The Scarlet Rhapsody team woke up bright and early for another Long Beach Comic Con. We've been going to the event on and off since the beginning. It's our favorite comic con because even though it's getting more and more popular each year, it still has a fan feel to it; you don't feel as overwhelmed if you were at a larger event like Comic Con International or Rhode Island Comic Con. This year, Kagami went as Super Sailor Moon to represent her Moonie-side. Jared went as Giovanni from Pokemon to represent classy mafioso vidya villainy. Long Beach Comic Con has certainly grown and there was much more to do and see compared to previous years.

Adaptation Game: Writing Licensed Properties by Jared
This panel was run by several members of the Boom Studios production staff who attempted to discuss the process of making a licensed comic. However, the crew seemed more interested in making jokes and goofing around rather than actually talking about the process. While there was a little discussion about the production on the Maze Runner series most of the talk seemed to be in jokes amongst the staff. It was too bad as this subject seemed very interesting and instead all the audience got was disappointment.

Death of Superman Lives by Jared
This panel was run by the director of the crowdfunded documentary about the problems that brought down the Tim Burton Superman movie from the 90s. The panel was shorter than other panels due to scheduling issues, but there was enough time for a few questions. The best part was when a younger person had to be told that 90s Nick Cage was a completely different person than the actor we generally think of as a joke now. If you have a chance to see the documentary or meet the staff behind it do so as it is a very fascinating experience.

Success without an Agent by Jared
This panel featured various writers talking about their experiences in the film and TV industry while not having an agent. They gave some reasons why it might be better to not have an agent, but also warned that it isn’t easy no matter what path you take. The end of the panel featured Jimmy Diggs talking about the new crowdfunded Star Trek project he was involved with. While this panel was informative, it did not seem like the writers had enough time to tell their stories as some used up more time than others. Still this is a great panel for those who are struggling in the script writing field.

Mars Rovers by Eri Kagami
One of the highlights of Long Beach Comi Con was the space exploration programming track. These presentations were very much popular among all ages of attendees; some even filling to capacity. The space exploration track also had an exhibit in the dealers hall. This really brought out the academic STEM side of Long Beach Comic Con; a first for the show. I went to the Mars Rovers presentation wherein two JPL veterans talked about the inception of the Mars Rover from the first mission to what JPL is currently doing right now. They talked about bits of technology used to study the Martian surface and how they programmed the solar powered vehicles to track the geography of the red planet. They were also talking about what's next for the Mars Rover project.

GI Joe by Jared
Some of the most exciting guests are LBCC were several voice actors and the director of the hit 80s cartoon GI Joe. In the panel they did a reenactment of their studio sessions, talking about the casting process, and even shared their thoughts on the legacy of the series. You could teel that the staff was very close and that they had a great time making the show. This was one of those panels that you would wish could go on all day because of how funny and entertaining the panel was. The cast reunion panels tend to be the best panels at this convention.

Costume Contest by Eri Kagami
Having not gone to Long Beach Comic Con in a few years or so, I decided to try my hand at the costume contest. Costume competitions have been a newer staple to the comic con scene. I'm used to the anime masquerade scene where most of the traditions and format is based on older science fiction and fantasy shows. LBCC had Nerds Like Us running the show. Sign ups were online-only; though it was really hard finding for the check in station. You had to go through the Nerds Like Us booth in the exhibit hall. Usually, anime cons have a check in station by information services. Hearing the phrase "look in the program guide" wasn't helpful. The section that did have costume contest information was dominated by headshots of e-famous cosplayers; not providing concise information and general guidelines.

The show started up around 8PM. There was a huge turnout of cosplayers from video games, anime, and comic books. Variations of Harley Quinn were the most popular. Some highlights included works from Diablo, the new Cinderella, original designs here and there, etc. There wasn't much craftsmanship judging. When we were lined up, the judges (consisted of the e-famous cosplayers) went down the line and cherry picked who they wanted to judge for craftsmaship. Thus, many people were left out of judging.

The show was hosted and ran by Nerds Like Us. The beginning had the hosts sing a parody of "All About That Bass" and selections from the Scrubs musical. Contestants were lined up in sign-up order and posed on stage. Winners were announced after halftime. While I did enjoy my experience backstage, the LBCC costume contest does need a lot more work in terms of organization. The show itself was a lot of fun, but everyone should get a fair shot of getting their hard work looked at by qualified judges.

Video Games Live (but not that one) by Jared
Despite the name being the same as the Tommy Tallarico concert series, this presentation was very different than a concert. The show was designed as a parody of The Hunger Games featuring various video game characters including: Samus, Link, Lara Croft, Pikachu, and Commander Sheppard. The audience got to vote at several points during the show to alter the course of events. Voting was done via twitter and with cards that were set on the seats. It was an exciting show and the audience interaction made it that much more fun. The team behind this show has clearly trained and the fights look well choreographed, it is a great stunt show and should be seen when you have a chance.

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