This was my third ComiKaze and each year has memorable parts and flaws that should be addressed. While this convention is still young at five years it does have the Stan Lee branding so expectations are higher for an event like this rather than a fan run convention. When you put the name of a pop culture icon as the lead for your event (Stan Lee’s Comikaze) then you have a duty to live up to the legend that is the brand. Sadly, this year did not live up to the branding, but that does not mean it was a terrible event.

The LA convention center is a very double edged sword. It has plenty of room for programming and a large dealer hall, but parking and food options are not great. While the space was more than enough for all the attendees the West hall always seemed to have a lower amount of foot traffic, even the guests and vendors in that area agreed when asked about that issue. However, that was also the area with the main stage, which meant that I missed just about every main event while exploring the dealer hall and running to my other panels. On the good side, lines were handled well and the convention did use the space well, but if they traded West hall for Petree hall the guests and main stage would have much more attention.

The dealer hall is large and there arre plenty of booths offering a nice variety of goods from movies to toys to comics. However, we did notice a lack of hardcover and trade paperback dealers and there was too much clothing in my opinion. On the other hand seeing a Tommy Wiseau booth was pretty cool. The second hall had most of the guests, few of whom appealed to me, and the main stage which had more than enough space for all who wanted to watch, but could have used seats. Beyond that the upper floors had a nice mix of panels. Most of the panels did incorporate guests, but there were some fan panels some of which didn’t seem to fit the theme of the con. Despite some of the issues there is more than enough to do at the convention so you have no excuse for being bored.

While there were simple flaws that could easily be fixed such as the lack of seating at the main stage and south hall feeling under promoted the biggest issue with Comikaze is the guest list. Stan Lee is a big name and his works continue to live on to this day. Yet, there wasn’t much comic representation in the form of guests. While there are some great talents like Marv Wolfman and Grant Morrison not to mention fan favorites like Rob Liefeld it really felt like Marvel wasn’t represented. It would be great to meet Peter David, Jason Aaron, Mark Waid, Cullen Bunn, or Dan Slott at the convention. Many of these creators have gone to other events and would be a welcome addition here. Not only that, but DC has their base on the West Coast now and that could provide a great group of creators. This isn’t even covering the film and TV related creative staff that could also be summoned. I’m not implying that Stan Lee has a magic wand that can bring in any and all guests, but when Long Beach Comic Con can get John Barrowman there is no excuse for Stan Lee’s Comikaze to not have at least one A-list guest.

The one thing that Comikaze has always gotten right is the vibe. This is a family friendly event and everything feels really laid back. This is the kind of event that you can bring the kids to and just have a nice day looking at pop culture merch and meeting a guest. There is not a large cosplayer presence, but everyone is friendly toward cosplayers and those that attend are there to have a good time. It never felt too crowded or crazy. The only thing that tried to hurt the vibe was a few agenda driven panelists, but they could easily be ignored.

Overall, Comikaze is a good event. There is plenty to do, people are friendly, and you can cover everything in a day. However, after five years it really feels like this event should be more than it currently is. This is an event that had Mark Hamill and Adam West in the past, this year we had no one that was in that league. However, the website does claim that Carrie Fisher was there I have no memory of it being promoted. That aside, when a similar local event is pulling in better names and doesn’t have the Stan Lee brand there’s a problem. Despite that issue, Comikaze is an enjoyable event, just know that right now it is feeling like wasted potential when it could be so much more.
Hopefully next year will be bigger and better, but until then let me give thanks to those who made my time at Comikaze great. Thanks go out to: Stan, Deb, Scarlet, the other Back to the Future cosplayers, the writers, the Simpsons fans, the Comikaze staff, and Tommy Wiseau. Until next time I will leave you with my list and remind you to give my love to the FUTURE!

The List:
1. Oh, hi Tommy
2. Is that all?
3. Note to self: pack a lunch
4. Donuts
5. Traffic
6. Panel hopping
7. Missed Senpai
8. Next Cosplay: Shipwreck
9. Re: 8: GI JOEEEEEE
10. Candy?
11. Too hot for anything
12. Exploring!
13. Minor damage
14. Keep writing
15. Crank up the Radio!
16. Alone in a crowd
17. I expect more of you, next year bring it!

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