View source for L.A. Comic Con

{{Short description|Annual Los Angeles multi-genre convention}}
{{Redirect-distinguish|Comikaze Expo|Comikaze|Komikazen}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox Convention
| name               = L.A. Comic Con
| image              = [[File:Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo logo.svg|200px]]
| caption            = Former logo as Stan Lee's Comikaze
| status             = Active
| genre              = [[Speculative fiction]]
| venue              = [[Los Angeles Convention Center]]
| location           = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| country            = United States
| coordinates        = {{Coord|34.039737|-118.270293|region:US-CA_type:landmark|display=title,inline}}
| first              = {{start date and age|2011|11|5}} (as Comikaze Expo)
| last               = {{start date and age|2024|10|4}}
| next               = {{start date and age|2025|9|26}}
| attendance         = 126,600 in 2022<ref name="DoLA">{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=Tracy |title=L.A. COMIC CON BRINGS ITS MOST DIVERSE LINEUP AND INTERACTIVE OFFERINGS IN SHOW HISTORY WITH AN EXPANDED GAMING EXPERIENCE AND MUST-SEE TALENT |url=https://dola.com/events/2023/12/3/l-a-comic-con-tickets |website=[[DoLA]] |date=October 5, 2023 |access-date=May 3, 2024}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|https://www.comicconla.com/}}
}}

'''L.A. Comic Con''' is a three-day multi-genre convention<ref name="laweekly.com 1">[https://www.laweekly.com/comic-con-vs-anime-expo-our-picks/ "Comic-Con vs. Anime Expo: Our Picks"]. ''LA Weekly'' July 30, 2010</ref> held annually in downtown Los Angeles, California. L.A. Comic Con is one of the largest independent conventions in the United States<ref name="templeofgeek.com 6">[https://templeofgeek.com/exclusive-interview-with-los-angeles-comic-con-ceo-chris-demoulin/ "Exclusive Interview with Los Angeles Comic Con CEO Chris DeMoulin"]. ''Temple of Geek'' October 16, 2019</ref> 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<ref name="laweekly.com 2">[https://www.laweekly.com/comikaze-expo-2011/ "COMIKAZE EXPO 2011"]. ''LA Weekly'' November 6, 2011</ref> by Regina Carpinelli and her two younger brothers, fans of geek culture from Temecula, California.<ref name="formidablewomanmag.com">[https://www.formidablewomanmag.com/regina-carpinelli-entrepreneur-at-a-young-age-now-a-superwoman/ "Regina Carpinelli: Entrepreneur at a Young Age, Now a Superwoman"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411054409/https://www.formidablewomanmag.com/regina-carpinelli-entrepreneur-at-a-young-age-now-a-superwoman/ |date=April 11, 2020 }}. ''Formidable Woman Magazine'' June 22, 2019</ref> The convention went through several rebrandings – first to "Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo" and then "Stan Lee's LA Comic Con".<ref name="hollywoodreporter.com">[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/stan-lee-comikaze-marvel-legend-933197 "Stan Lee Reintroduces His L.A. Convention: New Name, Even Greater Ambitions"] September 28, 2016</ref><ref name="forbes.com">[https://www.forbes.com/sites/markhughes/2016/10/31/stan-lees-la-comic-con-brings-huge-costumed-crowd-to-downtown/#555ceccb37f3 "Stan Lee's LA Comic Con Brings Huge Costumed Crowd To Downtown"] October 31, 2016</ref> L.A. Comic Con is also known as "LACC"<ref name="lamag.com 3">[https://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/los-angeles-comic-con-stan-lee/ "Stan Lee's Legacy Lives On at Los Angeles Comic Con"] October 14, 2019</ref> and is often described as "A convention created by fans, for fans."<ref name="templeofgeek.com 6"/>

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.<ref name="reviewfix.com">[https://reviewfix.com/2011/10/comikaze-expo-presents-horror-icon-elviras-farewell-convention-appearance/ "Comikaze Expo Presents Horror Icon Elviras Farewell Convention Appearance"]. ''Review Fix'' October 11, 2011</ref> 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<ref name="geekxpop.com">[https://geekxpop.com/2017/09/30/10-guests-i-am-excited-to-see-at-stan-lees-l-a-comic-con-2017/ "10 Guests I Am Excited To See At Stan Lees LA Comic Con 2017"].''geekXpop'' September 30, 2017</ref> and expanding to over 123,000 attendees in 2019.<ref name="templeofgeek.com 6"/><ref name="Los Angeles Times">{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=Tracy |title=L.A. Comic Con announces in-person event, but conventions are still banned in the state |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-09-28/la-comic-con-in-person-convention-coronavirus-december |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=September 28, 2020 |access-date=September 29, 2020}}</ref> The convention has drawn big names to match its big crowds, with celebrities like Elijah Wood,<ref name="laweekly.com 4">[https://www.laweekly.com/event-pick-l-a-comic-con/ "EVENT PICK: L.A. COMIC CON"]. ''LA Weekly'' October 9, 2019</ref> Ron Perlman,<ref name="laweekly.com 4"/> Gabriel Iglesias,<ref name="epicgeekdom.com">[https://www.epicgeekdom.com/2019/10/24/fluffy-mr-iglesias-panel-los-angeles-comic-con-2019/"]. ''Epic Geekdom'' October 24, 2019</ref> Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson,<ref name="comicbook.com 1">[https://comicbook.com/movies/2017/10/29/stan-lee-the-rock-dwayne-johnson-la-comic-con/ "Watch Stan Lee Introduce The Rock At LA Comic Con"]. ''ComicBook.com'' October 29, 2017</ref> and Gerard Way<ref name="templeofgeek.com 4">[https://templeofgeek.com/l-a-comic-con-brings-fan-favorites-to-the-los-angeles-convention-center/ "L.A. Comic Con brings fan favorites to the Los Angeles Convention Center"]. ''Temple of Geek''2019-09-16</ref> attending in years' past.

