Long Beach Comic Con Announces Highlights From Its Guest List, Full Programming Slate & Key Initiatives for September 12 & 13th, 2015

Long Beach Comic Con Announces Highlights From Its Guest List, Full Programming Slate
& Key Initiatives for September 12 & 13th, 2015

Long Beach, CA (September 2, 2015) – In advance of the seventh annual Long Beach Comic Con, MAD Event Management announced today highlights from its guest list, the full slate of programming for the convention and several major initiatives. All told, the convention will play host to more than 175 guests, 100 panels, and 300 artist alley exhibitors and more than 475 exhibitors. The convention will be held September 12th and 13th in the main exhibition hall at the Long Beach Comic Convention Center.

This year’s Long Beach Comic Con guest list is amazingly diverse with over 175 guests, including:
  • Popular TV, Film & gaming stars:
    • John Barrowman (Merlin from ARROW);
    • Chloe Bennet (Skye on MARVEL’S AGENTS OF SHIELD);
    • Peter Shinkoda and Tommy Walker (Marvel’s DAREDEVIL)
    • Maitland Ward Baxter (BOY MEETS GIRL).

  • Acclaimed TV & Film writers:
    • Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas (Marvel Entertainment’s AGENT CARTER);
    • Christos Gage and Ruth Fletcher Gage (Marvel’s DAREDEVIL);
    • Marc Guggenheim (ARROW);
    • Jeff King (WHITE COLLAR);
    • Man of Action’s Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau and Steven T. Seagle), the creators of BEN 10  and the team/characters in BIG HERO 6

  • More than 150 comic book writers and artists:
    • Legendary artist Art Adams (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY TEAM UP);
    • Kris Anka (Marvel’s CAPTAIN MARVEL)
    • Joe Casey (SEX)
    • Adam Kubert and the Joe Kubert School, making their first appearance at a Long Beach Show;
    • Joshua Hale Fialkov (THE LIFE AFTER);
    • Kyle Higgins (C.O.W.L.)
    • Joe Kelly (I KILL GIANTS)
    • Dustin Nguyen (DESCENDER);
    • David Petersen, celebrating the 10th anniversary of MOUSE GUARD;
    • Duncan Rouleau (THE GREAT UNKNOWN)
    • Stan Sakai, the legendary creator of USAGI YOJIMBO;
    • Steven T. Seagle (It’s a bird …)
    • Marc Silvestri, popular artist and CEO of Top Cow Productions;
    • STAR WARS artists Stuart and Kathryn Immonen;
    • Legendary writers Len Wein (SWAMP THING) and Marv Wolfman (NEW TEEN TITANS).

  • Cosplay fan favorites:
    • Nicole Marie Jean
    • Miss Chrissy Lynn;
    • Raychul Moore;
    • Destiny Nickelsen;
    • International Cosplayer Giada Robin;
    • Vampy Bit Me;
    • Vegas Power Girl.

“Long Beach Comic Con is a celebration of the creative arts,” said Long Beach Comic Con Executive Director and Co-Founder Martha Donato. “In addition to panels devoted to DC Entertainment, Marvel Entertainment, Aspen Comics, Image Comics and Dark Horse Comics, we have amazing, family-friendly programming dedicated to animation, tv, film and novels and exhibitors and sponsors such as Columbia Memorial Space Center, Lionsgate Films, and T-Mobile and sponsors like Bernina and Kettle.

