Sure the floor will be abuzz with everyone’s favorite ‘Stranger Things’ babysitter Joe Keery and those damn scene-stealing locks at the Long Beach Comic Expo this weekend—but that’s not what you’re about.
Maybe you’re here for the rising indie voice that spits fire on Twitter, perhaps it’s about running down that comic artist from that one book back in the day or dare I say you’re here to soak up some of the pop culture conspiracies bounced around the convention floor. If this is you then here are five reasons to visit the expo, running February 17-18.
Over three decades deep in the Hollywood game Sherilyn Fenn’s bright blue eyes have seen it…nay lived it. While you can find her enjoying a cup of coffee in “Stars Hollow” or testing the “Outer Limits”, she is best known for a character she inspired, fan favorite Aubrey Horne in cult television’s “Twin Peaks”. As the show’s recent revival just wrapped its third season Fenn returns to Long Beach to share the love with Twin Peaks champions she dubs “the sacred family” and continues the intrigue that has been her fascinating transcendent journey—and if you ask she may just take you to “No Man’s Land”.
Photo courtesy of Evan Narcisse’s Twitter.
I know you’ve been seeing purple everywhere, same here. Maybe it’s “cause the king has arrived”—something Evan Narcisse knows a bit about. The comic’s journalist-turned-writer on Marvel’s ‘The Rise of Black Panther’ arrives in Long Beach fresh off the purple carpet with a rising stock. Catch Narcisse and chat up his inspiring journey to the Comic Expo and what he has in store for the citizens of Wakanda—a people who refuse to be defined by an outside world’s narrative.
Image courtesy of Convention Scene.
Michael Golden
Maybe you remember “The ‘Nam”? Golden sure the hell does, at least the Marvel comic he illustrated the first 12 issues of back in 1986. Never in the war himself, Golden’s art shook Vietnam veterans who saw it—insisting he must have been there because his ink captured the weight, despair and complexities of the war, but the enigmatic writer was not done with the military machine yet. Golden handled both the art and words for G.I. Joe Yearbook 2, considered radical when it dropped, it still sets the standard for style in one of the industry’s most enduring franchises. Find the rare Golden experience in Long Beach and enjoy meeting with the “roguish” creator who defies the culture of personality. Too many puns?
Geekfest Fanfest
Oh, you’re that one person who lights up their timeline with hot takes from the latest superhero or scifi what not. Wanna see a preview of the future? Welcome to the deepest collection of sci fi cinemas risers. Get your mind right and find the “World’s Biggest and Best Traveling Comic Con Film Fest” going on both days of the expo with some flavors for every palate. How about some indie Star Wars tastiness for lunch Saturday, or perhaps an afternoon pint at Hogsmeade? You know it would be a mistake to miss the GeekFest presentation on Sunday 2:00-3:00PM, with “The Women of Scifi” hosted by genre adept Gigi Edgley to round out the evening. After all the future is…film makers.
Photo courtesy of Long Beach Comic Expo.
The Scene
Maybe this all sounds like a swell time but the dollars are tight, I see you. Long Beach Comic Expo is a giver. Bring the kids down to soak up the one-of-a-kind scene. Go from mild-mannered parent to hero of your social media with pics of the deepest cosplay north of San Diego. Frame yourself in one of the Long Beach Convention Center’s many beautifully designed outdoor venues with choice food trucks, prop cars and an atmosphere that will keep creative minds of all ages buzzing for days.
Long Beach Comic Expo will be held at the Long Beach Convention Center February 17-18. You know where I’ll be. As always when my words are in print you can find me on Twitter @86cujo.
The Long Beach Entertainment and Convention Center is located at 300 East Ocean Boulevard.