The team woke up bright and early on a typical autumn Saturday morning. As team leader, I still had no idea what I was going to wear to the event as most of the crew was going to be in Western media themed cosplays. When Becky (Applejack) and her husband arrived, I decided to wear my Rarity from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. After having a light lunch from Carls Jr., the team crossed the Vincent Thomas bridge into downtown Long Beach. We arrived at the convention premises around noon.

Registration was simple and easy. No long lines and no hassle. Most of the action occurred in the exhibit hall on the basement floor of the Long Beach Convention Center. The exhibit hall consisted of comic book publishers showcasing the latest releases, comic book vendors selling trade paperbacks and single issues from the golden age, miscellaneous toy dealers, and independent artists from print to multimedia.

Becky and I went around the dealer's hall. Becky's favorite part about Long Beach Comic Con is that you will never leave empty handed. First, we visisted the 501st, a Star Wars costuming group. They were taking donations to raise money for charity to support health care costs for a newborn who was born with health complications. A donation can get you an autograph from a cast member from the original A Team.

Becky also stopped by the Long Beach Library's booth where they were giving away free books. Luis Vargas, a librarian, was also taking photos of various costumers. Becky took home a signed children's book for her niece. There were a few interesting displays in the dealer's room. Starburns Industries had dioramas of their latest show that will be on Adult Swim soon. We also learned that Tokyo Pop, the former manga publishing company, is somewhat still alive through Get Geeked.

There were plenty of comic book themed cosplayers at this event. The most popular costumes came from Batman, Captain America, and Spiderman. There were a handful of anime cosplayers at this event, but it seemed that cosplayers from mainstream media received more attention. Attendees were happy to take pictures with their favorite superhero. It was like meeting Mickey Mouse for the first time at Disneyland.

In the afternoon, we went to the Robot Chicken panel hosted by Seth Green. The panel room was filled to the brim to where attendees were standing against the walls. Seth Green and his creative team revealed upcoming release for the Robot Chicken franchise by playing a season five teaser and a promotional for “RC/DC,” a special that will feature DC characters caught up in the typical Robot Chicken shenanigans. Seth Green opened up the floor to Q&A.

Suffice to say, there was not much else in terms of programming during the day. While there were horror movies screened throughout the day, none really caught our attention. The next best events would happen later in the evening; the zombie walk and the masquerade ball.

The crew decided to watch some Persona 4, an anime based on a Japanese RPG (perfect for a comic convention?) for their afternoon siesta. Though I do enjoy my fill of Japanese anime, I decided to check out the food trucks outside the convention center. I like how major events are inviting food trucks to come by and provide a variety of food choices at a reasonable price. $10 convention hot dogs get boring and bland after a weekend. This year, Long Beach Comic Con had Sprinkles Cupcakes, Jones Soda, a lobster truck, and an Indian food truck. Unfortunately, they were only around until 5PM.

The exhibit hall remained opened until 7PM. The team decided to peruse through the dealer’s hall and check out what else was available. By the later afternoon, the dealer’s hall was pretty clear to explore. Stan and Deb decided to watch the wrestling match on the showroom floor. Stan mentioned that the wrestling arena is one of Long Beach Comic Con's highlights. He was even asked to give out his fake money to serve as props for one match.

I perused through Prism Comics, an organization dedicated to LGBTQ comics. While I am more familiar with the Yaoi genre, I found it interesting to see that there was a comic publisher dedicated to promoting LBGTQ themed comics and artists. Unlike Yaoi, this group is all about advocacy of this underrepresented group and has a variety of publications without gender politics or prescribed gender roles. The group is also promoting Bent Con in Los Angeles. If anyone is a fan of LBGTQ advocacy and meeting like minded people, they are looking for volunteers this December.

Typically, I like to visit the artist alley to get a sketch of myself in whatever I am wearing. I met the girls from Purple Top Hat whom I have commissioned to do a sketch of myself in my Rarity cosplay. The sketch will be ready by Comikaze. I also bough the first issue of the diesel punk comic, The 19XX. Even Becky was sold on some of the artwork that she bough a Rocketeer print to frame at home. Speaking of mid 20th century artwork, Mid Century Planet, had plenty of paintings and prints on display. This group is inspired by movies like Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Other highlights included getting to know Rebel Legion a little bit better. They had a great sourcebook for Star Wars costuming. There was also a Harry Potter costuming group, Dumbledore's Army. It seems like there are several different fan groups dedicated to dressing up as characters from popular media and meeting up for social gatherings.

The night was winding down and the dealer's hall was closing up shop at 7PM. It was nice that there was a variety of things to do and check out. By this time, we were too tired and hungry to stay around for the masquerade ball. It would have been nice if it was held around 5PM. However, as we were leaving the convention center to grab dinner at Islands. Even while waiting outside for our table to be ready, it was still an eerie site seeing thousands of zombies take over the convention center.

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