==History==
Regina Carpinelli and her two younger brothers, fans of geek culture from [[Temecula, California]], were regular attendees of [[San Diego Comic-Con]].<ref name="defectivegeeks.com">[http://www.defectivegeeks.com/2011/10/21/regina-carpinelli-our-fearless-comikaze-queen/ "Regina Carpinelli: Our Fearless Comikaze Queen"]. ''Defective Geeks'' October 21, 2011</ref> After moving to Los Angeles, Regina Carpinelli decided that the city needed a large-scale comic book convention.<ref name="defectivegeeks.com"/><ref>[http://comikazeexpo.com/about/ "About L.A. Comic Con"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120190527/http://comikazeexpo.com/about/ |date=November 20, 2011 }}. April 22, 2015.</ref> The three Carinellis set up Comikaze Entertainment Inc. and started out to organize one.

The first event, called Comikaze Expo, was held on November 5–6, 2011 in the Kentia Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. The large exhibitor space featured local artists, tattoo artists, comic book dealers, comic book publishers, press vendors, designers and collectibles merchants. There was an Artists' Alley where celebrities and artists signed autographs and sold portraits. Traditional contests and gaming tournaments included the Cosplay Contest, the Masquerade, Magic The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, Warhammer, and several original Nintendo games. There were also panels featuring various celebrities,<ref>[http://screeninvasion.com/2016/11/los-angeles-comic-con-16-spotlight-kings-con/ "Los Angeles Comic Con 16′ Spotlight: Kings of Con"]. ''Screen Invasion'', by Karin Abcarians - October 11, 2016</ref> reunions, and upcoming feature films. Among the events was horror icon [[Cassandra Peterson|Elvira]]'s last convention appearance. There were about 35,000 attendees throughout the weekend.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.laweekly.com/stylecouncil/2011/11/comikaze_expo_2011.php |title=Comikaze Expo 2011: First-Time Convention Brings Big Names, Big Crowd - Los Angeles Art - Style Council |access-date=November 25, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111111023700/http://blogs.laweekly.com/stylecouncil/2011/11/comikaze_expo_2011.php |archive-date=November 11, 2011}}</ref>

In 2012, veteran creator [[Stan Lee]] and his company, [[POW! Entertainment]], as well as [[Cassandra Peterson]] (better known as Elvira), formed a partnership with Comikaze Expo, and the convention was rebranded as Stan Lee's Comikaze.<ref>[http://geekout.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/11/stan-lee-launches-his-own-comic-convention/ "Stan Lee launches his own comic convention"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815082657/http://geekout.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/11/stan-lee-launches-his-own-comic-convention |date=August 15, 2012 }}. ''Geekout''</ref> That same year, Advanstar joined Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo as a strategic partner, taking on the event's "back end" work managing deals with unions, the convention center, and other "business" aspects of the show.<ref name="foliomag.com">[https://www.foliomag.com/advanstar-acquires-stan-lee-s-comikaze-expo/ "Advanstar Partners With Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo"]. ''Folio Magazine'' June 12, 2012</ref>

The 2012 show was held in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center, and featured about 600 artists and vendors, including gaming publisher [[Activision]], who launched several new games. New activities included a 75,000 sg ft Zombie Apocalypse obstacle course, a [[Quidditch]] pitch, and a NERF dart battle hosted by [[Max Landis]]. Panel discussions were displayed on a 14&nbsp;ft jumbotron, including [[Kevin Smith]], a live version of Fatman on Batman with [[Adam West]], a version of the Dating Game with [[Adrianne Curry]], and a Q&A with Stan Lee and [[Todd McFarlane]].<ref>Clark, Noelene (September 13, 2012). [http://herocomplex.latimes.com/comics/stan-lees-comikaze-elvira-quidditch-zombies-and-more/ "Stan Lee's Comikaze: Elvira, Quidditch, zombies and more"].</ref><ref>Esposito, Joey (September 13, 2012). [https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/09/13/stan-lees-comikaze-expo-rethinks-conventions "Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo Rethinks Conventions"].</ref> That year the show had about 50,000 attendees.<ref>Hughes, Mark. [https://www.forbes.com/sites/markhughes/2012/09/21/stan-lees-comikaze-expo-a-rousing-success/ "Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo A Rousing Success"]. ''Forbes'', September 21, 2012</ref>

