Posted in: Comics, Halloween | Tagged: arrow, Batman, dredd, guardians of the galaxy, mad max, Stan Lee's Comikaze

Comikaze 2015: Fifth Year of Stan Lee's Con Opens This Halloween Weekend

By Michele Brittany, SoCal Correspondent

There was patient anticipation in the air as I, along with a roomful con fans, waited Friday afternoon at the Los Angeles Convention Center, marking the fifth year of Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo. The crowd gave a cheer and then orderly lines filed into the main exhibition hall. Walking into West Hall, there were rows and rows of artists and indie publishers congregated on the left side of the hall while exhibitors and vendors filled the right hand side of the room.

I like to do a quick walk through the aisles and say hi to friends I haven't seen since the last con, in this case Long Beach Comic Con that was held in early September. I am reminded of the warmth and friendships that are rekindled at each con, so it is bittersweet that this is the con of the season for me.

As the hours past, the number of attendees swelled, and I saw several of the usual popular culture characters such as Arrow and Batman. I saw characters from more recent films Mad Max and Guardian of the Galaxy, and was happy to see my personal favorite, Judge Dredd from Dredd (2012). However, there were some surprises: Marge Simpson and Ted from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.

With a couple of hours left the first day, I attended the panel Fairy Tales, Then and Now! Creating Awesome Characters and Fantasy Worlds moderated by author Neo Edmund. It is the first of a handful of panels I hope to attend over the three-day event.

Last year, Comikaze was held in one hall, while this year, it is being held in two. Unfortunately, I ran out of time and I didn't get a chance to check out the South Hall where Hot Topic's Main Stage is set up. The main stage will host a number of media guests and reunions.

In the meantime, here are some photos from the first day at Stan Lee's Comikaze.

Michele Brittany is an independent popular culture scholar and semi-professional photographer. She has edited James Bond and Popular Culture: Essays on the Influence of the Fictional Superspy (McFarland & Company) as well as the forthcoming book Essays on Space Horror in Film, 1950s – 2000s. Follow Michele on Twitter: @mcbrittany2014.

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