L.A. Comic Con 2019 Photo Dump

It's that time of year again!  You might remember last year's Comic Con, in which Andrew, Jack, and I attended as U.S. Agent, Hawkeye, and Squirrel Girl, respectively.

L.A. Comic Con has long been my favorite comic book convention because it packs as much programming and events as San Diego Comic Con without being quite as crowded.  (I did not attend San Diego this year despite the appeal of being shoulder-to-shoulder with unwashed strangers.)

For me the biggest draw is always the cosplay.

In a sea of Jokers, this one in particular was outstanding.

Of course, this year, there was a bit of a dent in my plans.  I had lovingly crafted three Umbrella Academy outfits (two Klaus and one Five), but no longer fit into them.  Instead, I primarily went as Endgame Thor, whose story arc, I've mentioned before, was surprisingly poignant and largely underappreciated.

 For reference.

My Klausplays did not go to waste, however; Andrew took it upon himself to go as Number Four, and we had a great weekend.

 

On Saturday we attended a handful of panels, including a "roast of Thanos" and a board game panel that my boss was on.

Sunday, I went for one reason and one reason alone: the Umbrella Academy cosplay meet-up.

 I went as Kenny, arguably the most well-adjusted character in the first ten episodes of Umbrella Academy.

We left after only an hour or so, because I was tired and my feet hurt, but I got what I wanted!

Below are selected photos from my weekend.  For a full album of the Umbrella Academy cosplay meetup, you can go here, to the Temple of Geek's Facebook page.  (They were the organizers.)

 Fat Thor.

 A spitting image, no?

 Day 1:
Andy went as Peter Parker (the sad, washed up version) from Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse.

 Found another Thor!

 Found a Klaus!

 Another take on Thor.

 Stayin' in character.

 The Reginald at the UA meetup was incredible.

 Reggie with two Moms.

 Kenny with two dads.

 Disappointed I didn't get to go as Five and bring my Dolores.

Maybe next year.

 Hazels and Cha-Chas.

 "I'd rather chew off my own foot!"

 Take a look at Bentacles down in front!

I also took the liberty of covering Comic Con for my Entertainment Journal midterm.  Below is a transcript (with names redacted, as I told the people I interviewed it was for a class only and would not be published).


L.A. COMIC CON DRIVES BUSINESS FOR POP CULTURE VENDORS, ENTERTAINERS

Los Angeles Comic Con took over the Los Angeles Convention Center last weekend for three days, with over 100,000 attendees spending over $14 million at the event. Debuting as “Comikaze Expo” in 2011 and later partnering with Marvel’s Stan Lee, the L.A. Comic Con is one of the most highly attended comic conventions in the world. Despite its label as a “comic book convention,” the exposition had a broad list of presenters and workshops that focus on general pop culture, including sci-fi, anime, and gaming. The main floor boasted over 800 exhibitors spread out over 720,000 square feet of exhibition space, many of whom took up residence in “Artists Alley,” a quarter of the floor dedicated to showcasing individual artists and their crafts.

One vendor, [S.N.], the owner and artist of a company called [place I purchased from last year], sells crocheted dolls of popular characters ranging from Harley Quinn to Harry Potter. She paid over three thousand dollars for a 10-by-10’ booth this year, but says it’s worth it. “I paid extra for a corner. People don’t always walk down the alley, so if you can get a spot on the end, you’ll double your business,” she explained.  [N.]  says that renting a booth as an exhibitor serves a dual function: advertising and sales, with advertising often taking precedent. “We give out a lot of palm flyers,” she said. “There’s always an uptick in business in the months after [a big convention].”

[N.] isn’t the only one for whom Comic Con generates business. [B.L.] , a YouTube content creator who sat on a panel about working in the entertainment industry, says he can count on a huge number of new subscribers any time he sits on a panel. “People who see you and hear you in person, they feel like they know you. That makes them hit the like button,” he said. Another panelist, [C.B.], is a restaurant owner who engaged in a discussion on board gaming; by his estimation, he gave out over 500 discount cards to his establishment.

Whether exhibitors and panelists are selling a product, promoting a brand, or publicizing an establishment, there’s one thing all of them can agree on.

“You don’t really get to take bathroom breaks,” said [N.]. “Every minute you’re talking to someone, either interacting with someone or preparing for the next customer, so bathroom breaks aren’t part of your time management. We just go when the floor closes.”

This sentiment was echoed by cosplayer [A.A.], who attended the convention dressed as Cinderella's fairy godmother in a large, white ball gown. “If your outfit takes an hour to put on, go to the bathroom first. ...once it’s on, that’s it,” she said. When asked how cosplayers go to the bathroom, she shrugged, stating simply, “No one goes to the bathroom at Comic Con.”