L.A. Comic Con

"Comikaze Expo" redirects here. Not to be confused with Comikaze or Komikazen.

L.A. Comic Con
Former logo as Stan Lee's Comikaze
StatusActive
GenreSpeculative fiction
VenueLos Angeles Convention Center
Location(s)Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Coordinates34°02′23″N 118°16′13″W / 34.039737°N 118.270293°W / 34.039737; -118.270293
CountryUnited States
InauguratedNovember 5, 2011; 13 years ago (2011-11-05) (as Comikaze Expo)
Most recentOctober 4, 2024; 43 days ago (2024-10-04)
Next eventSeptember 26, 2025; 10 months' time (2025-09-26)
Attendance126,600 in 2022[1]
Websitewww.comicconla.com

L.A. Comic Con is a three-day multi-genre convention[2] held annually in downtown Los Angeles, California. L.A. Comic Con is one of the largest independent conventions in the United States[3] and encompasses several categories, including comic, horror, sci-fi, anime, gaming, and pop culture, with a particular focus on the local Los Angeles community.

The convention was founded as Comikaze Expo in 2011[4] by Regina Carpinelli and her two younger brothers, fans of geek culture from Temecula, California.[5] The convention went through several rebrandings – first to "Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo" and then "Stan Lee's LA Comic Con".[6][7] L.A. Comic Con is also known as "LACC"[8] and is often described as "A convention created by fans, for fans."[3]

Originally founded as an event to showcase local Los Angeles talent, the first Comikaze Expo in 2011 primarily featured local artists, comic book publishers and dealers, and various celebrity appearances including horror icon Elvira.[9] The convention has grown since then to include a wider variety of entertainment and popular cultures including fantasy, horror, comic books, manga, western animation, toys, and video games. The Con has grown in size every year, starting with 35,000 attendees in 2011[10] and expanding to over 123,000 attendees in 2019.[3][11] The convention has drawn big names to match its big crowds, with celebrities like Elijah Wood,[12] Ron Perlman,[12] Gabriel Iglesias,[13] Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson,[14] and Gerard Way[15] attending in years' past.

  1. ^ Brown, Tracy (October 5, 2023). "L.A. COMIC CON BRINGS ITS MOST DIVERSE LINEUP AND INTERACTIVE OFFERINGS IN SHOW HISTORY WITH AN EXPANDED GAMING EXPERIENCE AND MUST-SEE TALENT". DoLA. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  2. ^ "Comic-Con vs. Anime Expo: Our Picks". LA Weekly July 30, 2010
  3. ^ a b c "Exclusive Interview with Los Angeles Comic Con CEO Chris DeMoulin". Temple of Geek October 16, 2019
  4. ^ "COMIKAZE EXPO 2011". LA Weekly November 6, 2011
  5. ^ "Regina Carpinelli: Entrepreneur at a Young Age, Now a Superwoman" Archived April 11, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. Formidable Woman Magazine June 22, 2019
  6. ^ "Stan Lee Reintroduces His L.A. Convention: New Name, Even Greater Ambitions" September 28, 2016
  7. ^ "Stan Lee's LA Comic Con Brings Huge Costumed Crowd To Downtown" October 31, 2016
  8. ^ "Stan Lee's Legacy Lives On at Los Angeles Comic Con" October 14, 2019
  9. ^ "Comikaze Expo Presents Horror Icon Elviras Farewell Convention Appearance". Review Fix October 11, 2011
  10. ^ "10 Guests I Am Excited To See At Stan Lees LA Comic Con 2017".geekXpop September 30, 2017
  11. ^ Brown, Tracy (September 28, 2020). "L.A. Comic Con announces in-person event, but conventions are still banned in the state". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  12. ^ a b "EVENT PICK: L.A. COMIC CON". LA Weekly October 9, 2019
  13. ^ ". Epic Geekdom October 24, 2019
  14. ^ "Watch Stan Lee Introduce The Rock At LA Comic Con". ComicBook.com October 29, 2017
  15. ^ "L.A. Comic Con brings fan favorites to the Los Angeles Convention Center". Temple of Geek2019-09-16