Long Beach Comic Con

I’m not a huge comic fanatic, but I do enjoy my superheroes and some SciFi. That being said, I was not that impressed with the LBCC. The main convention space is a bunch of vendors trying to sell things, which is fine, but they should not charge attendees a fee for the privilege to go shopping. LBCC is already charging the vendors to be there, and it’s really a slap-​in-​the-​face to the vendors who spent a lot of money to buy a booth. The shopping area should be open to the public.

This was my first chance to experience Comic Con.
I’m am by no means into any of the cosplays, video games or animé shows so much of it is a mystery to me but it definitely it is entertaining to see everyone come out in their costumes and outfits.
I was out here for work so I wish I could have attended more of the special seminars and panels so I kind of missed out on that. They do have interesting line ups for seminars that vary from costume and face painting, to panels with actors and producers of television programs. I actually popped into one put on by the Jet Propulsion Lab on talking about space exploration in the future.
It was surreal to walk around and see all the people in costumes and the various booths while stopping here and there to take snap shots of people in their get ups. I mean, these people really go all out which is amazing. To see a file of Star Wars Stormtroopers marching by and Robocop posing with his weapon pointed toward you is memorable!
Next time, definitely want to check out more of the seminars. It was a great experience and I’d like to come back again sometime.

If I’m rating the convention itself, it’s a HUGE 5 stars! Had a blast seeing all the fans dressed up in costume, artists, toys, pro cosplayers, and vendors. Love that it’s not as large and crazy as SDCC but not sure how long that will last as this con looked way bigger and fuller than last year and probably will continue to grow! I brought my 2 daughters for the first time and they loved it. Nice way to bring the younger gen into the mix by giving them a free ride with the purchase of an adult ticket. Good job LBCC.
Now the for the 3 star review… this is all based on getting into the comic con. For those of us who purchased tickets in advance online, we had to endure an hour of waiting in line outside in the humid heat of long beach. There has got to be a better way! For us fans who didn’t wait till the last minute to get our tickets, we have to be treated better than this! I would have much rather paid an extra $ 5.00 not to have to wait in line for an hour because that’s how much more it was to purchase your ticket same day… and there was no line for that… and they were able to walk right into the convention. And if this is the best way you have to check people in, at least offer bottled water or pop up tents or fans for all of us suffering outside to attend your convention, it only seems right.
Thankfully the convention was a hit for me and my daughters so we’ll be back next year… but this time I might just buy my tickets same day.

OM Garsh! LBCC is just WOW! Martha D and crew have out done themselves AGAIN!
I’m astonished at the GROWTH LBCC is showing me this year! They expanded into another Hall! They could have easily used the next one over as well, there were THAT many people all over the place.
Wall to wall people, awesome vendors, An Incredible Photo Op Section where people can pre-​buy their photo and schedule a private enclosed photo op. This weekend one of my Fav’s Cloe Bennett from Agents of Shield was there (and is definitely cuter in person)
Had a great Star Trek Panel for a new movie call Star Trek: Captain Pike! The actors were there. It’s always nice to see Chase Masterson and a video interview with Walter Koenig.
Also got the Exclusive Golden Apple/​LBCC Star Wars Comic!
And the Movie Cars are BACK!, the Cosplayers are incredible and there are a gazillion of them. OK… and this was just Saturday… I’m anxious to see what Sunday is all about.
I know I’ve been gushing over this Local LA comic con over the last few years, but I’m just floored how great this keeps becoming!
(It helps that the Long Beach Lobsterfest is also happening on the other side of the convention center) Double FUN!
People!!!
This is a Real Genuine Comic Con! Not a Crazed out Pop– Culture Convention like SDCC, which is awesome if you can get tickets and afford them @ $ 220 for an everyday pass. You almost need a government official to help get you tickets to San Diego! But not LONG BEACH! 2 days = $ 50 and well worth it!
Still wish the major T-​Shirt and apparel vendor was there, but still.
I can totally certainly see this entire convention center being used in the near future with the the sports arena being used for Previews of upcoming movies and animated features.
LBCC is now in my conversation as a Major Comic-​Con event in Southern California… not just a «medium sized, local con» This is more serious than THAT. It’s a contender!
Great ticket prices, efficient check in process, bunches of places to eat at the PIKE.
GO! just GO! and don’t compare it to another con… just Go and Love It!
Ron Z

Was ok saw so many pop toys but missing all the action, interesting other toys that are not pops, movie promotions and celebrities, but i did only have my previous experiences from san diego comic con which is like duh BEST!