In September 2013, a reality show, ''[[Fangasm]]'', premiered on [[SyFy]]. The show followed the experiences of seven pop culture fans as they lived together in a Los Angeles apartment building and interned at Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo, vying for his attention and approval. The show was hosted by Regina Carpinelli.<ref name="agentsofgeek.com">[https://www.agentsofgeek.com/2013/10/fangasm-creator-regina-carpinelli-discusses-upcoming-comikaze-exp/ "FANGASM BOSS REGINA CARPINELLI TALKS UPCOMING COMIKAZE EXPO"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411054407/https://www.agentsofgeek.com/2013/10/fangasm-creator-regina-carpinelli-discusses-upcoming-comikaze-exp/ |date=April 11, 2020 }}. ''Agents of Geek'' October 8, 2013</ref>

In 2014 the show introduced Club Nokia, a free [[Cosplay]] Dance party for its attendees.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bleedingcool.com/2014/11/05/comikaze-rises-as-one-of-the-coolest-hippest-shows-in-the-country/|title=Comikaze Rises As One Of The Coolest, Hippest Shows In The Country|work=Bleeding Cool|author=Hannah Means Shannon|date=November 5, 2014|access-date=October 16, 2018}}</ref>

For the 2016's edition, the convention was renamed Stan Lee's L.A. Comic Con.<ref>[http://www.comicsbeat.com/is-sdcc-launching-a-san-francisco-comic-con/ "Is SDCC launching a San Francisco Comic-Con?"]. ''Comics Beat'', April 11, 2016, by Heidi MacDonald</ref> The show continued to include panel discussions on a variety of topics,<ref>[http://www.jewishjournal.com/los_angeles/article/super_powers_meet_higher_power_at_comic_con "Super powers meet higher power at Comic Con"]. ''Jewish Journal'', by Allyson Gronowitz, November 2, 2016</ref> and an all-night dance party.<ref>[https://www.thewrap.com/stan-lee-los-angeles-comic-con-cosplay-photos/ "Stan Lee's Los Angeles Comic Con: Behold the Cosplay! (Photos)"]. ''The Wrap'', Catrina Dennis | October 31, 2016</ref>

L.A. Comic Con 2018 was dubbed LACC's "Octoversary", as the eighth show in the convention's history.<ref name="recursor.tv" /> The show featured a celebration of Fangoria, a horror film magazine. Elijah Wood appeared at the con to promote SpectreVision's film "Mandy",<ref name="laist.com">[https://laist.com/2018/10/25/27_of_the_coolest_events_happening_in_southern_california_this_weekend.php "28 Of The Coolest Events Happening In Southern California This Weekend"]. ''LAist'' October 25, 2018</ref> and attendees also got a private screening of "Mandy".<ref name="recursor.tv">{{cite web |date=October 31, 2018 |publisher=Recursor.Tv |author1=Michele Chiappetta |url=http://www.recursor.tv/review-la-comic-con-2018/ |url-status=live |title=REVIEW OF LA COMIC CON 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411190506/http://www.recursor.tv/review-la-comic-con-2018/ |archive-date=April 11, 2020 |access-date=April 11, 2020}}</ref> Tenacious D appeared on a main stage panel for a Q&A about Post-Apocalypto.<ref name="iheartcomix.com">[https://iheartcomix.com/tenacious-d-post-apocalypto-zone-at-la-comic-con/ "TENACIOUS D POST-APOCALYPTO ZONE AT LA COMIC-CON"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411054407/https://iheartcomix.com/tenacious-d-post-apocalypto-zone-at-la-comic-con/ |date=April 11, 2020 }}. ''IHEARTCOMIX'' October 19, 2018</ref> The cast of Marvel's "Agents of Shield" also held a main stage panel, as did Marvel's Runaways.<ref name="thenerdelement.com 1">[http://www.thenerdelement.com/2018/10/01/la-comic-con-welcomes-marvels-runaways-and-more/ "LA Comic Con Welcomes Marvel's Runaways and More"]. ''The Nerd Element'' October 1, 2018</ref>

In 2019, L.A. Comic Con continued expanding its show floor by adding more programming and event categories, leading the show to be described as "one of the most diverse celebrations of pop culture in Los Angeles."<ref name="nerdbot.com">[https://nerdbot.com/2019/10/16/the-l-a-comic-con-2019-experience/ "The L.A. Comic Con 2019 Experience"]. ''Nerdbot'' October 16, 2019</ref>

The 2019 con saw the addition of a full "Horror" section to the con and over 800 exhibitors. New exhibits included a Jay and Silent Bob Reboot photo op with Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes in front of the 30&nbsp;ft Quick Stop Facade<ref name="pixelatedgeek.com">[https://pixelatedgeek.com/2019/09/jay-and-silent-bob-take-over-l-a-comic-con/ "Jay and Silent Bob take over L.A. Comic Con"]. ''PixelatedGeek'' September 20, 2019</ref> an exhibition of famous automobiles from the Petersen Automotive Museum<ref name="samuraijosh.com">[https://samuraijosh.com/index.php/2019/11/28/2019-la-comic-con/ "2019 LA Comic Con"]. ''Samurai Josh'' November 28, 2019</ref> and a live wrestling event with Women of Wrestling.<ref name="axs.com">[https://www.axs.com/axs-tv-s-women-of-wrestling-return-to-la-comic-con-with-live-wrestling-138506"]. ''AXS'' October 11, 2019</ref> LG Display had an activation on the exhibit floor with an OLED TV Truck on the convention floor.<ref name="hdtvtest.co.uk">[https://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/n/LG-Display-Kicks-Off-OLED-Truck-Tour-in-the-US "LG Display Kicks Off OLED Truck Tour in the U.S"]. ''HDTVTest'' September 26, 2019</ref> On Friday October 11, the first night of L.A. Comic Con, KROQ's Stryker and Klein broadcast live from the LACC VIP Lounge for 4 hours.<ref name="nerdnewssocial.com">[http://www.nerdnewssocial.com/lacc-2019-kroq/ "KROQ LIVE DJING FROM LOS ANGELES COMIC CON ON FRIDAY"]. ''[[Nerd News Social]]'' October 10, 2019</ref>

