Los Angeles Comic Con is back and bigger than ever!
Last weekend (December 2-4, 2022), the annual LA Comic Con returned to the Los Angeles Convention Center. It felt like this year’s crowd was larger than ever before. And it’s no surprise since the con announced big names such as Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings), cast members from Amazon Studio’s The Boys, and Elijah Wood and Sean Astin from The Hobbit, would be there as special guests.
Heading into the South Hall, the lobby was filled with cosplayers from every fandom that you could imagine. As someone who’s attended LA Comic Con for the last few years, I think this con is a great place to see amazing cosplayers. From X-Men to The Justice League to anime characters — you could find them there. As an added bonus for those who dressed up, there was a cosplay repair station in the exhibit hall.
The exhibit hall was home to what felt like thousands of vendors for the weekend. In Artist Alley, there were rows and rows of artists – including our friend Bordin at Hyperbooster Studios. Some other artists that we really liked were Brianna Garcia, Jess Feldman, and Bobby Breed. Throughout the rest of the hall were some really cool booths, like Wild Bill’s Soda, which kept con-goers’ thirst quenched with their unlimited refills of craft soda, and a tattoo booth. There were also booths for cosplayers and actors, including the cast of The Sandlot. Shaina was lucky enough to sit down and chat with them; you can read her interview here.
The highlight of the exhibit hall was the main stage. It’s honestly something that I’ve appreciated about LA Comic Con. The panels that featured some of the biggest names were on the main stage, which was easily accessible to all of the attendees, without any need to wait in a line or camp out. So many amazing guests (like the ones mentioned above) took the stage. Some panels were The Mandalorian, Spongebob, the Jimmy Neutron cast, and an interview with the legendary actor Keith David (Spawn,Princess and the Frog, Nope).
In addition to the main stage panels, many of the celebrity guests took part in autograph signings and photo-ops with fans. This took place in the lower level that connected the South and West Halls of the convention center. Shaina even got a picture with Steve Burns from Blue’s Clues.
Over in the West Hall was the gaming stage and all things gaming and anime. One of the most notable things on that side was the Stream Studio, which gave gamers the opportunity to stream live from the convention, which was an amazing opportunity for streamers to reach new audiences.
Another highlight of the event for me was the Voodoo Ranger beer garden, which was just outside of the South Hall. While there were food trucks and beer out there, I was most excited for the Nerdin’ Out live podcast, hosted by Ravey from The Woody Show. We did grab food from one of the trucks on Sunday though and it was delicious.
Taking a break from roaming the exhibit floor, I sat in on the Avengers Initiative panel on Sunday. The Avengers Initiative is a group that celebrates their love from Marvel through cosplay. These cosplayers not only have amazing attention to detail with their costumes, but also have a huge love for their surrounding communities. Members of the group take part in community events, like Ronald McDonald House events, marathons, and hospital visits. It truly touched my heart to hear how they spread joy and use their cosplaying powers for good. On top of that, the group’s cosplays are so good that they’ve even been invited to media events, like Marvel Studios premieres. You can learn more about them here.
Overall, there was a lot going on at this year’s LA Comic Con. This event is a must-see for anyone who loves pop culture and every year it just keeps getting bigger. And even though it gets bigger, I still maintain that this con is a great event for those who’ve never been to a comic con. The community has always been great and it’s what keeps people coming back year after year. There’s something there for everyone and along the way you’ll probably find a new interest or two. If you want to be in the middle of it all and experience it for yourself, LA Comic Con will be back next year on December 1-3.
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