November 12, 2011
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Comikaze Expo, and I’d just been to Long Beach Comic-Con the weekend before, but I was curious about the new show, and for $12 a day, I figured I’d check it out. Getting a discount on that already-low price through Goldstar clinched it.
What I found was a surprisingly big show, with a wide variety of exhibitors, though I’d hesitate to call it a “Comic-Con.” More of a general geek pop culture show. There were certainly comic book artists and dealers (a few of whom I recognized from last week), but it reminded me a bit of the last Wizard con I went to (Anaheim 2010). There were actors & celebrities, artists, indie publishers, authors, dealers, T-shirt and nerdy craft sellers, costumers, fan groups for everything from G.I. Joe to Firefly, tattoo artists (that’s a new one), a giant card game area, a giant tabletop game area, and a video game demo trailer. All in all, it was somewhere between Wizard and San Diego without the big names.
Read the full article at K-Squared Ramblings…
November 7, 2011
My photos are up from Comikaze Expo, a show that just launched in Los Angeles this weekend. It was a bigger show than I expected, though more of a general geek pop culture con than a “comic con.” They kept talking about how it was a first for Los Angeles, but it reminded me a lot of a Wizard convention, just bigger.
For the record, I spotted only two speedster costumes all day: Sonic the Hedgehog and a woman in the off-the-shelf Flash Halloween costume.
Anyway, photos now, more detailed write-up soon. And the friend I went with took more photos than I did, if you’re interested in checking them out.
November 3, 2011
When I heard that Long Beach Comic Con was rebranding itself as Long Beach Comic and Horror Con this year, I was a little concerned. One of the things I liked most about it the first two years was the heavy emphasis on comics compared to San Diego (which has plenty of comics, but is so big that it’s easy to miss them) or the Wizard conventions (which seem to have refocused around celebrities). As it turns out, the horror didn’t drown out the comics at all. The front of the hall was still mainly comics publishers, with dealers (mostly comics and collectibles) behind them in a U shape, wrapped around the core: a gigantic Artist’s Alley.
Of course, Halloween and horror did make their presence known, starting with the signs for zombie parking, and continuing with programming, guests and costumes.
»Continue reading at K-Squared Ramblings.
October 27, 2011
It used to be that if you lived in the Los Angeles area and wanted to attend a comic book convention, you had to either trek down to San Diego for Comic-Con International or hit one of the smaller cons like the one at the Shrine. These days, you can actually take your pick of several mid-sized cons. Wizard World has been well-established since 2004, starting in Long Beach, then Downtown Los Angeles, then Anaheim (skipping 2009).
More immediately: Long Beach Comic Con will hold its third full convention this weekend, and the latest entrant, Comikaze Expo, bursts onto the downtown LA scene the following week.
Flash fans in the area will be able to catch co-writer/artist Brian Buccellato at both cons.
I’ll be attending both conventions, though just one day each. As with this year’s San Diego trip I’ll be focused more on having fun at the con than reporting news (not that there was any shortage of Flash news coverage here), but I doubt there will be any real Flash news announced at either event. I’ve really enjoyed Long Beach the last two years (though I’m a bit concerned about the split focus this year between comics and horror), and I’m curious to see what kind of a convention Comikaze will actually be.
As always, I’ll be taking photos and posting them on Flickr. Con write-ups will go up at K-Squared Ramblings, and I’ll be sure to post anything Flash-specific here. If you can’t wait until Monday, keep an eye on @SpeedForceOrg on Twitter the next two weekends.
September 2, 2011
I learned from The Beat that, due to remodeling at Moscone Center, WonderCon, the smaller sibling of Comic-Con International, will be moving from San Francisco to Anaheim for March 16-18, 2012. I’m of mixed feelings about this.
I’ve gone to WonderCon for three of the last four years and really enjoyed it. The Comic-Con International people may still be trying to figure out how to handle huge crowds, but they really know how to plan a convention. So the key thing is, I’m glad that it’s happening next year.
The location is going to really change the experience, though.
I live in the Los Angeles area, so the move to Anaheim is going to make it an in-town convention that I can easily drive to each morning. But I liked the fact that San Francisco was just far enough to go out of town for a weekend without flying, and a good excuse to visit places along the way like San Luis Obispo and Hearst Castle, Monterey and Carmel, or nearby areas like San Jose and Napa Valley. We’ve also got family and friends in the Bay Area, so heading up a few days early makes it into a good combined visit & convention trip.
The character of the city is vastly different, though.
Moscone Center is in the heart of downtown San Francisco. The Anaheim Convention Center is across the street from Disneyland. There’s a lot of stuff to do near Moscone, plus great public transportation. In Anaheim, as I verified last year you’re surrounded by hotels, motels, and restaurants. Not a problem if all you want to do is get out for a bite to eat, but if you want to go farther out, you’re probably going to have to drive. (On the plus side, the roads are flat and wide, and the parking’s a lot cheaper.)
And then there’s the Hollywood factor. San Francisco is a short commuter flight away. Anaheim is an hour’s drive. WonderCon, at least in the years I’ve gone, has had a strong Hollywood presence, but it hasn’t overshadowed the actual comics the way it has in San Diego. Being so much closer could change the balance (but it doesn’t have to).
Speaking of San Diego, there’s another thing to consider: With demand sky-high for Comic-Con International tickets, Anaheim smack in the middle of Southern California, and WonderCon run by the same people, a lot of con attendees are going to aim for WonderCon as an alternative. Depending on how much of the usual Bay Area crowd decides to take to the road, this could be a more crowded event than usual.
All in all, I’m going to like having WonderCon close by next March, but I hope they’re able to move back to San Francisco for 2013.