==Programming==
L.A. Comic Con is often described as a convention "by fans, for fans," largely because of its reputation for being communicative with their attendees and incorporating fan requests into the convention's programming. LA Comic Con 2019 made several major programming decisions based on convention attendees' responses to an email survey, including adding a horror section to the convention and bringing in the casts of The Office and Spongebob Squarepants.<ref name="templeofgeek.com 5">[https://templeofgeek.com/l-a-comic-con-brings-fan-favorites-to-the-los-angeles-convention-center/ "L.A. Comic Con brings fan favorites to the Los Angeles Convention Center"]. ''Temple of Geek'' September 16, 2019</ref>

In addition to their focus on fan-friendly programming, L.A. Comic Con also prides itself as being a family-friendly event. The convention is open for free to children 12 and under with an adult who has a 1-Day or 3-Day badge.<ref name="931jackfm.radio.com 1">[https://931jackfm.radio.com/blogs/la/la-comic-con-guide-what-do-see-and-buy "L.A. Comic Con Guide: What To Do, See, and Buy At This Year's Con"]. 93.1 Jack FMl October 9, 2019</ref> The convention also has an annual tradition of hosting an Indoor Trick-Or-Treat event on Sundays for children 12 and under for The Indoor Trick-Or-Treat event traditionally goes on for two hours' on the 3rd and final day of the con. Children can trick-or-treat at any of the convention's booths or tables.<ref name="ladowntownnews.com 1">[http://www.ladowntownnews.com/arts_and_entertainment/what-to-see-and-do-at-l-a-comic-con/article_70648584-eb9a-11e9-8609-3f822fa35f9c.html "What to See and Do at L.A. Comic Con: A Guide to the Film Events, Cosplay and Panels"]."Los Angeles Downtown News' '2019-10-10</ref>

L.A. Comic Con 2019 included programming driven by major feature films, including a main stage panel for the feature film "Zombieland: Double Tap" with the cast and director of the film<ref name="goodnerdbadnerd.com">[https://goodnerdbadnerd.com/2019/10/15/zombieland-double-tap-excites-los-angeles-comic-con/ "Zombieland: Double Tap Excites Los Angeles Comic Con"]. "Los Angeles Downtown News" October 15, 2019</ref> and an early pre-release screening for convention attendees.<ref name="conventionlife.squarespace.com">[http://conventionlife.squarespace.com/blog/2019/10/18/los-angeles-comic-con-early-screening-of-zombieland-double-tap-no-spoilers "Los Angeles Comic Con: Early Screening of Zombieland Double Tap (NO SPOILERS)"]. "Convention.Life" October 18, 2019</ref>

L.A. Comic Con 2019 had several high profile main stage panels. There were several cast reunions, including a "Hellboy" reunion with Ron Perlman and Doug Jones,<ref name="theburnin.com">[https://www.theburnin.com/lifestyle/la-comic-con-recap-hellboy-reunion-stan-lee-tributes-2019-10/ "2019 LA Comic Con Recap: 'Hellboy' reunion and Stan Lee tributes dominate one nerdy weekend"]. "The Burn-In" October 18, 2019</ref> a reunion panel with the cast of "The Office"<ref name="gritdaily.com 2">[https://gritdaily.com/comic-con/ "The Office Reunion; Plus Jay and Silent Bob, Elijah Wood Drop News at L.A. Comic-Con"]. "The Grit Daily" October 22, 2019</ref> and a reunion of the cast of "X-Men: The Animated Series".<ref name="thatsmye.com">[http://www.thatsmye.com/la-comiccon-2019-x-men-the-animated-series-reunion/ "LA ComicCon 2019: X-Men: The Animated Series Reunion"]. "That's My Entertainment" October 16, 2019</ref>

Other 2019 programming included a panel interview with the Incredible Hulk's Lou Ferrigno and Flash Gordon's Sam Jones,<ref name="gbreviews.com">[https://www.gbreviews.com/los-angeles-comic-con-2019-highlights/ "Los Angeles Comic Con 2019 Highlights"]. "Gender Biased Reviews' ' 2019-10-11</ref> The Ultimate Spider-Man's Drake Bell<ref name="kroq.radio.com">[https://kroq.radio.com/blogs/stryker-and-klein/drake-bell-talks-spider-man-drake-and-josh-stryker-klein "Drake Bell Talks Spider-Man, Drake and Josh + More With Stryker & Klein"]. "Stryker & Klein" 2019-10-11</ref> a main-stage panel with the cast of Steven Universe<ref name="charactermedia.com">[https://charactermedia.com/unconventional-wisdom-asian-americans-take-on-los-angeles-comic-con/ "Unconventional Wisdom: Asian Americans Take On Los Angeles Comic Con"]. "Character Media' '2019-10-26</ref> and the cast of the film Daniel Isn't Real.<ref name="gritdaily.com 2"/>

