A look back at Long Beach One Day Comic Expo a nice little show!

With the San Diego Comic-Con just under a month away I could already feel that anxiety of planning and preparing.  It seems like I do the same routine every year as I get ready for the long days, long lines and big crowds.  It is mentally and physically exhausting even before I step on to the convention floor.  So looking back on how I prepared for the One Day Long Beach Comic Expo (LBCE) that was on May 12th was a total 180!

Long Beach Comic Expo is a one day event brought to you by the people behind the Long Beach Comic & Horror Convention. It's small. Very Small. However, it's packed with lots of comics. If you're looking to check out new work, particularly work created by locals, this is the place to go.  The LBCE also has workshops, panels, exhibitors and professionals.

My planning for the LBCE literally took me no more then 2 hours of prep work.  I looked at the website (http://www.longbeachcomiccon.com/index.php), found the Artist Alley section, then I wrote down what pros were attending that I wanted to see plus their table number and that was it.  So simple and easy, I wish preparing for SDCC was like that!  My main goal was to meet and chat with pros and if time permitted check out back issues of comics.  I wanted to relax and take it slow!  

When I got to the the expo I felt like I was transported back to the 1980's when the San Diego Comic-Con was held in Golden Hall.  The set-up and feel of the LBCE was eerily like the old days of SDCC from badge pick-up to even the way the vendors displayed their comics.  It was a nice change from the typical conventions I attend with attendance numbers in the 10,000's.  I was also impressed with the Long Beach Convention Center it is a really nice venue with good restaurants and the Aquarium of the Pacific within walking distance.     

 

I got to meet and chat with artist Bernard Chang  Eric Basaldua, Joe Benitez, Joel Gomez, Beth Sotelo, Rebecca Hicks, Georges Jeanty, Drew Johnson, Barbara Kesel, Dustin Nguyen, Peter Nguyen, Peter Steigerwald and Lenord Robinson!  This was what I used to do as a kid at Comic-Con.  My last memory of actually taking a whole day at Comic-Con and chatting with artist I admired was back in 1993 with the Image and Valiant crew specifically Travis Charest and ironically Bernard Chang (nice to see him there).

When the website described the expo as being "very small" they were not kidding.  I could walk through the entire expo hall in 15 minute as the area is no bigger then a high school gym.  Although it was small it had a lot of big talent and content.  I am glad I decided to attend and I would recommend the LBCE for people who love comics you will not be disappointed.  I enjoyed my experience and will be back next year I even saw K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider and the Delorean from Back to the Future on the way out... awesome!!!  

A look back at #FCBD a fun filled event with my kids!

I loved collecting and reading comic books as a kid, the X-men, Avengers, Green Lantern, Sandman, Flash, Namor, WildCATS, etc were my second family.  One of my favorite things to do was visit my local comic book store and just sit and read for hours.  I thought I'd be reading comic books forever... but of course real life eventually begins and responsibilities start to mount and comics took a back seat to college, then work, then family and it eventually became a distant memory in the back of my brain.  My love for comics never died but I just had no time to read and collect anymore it was just a fond memory I would reflect on sometimes. 


So it has been awhile since I bought a physical copy of a comic book, It has been awhile since I walked into my local comic book store, It has been awhile since I sat down and read a comic book series.  It is funny how things eventually come back into your life.  Just recently my two girls have been showing a big interest in art and drawing (maybe dad dragging them to SDCC has rubbed off) and I thought it would be a good idea to bring them to their first comic book store for Free Comic Book Day!


Here is a little background about Free Comic Book Day.  FCBD started in 2002 and is scheduled on the first Saturday of May.  FCDB is an annual promotional effort by the North American comic book industry to help bring new readers into independent comic book stores.  The three main purposes of FCBD are:

• To introduce everyone to the joys of reading comics.
• To call back former comic book readers.
• To thank current comic book buyers for their continued support.

So after telling my little girls about Free Comic Book Day we decided to visit Southern California Comics and it was crowded!  With local artist Mark Irwin, Richard Friend, Paul Horn and more in attendance and interacting with fans plus a few exhibitors it was like a mini comic con!

We spent about two hours milling through the free comics, checking out the exhibitors, talking to a few artist and walking through the store.  It was a blast for my two little girls!  They were so excited about the haul they scored!  

There was also a highlight for me as I actually got to see the first 10 issues of Action Comics on display including the debut of Superman (issue #1)!  Simply amazing to see one of the "Holy Grail" of comics in person!

Free Comic Book Day was so much fun for me and my girls that we plan to do this every year!  It also rekindled my love for going to a comic book store plus now I could share this love with my two little girls.  I plan to visit my local comic book store more in the future with my girls and definitely support them by buying a few comics!