I’ve watched this con grow as both a fan and exhibitor over the last three years, and my verdict is CONGRATULATIONS. Like the Phoenix Con, the Long Beach folks seem to be interested in genuine growth for what the fans want and have made getting around fairly simple. Also, I appreciate that there was security but it wasn’t pushy, that there was lots of food options and cocktails. Great job, folks. you’re everything ComiKaze wishes it could be. Artist alley was abuzz and that’s important.
If you want a medium-​con experience w/​the spirit of San Diego Comic Con about 15 years ago, check this out. Congrats again to LBCC organizers.

I attended this comic con for last two years and it has grown in size and attendance. It offers a welcome change to those crazy fans who couldn’t make it to sdcc. It’s well organized and the panelists are funny. They have lots of free giveaways. You need to get there early and get a good parking spot for a hassle free day. Only complaint I have is about quality and price of food offered here. You should ideally go out to pike place for food and booze. It’s walking distance from convention center where this event takes place. Overall a great little comic con for LA and OC comic fans.

For being a smaller con, Long Beach Comic Con has so much going on. They offer great panels and special guests and attract a lot of cosplayers. The floor is where this event shines though. The artist alley is bustling and it’s such a leisurely paced convention floor that you really feel like you can see every booth at your own pace and not miss anything. You also really get the opportunity to talk to the creators and vendors.
This is great con for families. You won’t feel like you’ll lose your kid. Plus they really seem to cater to kids with a play area just for them.

Long Beach Comic Con has traditionally been much better of a Comic Convention than their local peer competitor counterpart, Comikazee, and is a bigger show then LBCC’s other show «Long Beach Comic Expo» held in the Spring (next year, 2015 it’s on Feb 28 Sat and March 1 Sun).
Interestingly, from my perspective, the Long Beach Comic Expo which started out as a one-​day show in a small conference room has grown impressively into now becoming a legitimate 2 day show with increased floor space, and in it’s upcoming 5^th year of existence is touting «5x the floor space», so is expanding nicely.
In contrast, it feels like the Long Beach Comic Con, this bigger show in the fall, has been diminishing a bit over the years.
It started out nearly rivaling it’s predecessor «Wizard World» once held in Long Beach, but has been lacking a lot of the fanfare and aesthetics of what makes a good convention a great convention.
Comic Conventions in general have become hybrid pop culture and entertainment conventions, featuring marginal B-​list nostalgic celebrities signing autographs for a fee. I’m glad not to see much of that here. I’m not a huge fan of seeing the same ‘ol actors who played «The Incredible Hulk», «a random Jawa», «baby Boba Fett», «random pin up girl models past their pinnacle», etc. at these conventions. So, that, to me is a good thing. What made Wizard World (and some other shows in the past) more energetic was their ability yesteryear to make deals with Hollywood studios to promote the upcoming movies and TV shows, in exchange give fans free promotional swag, have actors/​producers appear in panels discussing the releases, and signing free autographs (and oddly enough, in most of the experiences I’ve witnessed, it’s the «A-​Level» marquee top billing stars who don’t charge anything for their autographs (I think it’s in part compensated or contracted by the studios as part of promotional obligation and in part not great publicity/​public relations to charge fans anything when you’re on top as they are). I’d like to see Long Beach develop those relationships with Hollywood less than an hour away and the show occurring around the Fall, new TV series seasons and right before the Halloween and Christmas film releases.
The «Artists» Alley is also an increasingly popular area, this year the talent appearing was minimal in having unique names that aren’t so routine (i.e. showing up at this or every other show on the West Coast). Top billers for 2014 included Amanda Conner, Mike Allred, Mike Mignola, James O’Barr, Todd Nauck, Bob Layton and Norm Rapmund, otherwise there weren’t many other recognizable maintream names appearing. I’d recommend the show invite a few blockbuster names who don’t circulate the convention circuit much to draw more interest.
The vendors were a decent mix of old comic book and modern comic book dealers (as the trend is usually a seller deals in one or the other, rarely both), but about a half dozen of each. There were no Original Art dealers. There were some toy and random memorabilia dealers, corporate booths by Aspen, Top Cow, Archie, Skybound, and a few small press, but no Marvel nor DC presence (maybe they only do the mega shows like San Diego Comic Con and NYCC).
The inside of the venue itself lacked energy, maybe it’s the flooring or maybe it’s the lighting, but it felt a bit dingy. Long Beach is a great convention center as far as proximity goes, much better than the LA Convention Center, easily accessible from all areas in So Cal. Parking is easy (and plentiful), and there’s lots of local food options.
Oddly enough, it just seems much like how LA doesn’t have an NFL pro football team, and for some reason even being the #2 media market (behind NY), just can’t support one… The LA area has had difficulties pulling off a «the show of shows» type comic convention, despite having «Hollywood» in its backyard and seemingly great access to celebrities and in the «entertainment capitol of the world» — Even when Wonder Con moved from San Francisco to Anaheim, that show seemed to deflate quickly into a mediocre shell of what it used to be.
Here’s how I’d rank the annual California comic conventions:
#1 San Diego Comic Con (without a doubt clearly the best!)
#2 Big Wow Comic Fest (Spring Show @ San Jose, increasingly getting better)
#3 Wonder Con @ Anaheim (Spring Show)
#4 Long Beach Comic Con (Fall Show)
#5 Long Beach Comic Expo (Spring Show)
#6 Comikazee (Fall Show)
#7 So Cal Comic Con @ Oceanside
#8 California Comic Convention @ Yorba Linda
#9 Frank & Son’s @ City of Industry (weekly swap meet, not really a convention)
#10 Los Angeles Comic Book Sci Fi Convention @ The Shrine (Used to be great, but skipped being good and became mediocre really fast)
I’ve not been to the shows up in Northern California (Sacramento area) which there seems to be an emerging presence, nor the APE show in SF (more indie press from what I hear

