Long Beach Comic Expo has come a long way since its early days. I still remember when the spring show only took a small portion of the convention center (though most of it was dominated by sets from The Guild). However, attendance was small and there were a few panels. You could virtually do everything before noon and be satisfied. Long Beach Comic Expo is almost on par as its sibling event, Long Beach Comic Con. I like that there’s a comic / pop culture themed event in the South Bay. It gives our outlet an opportunity to enjoy a general pop culture themed event without fighting for tickets for the larger and overwhelming San Diego Comic Con and Wonder Con.

Long Beach Comic Expo is getting larger. It took me a while to adjust to the use of the terrace conference rooms and the arena. This convention had awesome events worth checking out. I really liked The Video Games. I’m not a huge fan of how comic con cosplay contests are run; most of them don’t do a skit division. The Video Games allows drama and watching the art of cosplay come to life; fans living out the fandom. If you are at any event that has The Video Games, I highly encourage checking this out. Speaking of programming, I wonder what someone has to do to submit panels for Long Beach Comic events. I like to run something related to Sailor Moon or getting into cosplay. It seems that groups that have popularity “by the likes” get priority rather than people who have been in the scene for years. I would like to be a part of Long Beach programming, as someone who has been active in the South Bay for quite some time.

I always enjoy going through the exhibit hall, but I felt there was no easy way to find the autographs section. My group and I wanted to get a photo op with Tony Todd on Saturday, but you couldn’t easily find the photo op purchase booth. I do like meeting and greeting with the Star Wars themed costume groups - they’re always great to see every time. The artist alley has always been my favorite part of comic cons, I enjoy supporting independent artists and crafts people.

Overall, Long Beach Comic Expo is my type of comic con. It’s not too large or overwhelming. People are generally friendly, especially if you go to cosplay meetups from the same series. However, the con is growing. Growth also means having unscroupulous people coming into the con. I noticed a sense of photographer thirst; there were several instances wherein I ran into photographs blocking off areas outside for photo ops. I’m not a huge fan of photographers blocking off areas, it kills the fan friendly vibe. However, I will continue to enjoy Long Beach Comic Expo for what it has to offer and I look forward to the autumn show.

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