CON COVERAGE from Long Beach Comic-Con 2018

2018 marked the 10th anniversary of Long Beach Comic Con! Long Beach Comic Con returned to the Long Beach Convention Center on September 8 & 9 for a celebration of comics and pop culture. Cosplay stood out along with the countless indie-art exhibit stands.

The Venue

Every Con is different and brings something new and unique. For Long Beach Comic-Con, I was quite surprised at how small it was compared to Los Angeles Comic Con. This is in no way negative or disappointing. Smaller Cons allows the attendee to see just about everything rather than missing out on something unique at an exhibitor table. You can view everything in site, talk with countless independent writers and artists, and really get to know your surroundings well. I had the absolutely privilege of talking and even befriending independent writers and creators, exchanging information and buying their comics or art. Along with this, the Con was very organized, from the placement of security to lining guests, panel outlines listed at each location, and so on and so forth. Organization is always key for a Con to go well for all attendees. The biggest draw back was trying to find the location of the convention itself. The Convention Center was hosting several different events and the lack of signage made it a little difficult to find your way to the event. Once you got to the security check point, it was much easier to get around. The easiest ways to get around from one spot to another was by taking the stairs, but it made it inconvenient for families with strollers and handicapped individuals.

Marvel Bomber Jacket from Hero Within Inc

Panels

I had the privilege of attending multiple panels throughout the weekend. There were some that I was greatly interested in and others that I gave a chance. Some of the interesting ones were the DC Nation and Punching Nazis debate. Writers on both panels were of the DC Comics staff, such as Christopher Priest, Adam Glass, Bryan Edward Hill, and Brian Buccellato. Each brought insight on both the history of comics and the authenticity of storytelling as a writer. As seen these past few years, there has been much controversy politically, and those events have shaped and even shook the world of comic books themselves, for better or worse. Regardless, the panelists went into great detail about how taking risks as a writer is key to quality storytelling rather than playing it safe by repeating the same plot structure over and over again. Being a writer myself in the area of film, this greatly meant a lot to hear them say, despite any criticism they would receive from Editors or readers.

“From Punching Nazis to…Not Punching Nazis?” Panel, LBCC 2018 PC: Trey Soto

Unfortunately, not all panels were this successful. I attended a few more, primarily those that did not have a heavy influence from writers of DC or current pop culture subjects. Some of these panels talked about consent in cosplay and the overall cosplay community. While where were some good things to take from it, the organization and structure of the topics was poorly handled, since some panelists would go off topic or would were too laid back to give quality answers to questions or topics. I was honestly was not sure what to expect and was hoping for some good insight as a whole, but unfortunately was mistaken.

DC Comics Co-Publisher, Dan DioDio. PC: Trey Soto

The Cosplay

I was absolutely intrigued and surprised at the cosplay line up from multiple individuals. One of the best things about cosplay is the mash-ups attendees put on. From The Punisher turned Venom to the entire 1990’s X-Men animated series team, there were countless people showing off and having a good time. And it was not all superheroes. There were fantastic movie references and video game mashups, such as a fantastic gender swap of Tulio and Muigel from The Road to El Dorado (2000), and an outstanding Overwatch Soldier 76 mashup with Fallout 76 colors and attire.

Tulio & Miguel Gender Swap from The Road to El Dorado (2000). PC: Trey Soto

The ideas and mash-ups cosplayers think of is absolutely incredible and astounding every single year at every single convention. The best part about cosplay is that anyone can be anyone or anything. The final product of one’s cosplay depends on how much the individual is willing to put into it, and if they are happy with the results, then that is all that matters. Whether they are new to cosplay or have been doing it for years, you never know what you will see at each convention.

Soldier 76 & Fallout 76 Mashup. PC: Trey Soto.

Cosplay Gallery

The Overall

As the 10th year of Long Beach Comic-Con, it was one that had enjoyable moments and great appearances. While the panels were lackluster in some areas, it did not take away from the convention as a whole. The organization, the cosplay, and booths were absolutely enjoyable and well-managed. If you are interested in attending the following year and you are not far from Long Beach, check out Long Beach Comic-Con’s website link! You can also check out our cosplay interviews below and our Day One and Two Cosplay Galleries!