L.A. Comic Con also hosts the Annual National Cosplay Championship. The inaugural cosplay competition took place in 2015<ref name="forbes.com 3">[https://www.forbes.com/sites/markhughes/2015/11/06/comikaze-attendance-rose-21-in-2015-see-cosplay-gallery/#59e407eb14b9 "Comikaze Attendance Rose 21% In 2015; See Cosplay Gallery"]. "Forbes" November 6, 2015</ref> The National Cosplay Championship has reoccurred at L.A. Comic Con every year,<ref name="delnerodesigns.com">[http://delnerodesigns.com/stan-lees-la-comic-con-national-cosplay-competition-2016/ "STAN LEE'S LA COMIC CON NATIONAL COSPLAY COMPETITION 2016"]. "CostumeBiz.net" October 31, 2016</ref><ref name="www2.palomar.edu">[https://www2.palomar.edu/pages/kksm/stan-lees-l-a-comic-con-wraps-up-weekend-of-comics-cosplay-and-fun/ "Stan Lee's L.A. Comic Con Wraps Up Weekend of Comics, Cosplay, and Fun"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411054407/https://www2.palomar.edu/pages/kksm/stan-lees-l-a-comic-con-wraps-up-weekend-of-comics-cosplay-and-fun/ |date=April 11, 2020 }}. "KKSM AM 1320" November 2, 2017</ref><ref name="theconguy.com">[http://theconguy.com/2018/10/26/everything-you-need-to-know-about-this-weekends-los-angeles-comic-con/ "Everything You Need To Know About This Weekend's Los Angeles Comic Con"]. "The Con Guy" October 26, 2018</ref> with the fifth Annual Cosplay National Championship at the 2019 L.A. Comic Con being officially presented by Disney's "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil".<ref name="ladowntownnews.com 2">[http://www.ladowntownnews.com/arts_and_entertainment/what-to-see-and-do-at-l-a-comic-con/article_70648584-eb9a-11e9-8609-3f822fa35f9c.html "What to See and Do at L.A. Comic Con: A Guide to the Film Events, Cosplay and Panels"]."Los Angeles Downtown News" October 10, 2019</ref>

==Exclusive collectibles==
L.A. Comic Con annually boasts collectible items that are exclusively available at a given year's convention. In 2019, L.A. Comic Con's exclusive collectibles included Funko Pops from Hot Topic.<ref name="comicbook.com 2">[https://comicbook.com/marvel/2019/10/14/funko-lacc-2019-pop-figure-exclusives-venom-harley-quinn-ghost-rider-order/ "Funko's L.A. Comic Con 2019 Pop Figure Exclusives Are Available Now"]."Comicbook.com" October 14, 2019</ref>

Hot Topic has been a major partner of L.A. Comic Con since 2017, having sponsored and provided exclusive merchandise for the con in 2017,<ref name="thenerdelement.com 2">[http://www.thenerdelement.com/2017/10/13/celebrities-exclusives-la-comic-con/ "More Celebrities, Exclusives and Signings – LA Comic Con"]. ''The Nerd Element'' October 13, 2017</ref> 2018,<ref name="califocusmag.com 2">[https://www.califocusmag.com/single-post/2018/10/24/Los-Angeles-Comic-Con-Celebrates-LA%E2%80%99s-Greatest-Pop-Culture-Extravaganza "Los Angeles Comic Con Celebrates L.A.'s Greatest Pop Culture Extravaganza"]. ''California Focus'' October 24, 2018</ref> and 2019.<ref name="931jackfm.radio.com 2">[https://931jackfm.radio.com/blogs/la/la-comic-con-guide-what-do-see-and-buy "L.A. Comic Con Guide: What To Do, See, and Buy At This Year's Con"]. "93.1 Jack FMl" October 9, 2019</ref>

==Convention leadership and organization==
Chris DeMoulin is L.A. Comic Con's current CEO, having worked with the convention since its second year in 2012. Growing up as a fan of comics since he was a young child, Chris DeMoulin amassed a large collection of comic books before he had to sell them as a young adult to pay for his college education.<ref name="lamag.com 3"/> Mr. DeMoulin's genuine passion for the comic book community led him to build L.A. Comic Con as a fan-driven, community-oriented convention.