Programming highlights include:
  • Anniversary panels for 30 Years of ROBOTECH animation and 10 years of MOUSE GUARD graphic novels;
  • Breaking Into Hollywood A conversation with Ralph Garman (BATMAN ‘66 MEETS THE GREEN HORNET), Joshua Fialkov (AFRO SAMURAI: RESURRECTION), Marc Guggenheim (ARROW) and Kyle Higgins (THE LEAGUE), moderated by Aaron Couch, LA Digital News Editor of People Magazine;
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer panel;
  • “Couples Therapy”, in which KROQ ‘s Ralph Garman talks with Hollywood power couple Tara Butters (MARVEL’S AGENTS OF SHIELD) and Marc Guggenheim (ARROW);
  • The Devastator Presents: Funny Book Fest;
  • Dwayne McDuffie Awards Announcements of nominees for the award, to be presented at Long Beach Comic Expo next spring;
  • GeekFest Film Fest, including three full length feature films, short films, web series and fan films including a “Star Wars Musical”;
  • How to Conquer the Animation World with James Ganiere (CEO at Rio Vista Universal), Dean DeBlois (writer and director of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 3), Mike Morris (Animator for THE SIMPSONS), Terran Gregory (Project Director at Blizzard Entertainment) and Forrest Whaley (ForrestFire101 – Maker Studio/YouTube).
  • #PerformanceMatters. Creating your Character in Video Games. Troy Baker (BATMAN: ASSAULT ON ARKHAM), Crispin Freeman (WORLD OF WARCRAFT), Phil LaMarr (MWETAL GEAR SOLID 2), Liam O’Brien (WORLD OF WARCRAFT), America Young (HALO 5) and Thom Willams (MIDDLE EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR)
  • Psychology of Daredevil. Join Dr. Andrea Letamendi, who has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Christos Gage and Ruth Fletcher Gage, writers on Netflix’s original DAREDEVIL series, and actors Tommy Walker (Francis) and Peter Shinkoda (Nobu) as they discuss the intersection of psychology and comic books, specifically focusing on the characters they write and play on DAREDEVIL.
  • A Q &A with John Barrowman;
  • Shades & Shadows Reading Series including a live show;
  • A STAR WARS panel with Brian Miller , illustrator for Topps, novelist Cecil Castellucci (STAR WARS: MOVING TARGET), and Stuart Immonen, artist for Marvel’s best selling STAR WARS comic books.
  • 2 days of #MakeComics panels devoted to teaching aspiring writers and artists how to make comics.

New initiatives and exclusives include:

  • Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles
Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles
Due to generous donations and grants, 200 greater Los Angeles girls—including 100 girls from underserved communities—will take part in a program that includes meeting comic professionals, playing laser tag and attending a workshop where they can earn their Comic Book Artist and Novelist badges. This year actress Chloe Bennet, who plays Skye on MARVEL’S AGENTS OF SHIELD, will be presenting the girls with their Comic Artist badges.  

“At the Long Beach Comic Con, middle school and high school Girl Scouts will be able to work one-on-one with professional comic book artists, writers, editors, and young adult novelists to create a comic book page from start to finish,” said Lise L. Luttgens, Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles’ Chief Executive Officer. “Girl Scouts is all about giving girls access to hands-on experiences that empower them to discover and pursue their passions, and this unique collaboration with the Long Beach Comic Con is a perfect example of that.”

  • Golden Apple LBCC-Exclusive STAR WARS variant cover
Exhibitor Golden Apple Comics will sell a Long Beach Comic Con exclusive edition of STAR WARS: SHATTERED EMPIRE issue 1 with a cover by artist Phil Noto. The comic is an exclusive available through Golden Apple and GameFly. Golden Apple will be exhibiting at LBCC at booth # 1024.

  • The Hero Initiative Limited Edition Beer designed by artist Clayton Crain
The Hero Initiative, a charity dedicated to helping comic book creators in financial need, has partnered with Los Angeles brewery MacLeod Ale for a limited-edition label for The King’s Taxes Scottish Ale, designed by GHOST RIDER and CARNAGE artist Clayton Crain. The art will appear on a limited run of bottles, signed prints and commemorative glasses. Hero Initiative will host a special tasting from 6 PM to 9 PM Saturday, and have a full selection of The King’s Taxes merchandise available.

  • LifeStream Blood Bank, a not-for-profit blood bank with host a blood drive on site

  • A MAGIC: THE GATHERING tournament
CoastCardsAndCollectibles.com will host a Magic the Gathering tournament, which will include on-demand Origins Drafts and Standard Constructed as well as running Standard Constructed and Modern Main Events.  Kids(12 and under) will also have exclusive Pokemon and MtG events on both days!”

