel (Little Mermaid), cosplayed by a visual effects artist that worked on Arthur Christmas, talks about the use of 3D in movies giving her a headache. Check her out on Facebook
10:51 A TSA agent cosplays Joel Robinson (Mystery Science Theater 3000) says she likes Comikaze because it goes back to the roots of comics. If you’re a friend, add her on Facebook
14:07 Amazing Spider-Man talks reboots, the moral values of Peter Parker, the spark on kids’ face. He’ll be joining the military in a couple of years.
16:18 We weren’t able to get inside the Mark Hamill panel for Sushi Girl, but did talk to some people waiting in line. The first talks about his thoughts on Comikaze as the first convention he’s ever been to. He mentions seeing Stan Lee in person being quite a treat. I ask his buddy about Star Wars who tells me which episode is his favorite and shares thoughts about George Lucas’ revisions.
20:47 This guy was one of my favorites of this convention. I’m so glad I stumbled across this fellow. This Snow Trooper (Episode V) also talks about George Lucas’ changes, using the help of 501st.com to make his costume, and his German origins. I became instantly fascinated with his background and learned he was a marketing student who loves how friendly people are in Califorina but hates the speed limits on freeways.
24:46 A fan briefly explains why he loves the Joker. We weren’t able to talk with him more due to the line moving into the hall
25:02 A fan does a mashup of Simpsons and Dragon Ball Z to create: Hegeta (Homer + Vegeta). He offers a suggestion of how the Simpsons should end the show and talks about why the Dragon Ball Z movie was a flop and how they could make a reboot better.
29:28 We knew there would be plenty of Elvira fans since this was her last convention appearance. I caught up with one fan who explains why she loves Elvira, meeting Elvira, and if anyone else can fill Elvira’s shoes. I asked about her personal life and she explained she’s an assistant editor for a film trailer house, Ignition Creative. Check out her deviantart profile here
32:28 A fan cosplays Rainbow Dash, the fastest pony in all of Equestria, talks about putting her blood and sweat into making her costume. Follow her on twitter: @mkpresson. When I ask her about the craziest thing she’s seen, she points to a guy just to her left who turns out to be playing a character from Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride.

00:00 A very chatty, original costume, cosplay fan talks about his custom work, making moccasins, and being a Hawaiian cowboy. Check out his pizza businss on Facebook
03:49 The green man we chatted with earlier ends up in a battle/dance with another full body suit guy. Hilarity ensues.
05:04 Guy Gardner (Green Lantern) loves being a total douche and says he’d reboot the Star Wars movies.
06:50 Steampunk peacock. Check out her steampunk group here and follow her on twitter: @saintchimo
08:51 Girls and Corpses representative has trouble convincing me why people have a corpse fetish
10:39 A pool boy cosplays a Tusken Raider
12:52 Phantom of the Opera talks about being dragged into conventions by her daughter
14:25 Another fan takes method acting very seriously and doesn’t get out of character as Rorschach (Watchmen)
15:07 A college student cosplays Allen Walker. She wants to be a costume designer and we think she’s onto a good start
17:05 The Red Shirt Army from Star Trek. Check out their youtube channel here and follow them on twitter: @inprovence
19:50 A steampunk couple does it right. It’s always nice to see couples get into the spirit of things together and really invest some considerable time and effort into their costumes
23:23 A fan cosplays Speed Racer and talks about his first car. Follow him on twitter: @jaysethan and check out his site
26:19 This fan cosplays Gem (Tron Legacy) and really pulls it off. She works for the Disney Channel as a satellite operator. Follow her on twitter: @annisse
28:57 This guy helps demonstrate why its fun to ask what people do for a living. He’s an optician that cosplays Cyclops.
30:59 I really love watching childhood favorites come to life. This guy obviously put serious money and time into his Predator costume. He does IT work for an elementary school.
32:25 A young industrial design student traveled all the way from Atlanta and cosplays Rydia (Final Fantasy IV). I love that the cute Anya photobombs in the beginning of the video. Follow her on twitter: @mnikalee

00:00 Costume contest: includes Spy Versus Spy, Anya (Gears of War), Rydia (Final Fantasy IV), Mandalorians (Star Wars), Predator, Deadpool, Jurassic Park, Squirrel Girl, Jedi Bob’s Big Boy, Henchman (Venture Brothers), Black Widow, Cloud (Final Fantasy VII), Dr. Doom, Cobra Commander, Joker, Belle (Beauty and the Beast), the same Poison Ivy from the Anime Expo (@megturney), Wonder Woman, Gem, Putty (Power Rangers), Master Chief (Halo), Lloyd Dobler, Pyramid Head, Rainbow Dash, Catwoman, Rogue (X-Men), Cyberman
13:20 Anya (Gears of War) talks about why she loves the game and Comikaze and says what she’ll buy if she wins the $500
14:46 Putty (Power Rangers)
15:53 Squirrel Girl turns out to be a real character in the Marvel World! I also love how animated she is! Add her on Facebook if you’re a friend and follow her on tumblr
19:24 Winners of the costume contest are announced
24:45 Jurassic Park couple
26:22 A gender bender cosplay fan talks about his character being known for being a slut. I can’t make out the name of the character. If you recognize the character, comment below!

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 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 🙁

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, No More! Comikaze Expo is Her Final Convention Appearance

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 Coming to Los Angeles on November 5 and 6.

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.

Find more information on their website.

Tickets are only $12, but if you want discounted tickets, you can purchase them off of Goldstar.