The convention maintains a full-time team of just under 10 employees throughout the year, and seasonally expands annually to employ 150 staff during the convention's official event weekend.<ref name="templeofgeek.com 6"/>

==Stan Lee's legacy at the Con==
Formerly known as "Stan Lee's L.A. Comic Con", Stan Lee formed a partnership with the convention in 2012<ref name="laweekly.com 6">[https://www.laweekly.com/stan-lees-comikaze-expo-2012-is-it-l-a-s-comic-con-not-yet-but/ "STAN LEE'S COMIKAZE EXPO 2012: IS IT L.A.'S COMIC-CON? NOT YET, BUT…"]. ''LA Weekly'' September 17, 2012</ref> and continued working with the event until his passing in 2018. Mr. Lee was motivated to work with L.A. Comic Con based on their fan-motivated organizational culture. "I think he felt the legacy of what we wanted to create here was safe in our hands, because we were honest-to-goodness fans, not just business people looking to make a buck" —Chris DeMoulin, CEO of Comikaze Entertainment.<ref name="lamag.com 3"/>

L.A. Comic Con 2019 featured numerous dedications to Stan Lee's legacy, including a memorial wall inviting attendees to write their well-wishes in Stan Lee's memory<ref name="thecorsaironline.com">[https://www.thecorsaironline.com/corsair/comic-con "LA Comic Con Finds its Footing in First Year without Founding Father: Stan Lee"] October 27, 2019</ref> and a main stage panel hosted by Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld in Mr. Lee's honor.<ref name="thathashtagshow.com">[https://www.thathashtagshow.com/2019/10/10/your-comprehensive-guide-to-la-comic-con/ "Your Comprehensive Guide to LA Comic Con"] October 10, 2019</ref>

