The Long Beach Comic Expo has come and gone. While fun for many this convention felt a little bit off. So how did the Long Beach Comic Expo stack up as the start of the 2019 convention season begins? Let’s get into it.
Venue
As always, the Long Beach Comic Expo is held at the Long Beach Convention center in, you guessed it, Long Beach, CA. The convention was a bit of a step up from the problematic set up at the Long Beach Comic Con last fall and those with physical handicaps had an easier time entering the venue. Lines were noticeably shorter this year, which could be attributed to being more streamlined in the checking in process which is always great. Most of the panels were held in one of three main conference rooms and there was also a conference room set aside for Nerf Ball Tag.
The parking was manageable as there are several locations at and around the convention center which made getting to the convention safely without having to travel really far from your car. Also, the parking at the convention center was heavily secured for the safety of all attending.
Convention Floor
This show quite possibly had the smallest convention floor seen in recent years. Don’t want to consider this a negative, but it’s hard to make this into a positive as someone who goes out of their way to support the independent arts at shows and to find its exposure extremely limited. This isn’t to say that the Long Beach Comic Expo didn’t care for those same independent artists, it just came across as there was more emphasis on the special guests and the other bells and whistles which made places like Artist Alley suffer a bit.
Again, that is not to say that there weren’t cool things to see on the convention floor at the Long Beach Comic Expo. It’s just that previous years have built up an expectation that fell short in 2019.
Cosplay
One of the best parts about the Long Beach Comic Expo was the cosplay on display. The work put in by some of the most dedicated cosplayers was truly an inspiration. The crown jewel of this was the annual cosplay contest where there were a lot of children present in the competition. Seeing that many children and teens who had started cosplaying at such a young age having that much fun made me forget about my superficial complaints about what could’ve been a great con and reminded me that cosplay is all about FUN. And fun is exactly what the dedicated cosplayers had in the cosplay contest. The winner of Best in Show went to @hudsonhawkpritchard with his amazing Pennywise costume. Check out our cosplay gallery for pictures of the amazing cosplay seen at the show.
Overall
Besides the amazing cosplay and the great cosplay contest, the Long Beach Comic Expo had left a lot to be desired for. A lot of great artists were left out of the convention and the size of the convention was relegated to a shell of its former glory. Not to sound dramatic, but, that was the expectation that those we’ve come to expect from the Long Beach Comic Expo and know how awesome it used to be. It was a decent outing. However, it could’ve been much better by simply listening to the fans.
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