Long Beach Comic Con is one of the few comic book events I have gone to consistently for years.  I’ve seen it grow from a very small event where you kept running into the same people to a midsized event that doesn’t even feel like the same convention.  I have mixed feelings about the changes that have come over the years, but I still think this is a good convention; just not as good as it was when it was smaller.

I really don’t like the location at all for several reasons.  The first is that the arena location isn’t a very convenient location to work with.  Everything is a walk, from food to parking.  All the things that were easy to reach before now become an annoying trek.  Second, the panel rooms are tiny and not very easy to get in and out of.  More than that the whole lower section plays havoc with your cell signal.  Third, the dealer hall seems bigger, but the space isn’t used well.  Things were so organized in the past, but now it’s a mess to navigate.  Finally, the smaller space makes it a pain to get anywhere as the crowd has expanded.  This ends up clogging hallways and makes getting to a panel on time very difficult.

Programming was pretty good this year.  Saturday had plenty of panels worth hitting including some crazy long lines for the Firefly reunion.  Sadly, the lines for Con Men and Firefly were not handled well and seat campers took over the room very quick.  On the other hand, there were plenty of other panels to hit and the evening offered the costume contest and The Video Games.  While I do enjoy The Video Games as a fun stunt show, it doesn’t change much as the same pairings keep happening year after year and the lack of cell signal makes it nearly impossible to vote for your favorite fighter.  On the other hand, Sunday is a little more lax and while there are some great panels to attend, there is also enough free time to do a larger exploration of the dealer hall.

The guest line up was really strong and can easily compare to any other midsized comic convention.  One of the big arrivals for me was Peter David (yes, that Peter David) and like last year with Chris Claremont I was able to make an ass out of myself because I was so nervous.  It’s rare that I get to meet one of my writing heroes and to be able to do that two years in a row is something that helps make this convention so special.  Beyond that, they had various voice actors from 80s/90s shows, B movie actors, and several members of the Firefly cast.  It feels surprising that this con could get such a large draw of stars, but that’s what happens when a convention grows in popularity.

One of the major problems with growth is that it can hurt the vibe of the event.  This was brought up on the previous report and it remains a problem.  While there are plenty of guests and some great panels, the light hearted fun vibe of the past is completely gone.  There are still good people and fun impromptu conversations do happen, but it’s now the exception and not the rule.  Most people are squeezed in and aren’t really happy about it, thirsty photographers are all over the place, and the cosplayers are starting to get an attitude too.  While it wasn’t as bad as last year, it’s far from the old feeling of hanging out with a couple thousand friendly nerds.

This is a period of growth for Long Beach Comic Con and because of that there are some major growing pains that are clearly part of the experience.  I did have fun, for the most part, and I was lucky enough to meet one of my heroes briefly.  However, the small rooms, bad attitude, and inconvenient location just drag this con down.  I miss the old days of saying this is one of the best smaller comic conventions, but hopefully things will turn around.  The robust guest list and growing attendance will hopefully lead the event into becoming one of the best midsized events.  However, if the track record of other conventions facing growing pains is any indication that will likely not be the case.

It wasn’t all dark clouds at Long Beach Comic Con and special thanks go to those little rays of light that made my event so much better.  Thanks go to: the Scarlet Rhapsody team, the LBCC staff, Peter David, Constantine, tall Alice, the Video Games crew, all the writers, the Boba truck, our waiter, and anyone who took my photo.  If you have any questions about the report then ask someone else and until next time give my love to the Princesses (thanks Disney gathering, I finally got to use that line).

THE LIST:

1. I'd like to run a panel here
2. Too hot
3. RE: 2 – Hot damn!
4. This is the story of Cap'n Jay
5. Bum a cig?
6. The same old show
7. Root Beer
8. Next Cosplay: Something with a muscle suit
9. Props to the body painters
10. Just can't find dice anywhere
11. Star Cars made for some fun pictures
12. Someone fix those door signs
13. No signal? NO SIGNAL!!!
14. You can lead a horse to water…
15. Not to self: Take a breath and relax
16. The food truck is empty
17. Survival satchel
18. Too crowded
19. Let's see what next year brings us

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