==Events==
{| class="wikitable" width="100%"
|-
! Dates !! Location !! Approximate Attendance !! Guests
{{Convention list
| date       = November 5–6, 2011
| venue      = [[Los Angeles Convention Center]]
| location   = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]
| attendance = 35,000{{Citation needed|date=April 2015}} 
| guests     = [[Stan Lee]], [[Cassandra Peterson|Elvira]], [[Mark Hamill]], [[Tony Todd]], [[Ernest Borgnine]], [[Tippi Hedren]], [[Morgan Fairchild]], [[Robert Venditti]], [[Marina Sirtis]], [[Garrett Wang]], [[Robert Beltran]], Sybil Danning, [[Jhonen Vasquez]], Cast of Nickelodeon's ''[[All That]]'' ([[Kel Mitchell]], [[Josh Server]], [[Lori Beth Denberg]], [[Katrina Johnson]], [[Alisa Reyes]], [[Angelique Bates]] and [[Lisa Foiles]]), Cast of ''[[Bad Kids Go to Hell]]'', Cast of ''[[Police Academy (franchise)|Police Academy]]'', Select Cast of ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'' and ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fancons.com/events/info/11728/comikaze-expo-2011|title=Comikaze Expo 2011 Information|work=FanCons.com|access-date=October 16, 2018}}</ref>
}}
{{Convention list
| date       = September 15–16, 2012
| venue      = [[Los Angeles Convention Center]]
| location   = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]
| attendance = 45,000{{Citation needed|date=April 2015}}
| guests     = [[Stan Lee]], [[Cassandra Peterson|Elvira]], [[Adam West]], [[Burt Ward]], [[Todd McFarlane]], [[Kevin Smith]], [[Mark Hamill]], [[Norman Reedus]], [[Tony Todd]], [[Felicia Day]], [[Tara Strong]], [[Dana Snyder]], [[Julie Newmar]], [[Neal Adams]], [[Marv Wolfman]], [[Zak Penn]], [[Lou Ferrigno]], [[Daphne Ashbrook]], [[Ron Glass]], [[Amber Benson]], [[Kevin J. Anderson]], [[J. Scott Campbell]], [[Tony Moore (artist)|Tony Moore]], [[Marc Silvestri]], Cast of Nickelodeon's ''[[Salute Your Shorts]]'' ([[Michael Ray Bower]], [[Danny Cooksey]], [[Kirk Baily]], Venus DeMilo, [[Trevor Eyster]] and [[Erik MacArthur]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fancons.com/events/info/3201/comikaze-expo-2012|title=Comikaze Expo 2012 Information|work=FanCons.com|access-date=October 16, 2018}}</ref>
}}
{{Convention list
| date       = November 1–3, 2013
| venue      = [[Los Angeles Convention Center]]
| location   = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]
| attendance = 55,000{{Citation needed|date=April 2015}} 
| guests     = [[Stan Lee]], [[Cassandra Peterson|Elvira]], [["Weird Al" Yankovic]], [[Bruce Campbell]], [[Michael Rooker]], [[LeVar Burton]], [[Tony Todd]], [[Edward James Olmos]], [[Dean Cain]], [[Alyssa Milano]], [[RuPaul]], [[Louie Anderson]], [[Lou Ferrigno]], [[James Hong]], [[Lynne Marie Stewart]], [[Lori Petty]], [[Paris Themmen]], [[Naomi Grossman]], [[Lisa Foiles]], [[Michael Ray Bower]], [[Phil Moore (actor)|Phil Moore]], [[Jon Schnepp]], [[Richard Horvitz]], [[Rikki Simons]], [[Jim Cummings]], [[Bill Farmer]], [[Jhonen Vasquez]], Cast of ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]'' ([[Catherine Cavadini]], [[E.G. Daily]] and [[Tara Strong]]), Cast of Nickelodeon's ''[[The Adventures of Pete & Pete]]'' ([[Mike Maronna]], [[Danny Tamberelli]]), Cast of AMC's ''[[Comic Book Men]]'' ([[Mike Zapcic]], [[Ming Chen]] and Robert Bruce)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fancons.com/events/info/4316/stan-lees-comikaze-expo-2013|title=Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo 2013 Information|work=FanCons.com|access-date=October 16, 2018}}</ref>
}}
{{Convention list
| date       = November 2, 2014
| venue      = [[Los Angeles Convention Center]]
| location   = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]
| attendance = 65,000{{Citation needed|date=April 2015}}
| guests     = [[Stan Lee]], [[Cassandra Peterson|Elvira]], [[Kevin Smith]], [[Kevin Conroy]], [[Burt Ward]], [[Gwendoline Christie]], [[Alfie Allen]], [[Stephen Moyer]], [[Kristin Bauer]], [[Barbara Eden]], [[Mindy Sterling]], [[John Barrowman]], [[Jewel Staite]], [[Tara Strong]], [[Howie Mandel]], [[James Hong]], [[Eric Roberts]], [[Tommy Wiseau]], Original Power Rangers cast ([[David Yost]], [[Walter Emanuel Jones]]), Cast of AMC's ''Comic Book Men'' ([[Bryan Johnson (filmmaker)|Bryan Johnson]], [[Mike Zapcic]], [[Ming Chen]] and Robert Bruce)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fancons.com/events/info/5176/stan-lees-comikaze-expo-2014|title=Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo 2014 Information|work=FanCons.com|access-date=October 16, 2018}}</ref>
}}
{{Convention list
| date       = November 1, 2015
| venue      = [[Los Angeles Convention Center]]
| location   = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]
| attendance = 70,000 {{Citation needed|date=July 2018}}
| guests     = [[Stan Lee]], [[Cassandra Peterson|Elvira]], [[Carrie Fisher]], [[Todd McFarlane]], [[Grant Morrison]], [[Rob Liefeld]], [[Summer Glau]], [[Nichelle Nichols]], [[Jon Schnepp]], [[Grumpy Cat]], Cast of Nickelodeon's ''[[All That]]'' ([[Kel Mitchell]], [[Josh Server]], [[Lori Beth Denberg]], [[Katrina Johnson]], [[Alisa Reyes]], [[Angelique Bates]], [[Danny Tamberelli]] and [[Lisa Foiles]]), Cast of Nickelodeon's The Adventures of Pete & Pete ([[Mike Maronna]], [[Danny Tamberelli]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fancons.com/events/info/6143/stan-lees-comikaze-expo-2015|title=Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo 2015 Information|work=FanCons.com|access-date=October 16, 2018}}</ref>
}}
{{Convention list
| date       = October 28–30, 2016
| venue      = [[Los Angeles Convention Center]]
| location   = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]
| attendance = 91,000<ref name="MW">{{Cite news|url=http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/stan-lees-los-angeles-comic-con-hits-record-turnout-of-91000-attendees-2172281.htm|title=Stan Lee's Los Angeles Comic Con Hits Record Turnout Of 91,000 Attendees|work=Marketwired|access-date=October 25, 2017}}</ref>   
