Long Beach hosted its annual Comicbook Convention on September 8th and 9th from 9:30 am to 5pm. Some Long Beach City College students, along with independent artists and organizations, all gathered at The Long Beach Convention Center to celebrate the world of comics, pop culture and even a little science.
Those who attended the event were treated with many booths that catered to everyone’s different interests. Booths ranging from animation to authentic comic books were the highlight of the event.
Artist Michelle Clancy attended the convention for the first time as a professional. Her booth, Joust for Fun, showcased her drawings. “My inspirations come from the media, movies and characters I enjoy.” said Clancy. She shared that she had been drawing all of her life but decided to do it professionally 5 years ago. She is now a full-time artist who creates art for tabletop games.
Getting the opportunity to dress up is the highlight for some who attend the convention, including child development major Lindsey Lucas, who attended Long Beach ComicCon for the first time this year. She was looking forward to see others costumes as well as for the convention itself. “It’s freaking awesome” said Lucas who expressed her excitement for the convention.
Another LBCC student, Daisy Anguiano, marked this year’s comic convention as her 5th visit. “ It’s fun to meet cosplayers” said Anguiano who majors in culinary arts.
Big organizations such as NASA, PBS kids, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory also attended the event to add real world science into the convention “The main goal is to showcase the science behind the science fiction” said Activities Specialist for JPL, Jose Carrillo. The booth presenters educated spectators about how science is involved in much of the science fiction in our pop culture.
Author Sheri Fink also got into the spirit by dressing up as a mermaid unicorn hybrid. She and her husband Derek Kent were their to promote their best-selling children’s books, such as The Little Rose, and The Little Seahorse. “The main purpose of the books are to help children with their self-esteem’” said Fink. Aimed for children ages 5-10, each book showcases how the one can overcome their fears and just believe in themselves. This was the couple’s second year at Long Beach comic con.
The Long Beach ComicCon happens every year and each year different people turn out to show their love for the comic book world.