The Wizard Factor
One more interesting thing: CCI, Reed Exhibitions, and Wizard actually coordinated this move. Reed moved C2E2 from March to April so it wouldn’t conflict with WonderCon’s new dates, and Wizard “postponed” the April 2012 Anaheim Comic Con. Which is kind of an odd thing to say, since just a few weeks ago, Anaheim dropped off the schedule completely while Wizard’s Los Angeles Comic Con (scheduled for late this month) was “postponed.” Now Anaheim’s back on the website (at least in the “Upcoming cons” list) with the April 2012 dates that the press release says are being changed, and Los Angeles is gone, both from that list and from the drop-down menu.
I’m not sure what Wizard’s trying to do in the LA/OC area, but hey, we’ve got Long Beach Comic Con next month and Comikaze Expo in November, and now WonderCon in March, at least for a year. I think we’ll be fine.
Read more at my other blog:
August 17, 2011
The Beat reports that Wizard World has drastically cut their convention schedule. Among the casualties are both of their California shows: After just two years, Anaheim Comic Con is gone, and while Wizard World Los Angeles is still on the list, the late September dates have been replaced with “TBA.”
I’m not surprised to see Anaheim off the schedule. It seemed clear to me that it was intended to replace Los Angeles, not run alongside it, and when they brought back WWLA, the writing was on the wall (this is starting to sound oddly familiar) for the city with greater name recognition. Though considering that Chicago Comic Con has technically been in Rosemont for years and they kept the name, I wonder why they didn’t didn’t start with a name like Wizard World Los Angeles Comic-Con of Anaheim…
I am a little surprised that they canceled a WWLA with just a month’s warning again. (OK, last time they gave two months’ warning.) But then, the LA convention scene was shaping up to be really crowded this fall, between Wizard, Long Beach Comic Con, and the launch of Comikaze. I’m just surprised Wizard actually blinked.
I’d guess one of two things will happen with Wizard World Los Angeles Comic Con (or whatever they’ve calling it these days): Either it’ll be back on the calendar next spring, picking up its old slot now that Anaheim’s out of the way, or (like last time), Wizard will just quietly cancel the show.
Personally, I’m not really impacted by the cancellation. I’d already made up my mind that if I could only make it to one of the fall’s comic conventions, it would be Long Beach, since I’ve really enjoyed the last two years. If I could make it to two, I’d check out Comikaze, since it’s new. Others, including exhibitors and guests, aren’t so lucky: they’ve bought tickets in advance, rented hotel rooms, or otherwise planned trips for the event. [Edit: points out that the LA Convention Center still lists the show. Curiouser and curiouser.]
I have to wonder: After Wizard canceled two Los Angeles shows in a row with minimal notice, will exhibitors and guests be a bit more skittish about committing to the next one?
August 1, 2011
I’ve completed my full convention write-up for this year’s Comic-Con International. Here’s hoping I’ll be spending a few more days in San Diego next summer!
July 18, 2011
Those of you who have been reading Speed Force for a while know that I go to San Diego Comic-Con every year. I’m still going this year, but it’s going to be a bit different. Usually I go for the full weekend and try to cover convention news while I’m there. This year I’m only going to be there one day, so I’ve decided I’m going to focus on experiencing the convention.
That said, I’ll certainly have a ton of photos to post when I’m back, and if I stumble across something Flashy, I may be posting from the floor.
July 7, 2011
Comic-Con International is coming up in only two weeks. Now’s a great time to review your plans and check out Speed Force’s tips to make the most of your trip to San Diego, built up from years of personal experience.
May 25, 2011
After last year’s five-con blowout, I’ve backed off a bit from Comic-Cons this year. In 2010 I attended at least one day at WonderCon, Anaheim Comic Con, Long Beach Comic Con, the general sci-fi/fantasy convention Westercon, and a full week of Comic-Con International in San Diego. (Those links go to my writeups and photos.)
This year I missed WonderCon (we weren’t sure about traveling with a baby), Anaheim (I’d rather catch Long Beach), and the one-day Long Beach Comic Expo (a busy month after moving, the new place desperately needed a no-plans weekend for some unpacking).
The second half of the year looks better.
Comic-Con International (July). I’m only going one day this year — new job, new baby and plans to move all conspired to keep things uncertain back at the time that tickets went on sale. So I’ll be a lot more focused on experiencing the day that I have than trying to report from the floor, but I’ll post my usual photos and writeups afterward.
Long Beach Comic Con (October). I’m still kicking myself for missing their April event, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. During its first two years, Long Beach has been a fun regional con focused on the actual comic part of Comic Con, and while I couldn’t make it to WonderCon this year, I really have no excuse to miss this one.
(Wizard World) Los Angeles Comic Con (September). Just announced a month ago. I sort of figure this is a second chance to catch Anaheim in case I change my mind, since Wizard has been really big on standardizing their shows lately. Also, I suspect they’re trying to crowd Long Beach out of the market, which is a big reason for me not to go.
Comikaze Expo (November). I only just heard about this one today, through the press release on Newsarama. It looks like they’re trying to out-Wizard the Wizard cons, judging by the heavy emphasis on TV/movie celebrities in the guest list, and maybe throw in elements of Anime Expo and GenCon to boot. It bothers me that they’re trying to hype it as the first con of its type in LA, ignoring the history of the Wizard cons and nearby conventions that aren’t within the Los Angeles city limits, but are close enough to be considered LA. I might drop in out of curiosity, assuming I’m not conventioned-out from Long Beach the week before.
So, current plans: San Diego and Long Beach. Maybe one of the two LA cons.