  • The Inaugural Long Beach Space Expo
The Columbia Memorial Space Center is partnering with Long Beach Comic Con for Space Expo 2015, an innovative and one-of-a-kind program that will connect comic book convention attendees directly with the world of scientific discovery. Panels will be held featuring top aerospace industry notables discussing hot button scientific topics and there will be interactive exhibits featuring robotics, 3D printing, and even a spacesuit – all curated by Columbia Memorial Space Center, the prestigious CA-based learning center dedicated to bringing the wonder and excitement of science to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

“The Space Expo is an innovative way to connect the public to space and science,” said Columbia Memorial Space Center President Ben Dickow. “Instead of making people come to us, we’re taking science and technology to them with two full days of activities and speakers who are at the top of the space field. The Expo will give the public the opportunity to interact directly with NASA professionals and space explorers. We’ve put together the largest collection of JPL scientists we know of, outside of an academic conference, all ready to share their love of space with you!”

Enjoy an exciting weekend full of exceptional guests and exhibitors, and engaging panels, at Long Beach Comic Con, Saturday, September 12 from 10:00 am – 7:00 pm and Sunday, September 13 from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm at the Long Beach Convention Center. The show opens to advance ticket holders both days at 9:30 AM. Tickets are available now through the website: www.longbeachcomiccon.com.

San Diego Comic Con 2015 Report: Part 3


Other events and stuff! With Star Wars and its new film around the corner there was a big sneak preview with an orchestra with the main actors from the film hosted behind the convention center. We were luckily, though surprised, to learn the event since we had a view of the fireworks from our hotel room and only found out it was Star Wars related the next day.

There was also a Nintendo exhibition event at the hotel where attendees can play games and win prizes. 

The big outside event this year was talk show host Conan O’Brian hosting his show at the downtown San Diego theater. Guests of his included Game of Thrones, Walking Dead and more.

Right outside the convention center was also an Assassins Creed outdoor obstacle course (ala American Ninja Warrior) and a barbershop onsite! There was a Heroes tv outdoor set experience and small events sprinkled throughout the Gas lamp District as well.

San Diego Comic Con 2015 Report: Part 2


Why do we attend Comic Con? It’s mostly due to meeting the comic creators that do not show up at other Southern California shows. This year at the DC, Marvel, Dark Horse and Image booths we were able to meet and get signatures and sometimes sketches from creators such as Billy Tan, Siya Oum, Chrissie Zullo, David Finch, Jock, Marjorie Liu, Chip Zdarksy, Tom Yeates and Len Wein.
The Marvel booth is usually the busiest booth (non-product related) on the floor but this year with no movie premier event happening the location was more subdued though still traffic heavy. 
There was a lack of big-name artists/writers appearing there and the usual people that appears such as J. Scott Campbell, Mark Brooks, Humberto Ramos either didn’t have appearances there or no longer even sketched for free. 
DC’s booth was split into two signing areas which did cause confusion with attendees at times when which table a creator would be appearing at was unknown causing line-ups for them to spiral into oblivion. 
One of the quicker booths to get autographs and sketches was Dark Horse, possibly due to having some not-as-well know creators signing which caused be to go ahead and get in their signing queue since it was very quick and Dark Horse providing free posters or mini-prints for the creators to sign. 
Image had a more wrist-band needed line-up this year (e.g. Chew, Snyder, McFarlane, etc.) but was a bit more easily obtained if you went directly to their booth once the doors opened. Fortunately Image had limits on the amount of wristbands they gave out which helped fans not get cut-off due to time limits of the creators.
IDW had some good signing events throughout the week and creators such as Mike Zeck and Don Rose appeared and signed happily for their fans.

San Diego Comic Con 2015 Report: Part 1


Another San Diego Comic Con has come and gone and while the convention keeps getting bigger and bigger, this year’s comic-centered events seemed a bit more low-key (if that’s possible at SDCC) that previous years. Possibly due to Marvel not bringing in a movie-themed property to their booth or DC only bringing in their Batman v. Superman cast for one appearance, the excitement to meet comic creators didn’t wow or go as big as even SDCC 2014. 

It’s still an overwhelming event and one that is set to dull the senses, Comic Con was a fun event to attend and experience even though SDCC 2015 wouldn’t be ranked among my highlights of all comic conventions this year.

Preview Night

Badge pick-up was smooth with a quick line up and then the corralling into the Sails Pavilion in order to get to the main hall. For a 3-hour day that opens at 6pm, people were lined up already around 1pm.