I actually won these tickets from Unilocal!Thanks Unilocal!!!
LBCC (not the Long Beach Community College haha) is definitely smaller than SDCC, but in some ways I like it more. This Comic Con is definitely more comic focused. It’s interesting how comic con SD has evolved into more of video game /​cosplaying expo — not that it’s a terrible thing, just interesting. I like how when you walk into the LB comic con you can immediately tell that the vendors there are all fellow geeks who can argue the merits of how under appreciated aqua man is lol. There were plenty of cosplayers there and it was cool to see DT LB light up with random characters walking around or eating at your usual restaurants. My favorite cos-​group was definitely the Walking Dead cast (imitations). They did a great job of selecting people that actually looked like the cast members! I had a great time, and will definitely be going in the years to come.
Check out my pictures! Cheers I hope this was helpful :)

I love Comic Con events, they are always well organized, have a great variety of vendors and guests and it is always cool to see the costumes people come up with. The Long Beach Comic Con is one I have not previously attended but was not lacking in any of the aforementioned areas.
I was lucky enough to win a pair of weekend tickets from Unilocal which was sweet and unexpected. I hadn’t been to a Comic Con event since Wizards of the Coast held an event in Anaheim a few years back. Parking at the event was a bit of a challenge to find a lot but we managed to get into the parking structure a block away off Locust for $ 10. Not that you may want to arrive early as this same lot was full when we left a few hours later and the lot next door was $ 20 bucks. Once we went inside and found the booth we needed getting tickets was a cinch and the lady seemed thrilled when I said the magic words «we got tickets through Unilocal». She quickly checked the ID and handed us our weekend passes and we were on our way. Unfortunately as we went to enter the convention itself we were turned around as we were missing the wristbands for the event. After asking several people (and my patience wearing a bit thin at the running around and not getting anywhere) we finally reached a will call area and explained the situation. The lady informed us that the original lady who gave us the tickets should have also provided the wristbands but she went ahead and gave them to us anyway (which was cool).
We finally made our way downstairs to the convention hall (after checking with the Unilocal booth of course for our customary swag) and began checking out all of the various vendors throughout. I was hoping to find some Comic Con exclusive figures or apparel but nothing jumped out at me too much and those that did I unfortunately could not afford. Luckily for me the main thing I wanted was a Phat Collectible statue and they are close to home so I will be able to procure one a bit later after the event. My wife and I also recently began to collect the POP Vinyl figures by Funko and she was able to score a couple that she wanted that we have been unable to find elsewhere. She also managed to find a Pug Bag at Comic Con. Yes; that’s right, my wife found a DOG item at Comic Con. Only she would manage to find this item in a world surrounded by superheroes, villains, comic books and other comic related collectibles.
All in all it took us around 2 hours or so to visit all of the vendors and scope out the signers in attendance. We scored a few items to bring home and even some discount tickets to Medieval Time where I have been wanting to come back to for awhile. The event was great and I hope they continue to use this vendor yearly for many future Comic Con events. The crowd was cool and the hall was more than large enough to contain the vendors and guests. A definite fun day for me for sure.

