One of the few things I looked forward to while living in Southern California were the Long Beach comic book events. Now that I'm back the excitement returns as well. This show is on the smaller side, yet gets some get guests and often boasts some good panels. This year was no different and was a generally enjoyable experience despite a few problems that nearly ruined the end of both days. However, even a few little problems cannot ruin this event especially this year when I got to meet one of my heroes.

The location has shifted from the main convention center to the arena right by the convention center. It is not nearly as convenient to access as the main convention center, but it does have other advantages. The biggest is the use of the arena for the dealer hall, which offers more space than the exposition hall of the convention center. Second it has acess to an outside area with chairs and tables for lunch or post con hanging out. Third it connects to the lower convention area that has plenty of space for panel rooms. The main disadvantage (other than ease of access) is that there is far less outside space for gatherings or the car show.

Programming was strong, as it usually is, which is still a surprise because smaller events tend to not have as much or as well done programming as Long Beach Comic Expo. The NASA track was still there and it was nice to hit up a few of those panels. I also liked the addition of the film room and some alternative genre panels like Pulp and Steam Punk. While I was not happy with some panels like 'I've Written a Book' and I heard other panels were also poorly run I don't hold that against the convention as the sheer number of panels means you can always leave a bad one and attend a good one.

There was an astonishing lineup of guests this year. Of course the big draw for me was Chris Claremont, one of my all time writing heroes. However, there was still plenty of A-list comic talent from the bronze, dark, and modern age. Another huge surprise for me was Joe Staton best known for 70-80s Guy Gardner and modern Dick Tracy. This allowed me to have two huge moments as I got to not only meet a childhood hero, but one of the people keeping my favorite pulp character alive. In addition to that, there were members of the various Power Ranger casts and team behind Con Men. This not only meets the quality of the larger Fall show, but in some cases exceeds it.

The biggest downside to the convention this time around was the vibe. While this is normally a laid back and fun event this year was filled with tension and attitude. Part of the responsibility for this lies on the convention bringing in 'popular' cosplayers (none of whom I've ever heard of) and that brings in the copycats and photographers that think they are the kings of the convention. The other fault lies with the changing times and as comic book events get more popular they lose a little of the 'fun times with other nerds' and become more about crowds fighting to be first in line. There were still good people there and families just trying to have fun, but it wasn't the same as previous years. Even last year's Fall event had a great vibe, hopefully it will again this year.

Overall, it is hard to quantify my feelings for this year's Long Beach Comic Expo. There were some great moments with guests and panels, butt the attitude of the attendees and some bad panels almost ruined the event for me. The sad part is, my memory is painted with the negative and not the positive, yet when I look at my photos with Joe Staton and over my panel checklist I can't help, but smile. It goes to show how much the vibe of an event can ruin what should have been an amazing convention. I still recommend both Long Beach events, but if this trend keeps up I'm not sure how much longer I will attend. As always I have many thanks to give: Stan, Deb, the car guys, Chris Claremont, Joe Staton, the pulp wirters, the Long Beach staff, and The Video Games crew. Until next time feel free to contact me if you have any questions and I'll likely not respond. Until next time I leave you with my list and ask that you give my love to my 80s X-Men waifus.

The List
1. X-Men
2. RE 1: My Childhood!!
3. Crowds 4. Space!!
5. Next Cosplay: Dex-Starr
6. Note to self: submit a panel
7. Bad vibes, man
8. Trying to look on the Brightside
9. I miss the larger selection of cars
10. Snacks and Jerky
11. Not a great con season so far

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