As usual the herds of people and scalpers marching into the convention hall on preview night meant the hot exclusives would be gone even before we made it onto the floor. Exhibitors are well grounded on getting to the lines of retailers first, even swapping out their exhibitor badges with general passes in order to circumvent some of the line rules.

An infuriating item for me this year as the DC Comics Jim Lee Batman sketch exclusive figure which  was set to retail for $300 but DC decided to dived the 150 figures to floor retailers for some reason meaning by the time the doors first opened they were already marked up to $1,000!

Due to the inevitable long lines for all the SDCC exclusives this was the first year we did not line up to buy any of the con exclusive items.

Google Nexus 5 not detected by computer help!

After a recent Windows update, trying to connect my Google Nexus 5 phone did not work. Simply connecting the device brought a message that Windows did not recognize the device and the device was now recognized as an “Unknow Device”.

After first trying a different USB cable, and then checking to update the driver the MTP/PTP settings was the culprit. After finding the thread at the link below, changing the setting from the Nexus 5 from MTP to PTP and then plugging the device back to my computer work. The computer finally recognized the Nexus 5 as a Portable Device!

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/23914469/google-nexus-5-is-not-being-detected-by-computer-doesnt-appear-in-device-manage

Comic Convention Report: Star Wars Celebration 2015 Review (Los Angeles, CA, (4/16-4/19/2015)

Star Wars Celebration 2015 was held in Anaheim at the Convention Center from April 16-19. This four day event was the first Star Wars Celebration held in the city and the follow-up to the one held back in 2012 in Germany.


With the new Star Wars movie due out later this year and the past event two years ago in Europe, you bet that the event was crowded and packed to the gills. Parking at the convention was made worse with the front parking lot off Katella Ave. roped off due to construction with many attendees being directed to the Anaheim Angels baseball stadium for parking.


On Thursday the beginning of the Celebration kicked off with a panel of the director and major stars of the movie along with the reveal of the second trailer for the movie which caused many a fans to camp out overnight to be able to attend the main hall event with the stars.


Those of us that were not able to fit into the main hall were moved into other meeting rooms to watch both the panel and trailer on the screens. After the trailer was shown, it was replayed one more time and then attendees were given a limited edition Force Awakens poster.


The exhibit hall was packed with mainly vendors and a small artist alley. There were many backdrops from the Star Wars universe attendants could take pictures with as well as a good amount of cosplayers at the event.


Actors from the film were not available in the exhibit hall and could only be met via purchase of photo op or signing tickets, which of course caused people at the event to mainly line up for exclusives or the booths that had interactivity attached to them; which of course caused major lines for every booth there.



If you did not want to mainly walk the floor, you could also attend panels for which got filled up fast and if you did not make it to the panel by the time the doors closed you would not be admitted in.



With the lack of guests to interact with and booths at the event mainly relegated to selling Star Wars trinkets that you could buy online or at your local store, the lines for freebies or booths such as the Battlefront, Star Wars XD sections and booths selling exclusives such as Funko, Hot Wheels, were hours long.


There were some odd choices for the event such as an alley just for onsite tattoos. The artist alley was very small with no more than 20 artists inside a closed off area.


I was able to walk the main floor and see a majority of the vendors all within a few hours. With the lack of novelty freebies or the lines for them so long, I was dissuaded from staying any longer than necessary.



Passes to the event sold out for the 4-day pass as well as Saturday’s event. Tickets were not cheap, with Saturday being $85 and other days around $65.



Overall it was an amusing event, but the long lines and lack of significant items and people to meet from the Star Wars universe hampered the fun of the event.


Comic Convention Report: WonderCon 2015 Review (Los Angeles, CA, (4/3-4/5/2015)


WonderCon Anaheim 2015



WonderCon returned to Anaheim for 2015, again during the Easter weekend which probably impacted the number of attendees and guests that could bypass events and work holidays to participate in the fourth WonderCon at the Anaheim Convention Center. 



Attendance for 2015 was decent and comparable to previous years though the amount of “wow” factor special guest, exhibitors and events decreased significantly. At the very first WonderCon held in Anaheim back in 2012 exhibitors such as Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and movie studios appeared. But for 2015, Marvel, DC, Dark Horse were missing and only Boom Studios, Lion Forge and Image had a publisher presence on the floor.