Need your comic convention fix and you can’t afford SDCC? LBCC is a nice little convention that isn’t huge. Nice, intimate little panels, tons of cosplay, and a dealer hall that has a 1:3 ratio of dealers to artists. Not many freebies to snag, but plenty to see.
The price tag is comfortable if you have a lot you want to go and see.

You can’t help but get a little nostalgic when you come to one of these conventions. Not only is it fun to browse through the stalls and see attendees wearing costumes, but also to look at the amazing number of collections of comics books. This convention really expands the fact that cosplay is no longer limited during Halloween.
The convention was organized and actually spaced out between vendors which made the flow of traffic convenient, easy and there were no congestion in the aisles. The venue was clean and bathrooms were well serviced.
There were activities for kids such as laser tag and a drawing area. Honestly, I would not recommend this event for kids under 11 since the event is geared for a more mature audience.
Hopefully, the vendor base increases and see more variety in vendor product lines become available. Also, more food and drink vendors selection would be a great improvement. Don’t get me wrong, there plenty of restaurant surrounding the Long Beach Convention Center. I just would have been nice to have a good selection of snack vendors to choose from at the convention.

I love the Long Beach Comic Con.
It is the perfect comic con. There are lots of people in cool costumes, lots of comic vendors, lots of artists, and just the right amount of other stuff.
My favorite is the Star Wars Laser Tag. Party Xtreme teamed up with Stormtroopers for non-​stop laser tag action, and it is great.

Let’s see, underadvertised, underpromoted, low turnout by fans. Abysmal sales (and I wasn’t the only one). A waste of time and money. Lousy announcer over the PA system (You think they could have gotten someone with a better voice for announcing the schedule and activities) and the loading at the end was a nightmare. Mismanaged. People pissed off. No announcement for the artist to be able to load their tables separately. Waited in a queue for an hour when I didn’t need to. They have lost me as a vendor. Avoid unless you like wasting money. Not worth the effort for fan or vendor.

Honestly, after going to SDCC I wasn’t expecting much out of LBCC. Boy did I underestimate LBCC. Although LBCC is a ton smaller than SDCC, there’s plenty of good things about LBCC. First, I could move around the aisles without constantly being in contact with like 5 people. Second, there’s TONS of artists here. Be they pencilers, colorists, sketch artists, or people there with awesome prints (MTG anyone??!) — there’s something there for anyone. And, since it’s not as crowded as SDCC, there’s plenty of time to chat with people who are running the booths and to get some pretty decent commissioned pieces. And it appeared to me that the general atmosphere at LBCC was lighter and more friendly than SDCC — not to say that I didn’t absolutely love SDCC (I did), but LBCC has its perks too. And there’s cosplayers here too!
Of course, I can’t forget to mention the comic book shops here. Quite a few of the places had not only tons of back issues, but they had excellent deals too. 50% off golden and silver age (at some places), and $ 0.50 and $ 1 comics. Who could say «no» to that?
All in all, it was a great Con. Came out with two commissioned pieces, a few signed prints, and some comics. And I submitted some comics for CGC… hope it comes back high!

