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CONVENTION OVERVIEW: Long Beach Comic Expo 2020

Nemesis
Retro Batman by Jeff

So, I’m relatively new at going to comic conventions.  However, having looked at them from afar for several years, it has been my impression that they are giant gatherings where fandom is celebrated and the media companies that produce content go out of their way to dazzle and delight in order to drum up more business.  Last year I attended my first con, Wondercon in Anaheim, and I was not disappointed.  The industry put on a dazzling display with thousands of attendees and luminaries from the industry introducing and selling current and future projects.  It was completely in keeping with what I’ve seen and heard about for many years.  However, I had heard rumors of a different kind of con, the kind that started this whole thing off decades ago.  Most definitely smaller but no less passionate about the industry, these cons were dedicated to interactions between creators and their fans, the trading of comics and small intimate panels where the fans could get up close and personal in a significantly smaller venue than Hall H of San Diego Comic Con.  To my pleasant surprise those cons still exist and Long Beach is one of them.

Obisidian by Kianna Peppers

I was fortunate enough to be able to bring my daughter with me to this con and hoped that, although this con was smaller, it would fuel her fandom for her life to come.  I was not disappointed.  The smaller venue allowed her to connect intimately with the vendors and artists we both met.  I enjoy meeting young artists and seeing the talent that is out there; Long Beach had many talented artists on display.  One of those artists, Kianna Peppers (CrystalK25 on deviantart) took special interest in talking to my daughter about their shared interests in video games and anime.  It was amazing to watch this talented young artist connect with my teenage daughter and flame the fires of fandom that were already there before this day.  She created a fan for life and brought both my daughter and I closer together in this crazy thing we both love.  This is what fandom is all about.  Thank you Kianna!

In addition to the many talented young artists on display, there were the usual assortment of vendors, toy merchants and comic traders/shops.  Deals were everywhere, with some truly unique creations on display and, in a moment that warmed my heart, a dedicated board game space where board games were free to play and share among fans.  Additionally, there were quite a few people on hand who are established names in the industry.  Three names in particular stood out for me; David Avallone (Elvira),  Tim Seeley (Bloodshot) and David Lucarelli (Tinsel Town).  Unlike at larger conventions, I was able to stand and have 20 or 30 minute conversations with these amazing men who were only too willing to stand and talk comics with me.  It was a rare treat to talk about the real Elvira with David Avallone and get insight into the creative input Cassandra Peterson has into her comic book.  Tim Seeley was a font of knowledge and just an incredibly nice individual, signing a “Bloodshot” #1 for me for free while talking about all things Valiant as well as his other projects like “Hack/Slash”.  Not to be outdone, David Lucarelli and I connected over our love of the bizarre as he told me about his Ghost Show and sold me on my latest comic purchase, “The Children’s Vampire Hunting Brigade”.  Undoubtedly I would have been able to meet these fine gentleman at a larger con.  However, the smaller more intimate setting and the relatively smaller crowds allowed for that connection and interchange that makes fandom feel like family.

In addition, there were many people sporting their best cosplay and one got the sense that this first con of the year was a dry run for bigger cons later in the year.  The panels on offer were much different than my first exposure to convention panels at Wondercon.  Here, instead of cavernous halls with giant digital projectors, there were small boardrooms with portable screens for video.  It was incredibly intimate and had a decidedly different feel.  At one point I was shocked to find that I was 15 feet from Dan Didio and that my fellow fans and I were having a running discussion on all things DC Comics with that company’s head honcho.  Some news on that front that I think all of you may find interesting.  Didio put to bed rumors that the company is looking to phase out older, established characters like Superman or Wonder Woman in favor of new “diverse” characters.  Instead, he emphasized that DC must cater to diverse tastes but wants to add new characters like Naomi gradually into the main continuity while holding onto their established characters.  He also dropped an interesting tidbit in which he intimated that the New 52 universe may not be as cut off from the main continuity as we’ve been led to believe.  We’ll have to stay tuned and see where that goes but I’m happy to hear that some of the great things in The New 52, like The Court of Owls, may well continue on in the main timeline.

All in all, this was a fun little convention that didn’t leave me with the exasperating feeling that I was going to miss something.  I was able to take my time and enjoy the convention without being overwhelmed by sights, sounds and people.  Surely I enjoy the larger conventions as well but sometimes it’s nice to experience a change of pace and a step back into the past; where conventions were a more intimate celebration of this wonderful hobby.  Long Beach Comic Expo was that kind of experience and truly a memorable one for my daughter and myself.

Author Profile

Nemesis
Nemesis is a poet, writer and author of the upcoming novel The Long Game. He is a writer of science fiction and supernatural thrillers. Besides novels and short stories he writes for UK based ASAP Comics developing new stories for Level 8 and OPSEC. Nem is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and tries to bring those experiences into his writing.

He lives and works out of his home in Riverside, California with his wife and three children. When not writing he enjoys reviewing comic books and graphic novels for ComicCrusaders.com and living the Southern California life with his family.
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