Statue displays



The set-up of the floorplan was changed significantly with the artist alley space moved to the Hall A section instead of the previous year’s Hall D and the badge pick-up also kept next to Hall A instead of the bottom basement hall for pick-up. Publisher booths were kept near the doors and the special guest signing table was moved to the mid-hall location. Some of the bigger tier artists were placed near each other causing some major line congestion and blockages that caused some exhibitors to pitch a fit and request some artists or signing lines to be moved.


Jae Lee sketching

Artists such as Babs Tarr (Batgirl), Phil Noto (Black Widow), Jae Lee (Batman/Superman), and Darwyn Cooke (New Frontier) had significant lines throughout the con with Babs’ line being the longest all 3-days of the event.


Phil Noto sketching


Other guests such as Dan Jurgens, Kevin McGuire, Ken Lashley, Steve Epting, Ron Lim had more manageable lines and commissions could still be acquired on the second day of the convention. It always eludes me when convention organizers do not place big name talent at table corners where lines can be more controlled instead of placing them smack dab in the middle of artist alley where lines just clog up the walk way and block other exhibitors.


Rob Van Dam


Tempo and excitement for WonderCon 2015 was lower in expectation and turnout when I asked other attendees of the event. The lack of many more higher-profile guests, media guests and the Big 2 publishers significantly loosened the “wow” factor in this event and SDCC-lite it was. 


With the 2016 event for WonderCon moving to the Los Angeles Convention Center the change in venue will either make or break the event. The LACC significantly lacks the foot-traffic and restaurant and Disney location of the Anaheim Convention Center but hopefully the closer star power location will bring in more guests and “wow” missing this year.

Comic Convention Report: COMIKAZE EXPO Review (Los Angeles, CA, (10/31-11/1/2014)

Comic Convention Report: COMIKAZE EXPO Review (Los Angeles, CA, (10/31-11/1/2014) 


The fourth annual Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo held at the Los Angeles Convention Center has just passed and it continues to get bigger and smoother as the years move on. Held on the busy week of Halloween weekend on Oct. 31st through Nov. 1st, it is So. California’s only third 3-day comic convention, just trailing the SDCC-backed Wonder Con in Anaheim as well as the ubiquitous San Diego Comic Con.



The big guests this year included the usual celeb names such as Stan Lee, Elvira, James Hong, a cast of Power Rangers, the Batman ’66 actors, a myriad of cosplayers, as well as comic big shots as John Romita Jr., Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, Rob Liefeld and Jason Scott Campbell.



Clearing up previous admission issues, the ticket buying booths, press booths, general admission lines have been spread out and having the ability to pick up tickets the Thursday before the convention started helped previous crowd-line traffic to a minimum. Arriving just an hour before the start of the convention there were minimal lines at pick-up and the ability to wait in line at the main hall or the front doors helped alleviate crowd standing issues from the past.



Big banners hanging from the ceiling also helped direct traffic to specific aisles that attendees were looking for. The lines within the show were especially long for hot artists such as J. Scott Campbell, Jim Lee and John Romita Jr., with 1-2 hour line waits not unexpected. Having their lines at the back of the convention center helped with not blocking aisle space for vendors, but when the lines started stretching longer and longer, having additional volunteers to keep crowds from veering off and getting unwieldy which happened at the Romita Saturday signing.



The comic publishers attending the show included Aspen Comics, Top Cow, Boom Studios and Nickelodeon. The Hot Topic booth had an adequate line for their exclusive items as well as a spin-the-wheel promotion where you can win fun items such as a Stan Lee Garbage Pail kid sticker card.



Guests writers and artists such as Peter David, Agnes Garbowska, Joe Jusko, Livio Ramiodelli, eBas, Joel Gomez, Joe Benitez and others kept the comic crowd event in check. Portions of the show floor had arcade games to play as well as set-ups and displays of comic art, movie/tv costumes and a main stage where guest were interviewed throughout the day.



Overall the Comikaze 2014 event was a big hit, with easy ticketing, wide floor space, actual comic guest and a fun crowd and atmosphere. Looking forward to an even bigger and star-studded 2015 event.