This is NO Comic Con and NO Star Trek Convention, but it’s a pretty good convention for being in LA.
They don’t have the awesome panels but they have decent stuff. Lots of vendors are here for collectors and artists showcasing their work.
COSPLAY:
Decent amount of cosplayers. When I did see them, they were excellent. The Star Wars group had their own booth raising money for a charity by taking photos of the cosplayers who dressed amazing. I know some of the members of that guild and they are awesome cosplayers.
I dressed as a Trekkie. Sad to see not many Star Trek fans.
ARTISTS:
Good amount. I’ve seen them at other convention and I love the commission work they do then and there. Lots of amazing artists.
VENDORS:
I didn’t buy anything because they didn’t really have a lot of Trek (which I collect), but they did have lots of Marvel and DC. So… if you’re a fan. :D
Not much Doctor Who… COME ON PEOPLE! :D
PARKING:
Ranges from $ 10 – 20. I parked underground at a hotel for flat of $ 10.
FOOD CHOICES:
Across the street — lots of food choices.
OVERALL: Not bad for LA.

Yes I was here! Could you expect anything less?
For those of you who are poor (like me) and can’t afford to go to San Diego Comic Con (Like me… *sob*) then this is a decent alternative. Much tinier and less known about than SDCC which means lower prices on admission and items and less people crowding the booths.
SO many comic-​books. A whole line of booths of old and new comics just waiting to be snatched up at reasonable (and some times not-​so-​reasonable) prices. Everyone at these booth were nice and even hanging out candy. Either way it got my attention even though I only bought one or two comics total.
The artist area was really interesting. All the style art on display was different from the booth next to it. It doesn’t surprise me that there are so many takes on comic-​book heroes but I am always impressed by the love and time taken for each picture. These people really have a gift and I am both filled with admiration and respect and bitter jealously… stupid amazing artist.
For better or for worse there was cosplay. Cringe-​worthy cosplay… I actually have nothing else to say about this I just wanted to mention it.
The venue is small and you can see everything in just a couple hours. Which can be both good and bad. My boyfriend and I made the rounds countless times before we finally called it quits. Still it was an inexpensive and very fun day there and I will be back for sure.

It was okay
I’m saying this as someone who was raised essentially in the San Diego Comic Con. To me there’s no other comparison to the SDCC. But the LBCC is still a decent con and you’ll have a great time nonetheless.
Last year there was good material and good guest appearances (I got to meet the legendary Bernie Wrightson!!! :D)
A fellow comic lover of mine who had never been to a comic con in his life got his cherry popped here and loved every minute of it lol
so if you never been to a comic con before (or haven’t yet been enlightened by the SDCC) you’re going to have a great time here =P

In 2009 and 2010, Southern California erupted with new conventions, several with «Comic Con» tacked to the end of their names. This was the first out the gate.
Though some would be quick to say these were each an attempt to carve out a piece of San Diego Comic-Con’s pie, since Wizard World L.A. went on hiatus in 2008 there hasn’t been a local comic convention of its like (pending that you don’t count the quarterly L.A. Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention). In turn, Long Beach has always been treated as a temporary location for geek cultural conventions as they make their transition to other convention centers.
Long Beach Comic Con was started by the same folks who helped launch Wizard World L.A., and in its two years it’s proven to be quite the force. Their first year, they got «Bloom County» creator Berkeley Breathed, who had never done a convention before and RARELY made public appearances (he hadn’t even done San Diego Comic-​Con before). That same year they had the majority of the «Robot Chicken» writing staff including Seth Green, Thomas Jane screened his directorial debut film, «Dark Country» and «The Mist,» and Stan Lee, Jim Lee, Jeph Loeb, and dozens upon dozens of other industry big names hung out, walked the exhibit hall floor, and did panels and signings.
Long Beach Comic Con is also the only convention I’ve been to that positions their considerably large Artists Alley right in the center in the exhibit hall. It’s not hidden in another room or a dark corner of the dealer room.
While they do have panels, screenings, and exhibitors from other industries Long Beach Comic Con is ACTUALLY all about the comics.
As «Freshmen» creator Hugh Sterbakov put it, «On the floor, you can SMELL comics, which is awesome.»
Long Beach Comic Con also maintains a smaller one-​day convention, Long Beach Comic Expo, which they hold a few months after the main con. Admission to Comic Expo’s reasonable ($ 15 this year).
Still, in its infancy, Long Beach Comic Con is showing loads of potential. In fact, I would willingly argue that it could easily surpass conventions like WonderCon in a matter of years.
At the moment its only competitors in the area are the newer Anaheim Comic Con and Los Angeles Rock’n Comic Con (both «born» in 2010). While Anaheim is a part of the Wizard convention family and rakes in lots of big names, Long Beach Comic Con is doing great for an independently operated fan gathering.