Long Beach Comic Con 2014 Review & Photos

Well another Long Beach Comic Con has come and gone. This past Sept. 27th and 28th, 2014 was the most recent iteration of the successful comic convention event which continually draws top-tier comic talent and focuses mainly on comic book and artist/writer related material.



The crowd was evident with the lines on Saturday waiting to get into the event, with pre-registered attendants getting in an hour earlier than same-day ticket purchasers.

 

Creator talents included the perennial Mike Mignola (Hellboy), Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti (Harley Quinn, Power Girl), along with additional special guests such James O’Barr (The Crow), Dan Brereton (The Nocturnals), and Laura & Mike Allred (Madman, Silver Surfer, X-Force).




The artist alley was smack dab in the middle like a true comic convention should be, with multiple rows of noted professional talent such as Dustin Nguyen (Batman), Joshua Hale Fialkov (The Bunker) along with a mix of amateur and up and coming creators such as Babs Tarr, artist on the upcoming Batgirl series.


The CW Series “The Flash” also had a trailer from the show appearing where attendees could test their speed. Along the back of the hall was a laser tag area, Lego playing area for the kids as well as a Chevy dealer sign-up booth.



A large area covered the convention comprised of actual comic book dealers such as Pulp Fiction, Jay Company Comics, Comics Wise, Phat Collectibles, along with a myriad of toy sellers and independent booths.



The Sunday event was slight in traffic compared to Saturday in the a.m., but parking under the convention was already full by the opening time and foot traffic was steady throughout the day on both days.


Lines for creators was small or non-existent compared to larger conventions such as the recent San Diego Comic con or the close-by Wonder Con in Anaheim. The only booths that had significant long wait times included the Allreds and Amanda Conner/Jimmy Palmiotti booths which had stretches of fans waiting for their signatures. Word to the wise to LBCC staff, please separate out your top talent guests so they are not back-to-back to each other since the lines begin to merge and other booths/guest artists get drowned out by the fans of the other creators.


Overall the event was enjoyable and very stress-free compared to San Diego Comic Con and even the ever-growing popularity of Wonder Con-Anaheim. Heres hoping for the LBCC staff in bringing in more top-tier comic talent that does not routinely attend Southern California conventions to appear at this nice local and friendly convention.




Comic Book Event: WonderCon-Anaheim 2014

WonderCon 2014 has passed, now referred to as WonderCon-Anaheim as WonderCon-San Francisco should be back in effect one day according to the WonderCon program book. So it looks like the success and packed 2013/2014 season has led to Orange County now getting their very own San Diego Comic Con-lite convention as an annual event instead of just a hold-over until Comic Con Intl. was able to secure a location in San Francisco again.

Compared to the 2013 WonderCon in the same Anaheim Convention Center location, this year it was able to secure halls A & B as well as the arena for larger events which was nice but also meant that this year they had a lot more attendees and traffic compared to last year.

Last year had some artist and creators that appeared from multiple national locations but were noticeably absent this year with a good portion of artists and creators being more LA/OC/San Diego locals that usually show up for the smaller regional events. Marvel Entertainment also was absent with nary a booth set-up this year compared to last year leading DC Comics and IDW, Aspen as having the larger booths for comic publishers.

Navigating the aisles was a lot harder this year with a good amount of people on Saturday and Sunday and clogging up the aisles especially in Hall B where the comic book booths were at.

Many artists in artists alley were busy and jammed if you were a B or A-lister!

See you next year WonderCon.

WonderCon-Anaheim 2014 Photos

  • WonderCon-Anaheim registration hall
  • Writer, Scott Snyder (Batman, Swamp Thing)
  • Writer, Len Wein (Wolverine, Swamp Thing, Batman)
  • Artist, Russ Heath (The Haunted Tank, Out Army at War)
  • Writer, Richard Starkings (Elephant Men)
  • Artist, Frank Cho (Liberty Meadows, Avengers, Savage Wolverine)
  • Witchblade cos-player
  • Dr. Who cos-players
  • Artist, Marc Silvestri (Witchblade, Hulk, X-Men)
  • Witchblade creator, Marc Silvestri, with Witchblade cos-player


Enjoy!