| guests     = [[Stan Lee]], Rob Liefeld, Alan Tudyk, [[Mike Colter]], [[Chris Hardwick]], Adam West, Burt Ward, [[Darryl McDaniels]], [[Gerard Way]], Taboo, Lance Henriksen, Neal Adams, Michael Biehn, [[Kevin Smith]], Robert Picardo, Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, Ted Raimi, Leisha Hailey, Kate Moenig, [[Walter Emanuel Jones|Walter Jones]], [[Nichelle Nichols]], [[Dominic Purcell]], [[Cary Elwes]], [[Dan Harmon]], Rob Benedict, Richard Speight, Shannon Purser, Teddy Sears, [[Mike Tyson]], [[Kel Mitchell]], Marc Silvestri<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fancons.com/events/info/7686/stan-lees-los-angeles-comic-con-2016|title=Stan Lee's Los Angeles Comic Con 2016 Information|work=FanCons.com|access-date=October 16, 2018}}</ref>
}}
{{Convention list
| date       = October 27–29, 2017
| venue      = [[Los Angeles Convention Center]]
| location   = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]
| attendance = 100,000+<ref name="aeisd">{{Cite news|url=http://www.anenglishmaninsandiego.com/connews/stan-lees-l-a-comic-con-2017-breaks-attendance-record|title=Stan Lee's L.A. Comic Con 2017 breaks attendance record}}</ref>
| guests     = [[Neal Adams]], [[David Anders]], [[Dino Andrade]], [[Karan Ashley]], [[Mark Bagley]], [[Scott Bakula]], [[Eric Basaldua]], [[John Beatty (illustrator)|John Beatty]], [[Chloe Bennet]], [[Michael Biehn]], [[Zach Callison]], [[J. Scott Campbell]], [[Greg Capullo]], [[Ming Chen]], [[Charlet Chung]], [[Greg Cipes]], [[Dameon Clarke]], Tom Cook, [[Jonny Cruz]], [[Jim Cummings]], [[Camilla d'Errico]], [[Felicia Day]], [[Grey DeLisle]], [[Shannon Eric Denton]], [[Lar DeSouza]], [[Michaela Dietz]], [[Kevin Eastman]], [[Carlos Ferro (American actor)|Carlos Ferro]], [[Andy Field (Blogger)|Andy Field]], David J. Fielding, [[Sandy Fox]], [[Todd Haberkorn]], [[Kyle Hebert]], [[Chuck Huber]], [[Grant Imahara]], [[Walter E. Jones]], [[Tom Kane]], [[Walter Koenig]], [[Phil LaMarr]], [[Lauren Landa]], [[Lex Lang]], Ken Lashley, [[Jae Lee]], [[Stan Lee]], [[Rob Liefeld]], [[Jim Mahfood]], [[Darryl McDaniels]], [[Gates McFadden]], [[Todd McFarlane]], [[Scott Menville]], [[Vic Mignogna]], [[Kirby Morrow]], [[Daran Norris]], [[James O'Barr]], [[Alan Oppenheimer]], [[Phil Ortiz]], [[Katee Sackhoff]], [[Keith Silverstein]], [[Marc Silvestri]], [[Rikki Simons]], [[Felipe Smith]], [[Kevin Smith]], [[Ryan Sohmer]], [[Austin St. John]], [[Tara Strong]], [[James Arnold Taylor]], [[Veronica Taylor]], [[Burt Ward]], [[David Yost]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fancons.com/events/info/8603/stan-lees-los-angeles-comic-con-2017|title=Stan Lee's Los Angeles Comic Con 2017 Information|work=FanCons.com|access-date=July 21, 2018}}</ref>
}}
{{Convention list
| date       = October 26–28, 2018
| venue      = [[Los Angeles Convention Center]]
| location   = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]
| attendance =
| guests     = Robbie Amell, Karan Ashley, Michael Biehn, Kimberly Brooks, Greg Capullo, Katie Cassidy, Ming Chen, Tom Cook, Brett Dalton, Michaela Dietz, David J. Fielding, Dan Gilvezan, Walter E. Jones, Rob Liefeld, Phil Ortiz, Tim Seeley, Austin St. John, Eric Vale, and Skottie Young.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fancons.com/events/info/10015/los-angeles-comic-con-2018|title=Stan Lee's Los Angeles Comic Con 2018 Information|work=FanCons.com|access-date=July 21, 2018}}</ref>
}}
{{Convention list
| date = October 11–13, 2019
| venue = [[Los Angeles Convention Center]]
| location = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]
| attendance = 123,000{{cn|date=March 2021}}
| guests = 
}}
{{Convention list
| date = {{strikethrough|September 25–27, 2020;<br />December 11–13, 2020}}
| venue = {{strikethrough|[[Los Angeles Convention Center]]}}
| location = {{strikethrough|[[Los Angeles]], [[California]]}}
| attendance = 
| guests = Rescheduled to December 2020<ref>Brown, Tracy. [https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-09-28/la-comic-con-in-person-convention-coronavirus-december "L.A. Comic Con announces in-person event, but conventions are still banned in the state,"] ''Los Angeles Times'' (September 28, 2020).</ref> and then cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]<ref>McMillan, Graeme. [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/l-a-comic-con-cancelled-for-2020 "L.A. Comic Con Canceled for 2020,"] ''Hollywood Reporter'' (October 13, 2020).</ref>
}}
{{Convention list
| date = December 3–5, 2021
| venue = [[Los Angeles Convention Center]]
| location = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]
| attendance =
| guests =
}}
{{Convention list
| date = December 2–4, 2022
| venue = [[Los Angeles Convention Center]]
| location = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]
| attendance = 
| guests = [[Simu Liu]], [[William Shatner]], [[Charlie Hunnam]], [[Giancarlo Esposito]], [[Ming-Na Wen]], [[Elijah Wood]], [[Sean Astin]], [[Laz Alonso]], [[Tomer Capone]], [[Karen Fukuhara]], [[Wil Wheaton]], [[LeVar Burton]], [[Amy Jo Johnson]], [[Steve Burns]], [[Sean Schemmel]], [[Tom Kenny]], Cast of ''[[The Sandlot]]'', [[Jim Cummings]], [[Daman Mills]], [[David Henrie]], [[Curran Walters]], [[Debi Derryberry]], [[Rob Paulsen]], [[Mark DeCarlo]], [[Candi Milo]], [[Carolyn Lawrence]], [[Jeff Garcia (Actor)|Jeff Garcia]], [[Megan Cavanagh]], Crystal Scales, [[Scott Grimes]], [[Greg Grunberg]], [[Sonny Strait]]
}}
{{Convention list
| date = December 1–3, 2023
| venue = [[Los Angeles Convention Center]]
| location = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]
| attendance = 
| guests = [[Amy Jo Johnson]], [[Billy Boyd]], [[Bonnie Wright]], [[David Yost]], [[Diana Lee Inosanto]], [[Dominic Monaghan]], [[Elijah Wood]], [[Eman Esfandi]], [[Emily Rudd]], [[Erin Moriarty (actress)|Erin Moriarty]], [[Grace Caroline Currey]], [[Ivanna Sakhno]], [[James Phelps (actor)|James Phelps]], [[Jamie Campbell Bower]], [[Johnny Yong Bosch]], [[Jon Heder]], [[Karen Fukuhara]], [[Lateef Crowder dos Santos]], [[Logic (rapper)|Logic]], [[Shawn Crahan|M. Shawn "Crown" Crahan]], [[Matt Smith]], [[Natasha Liu Bordizzo]], [[Oliver Phelps (actor)|Oliver Phelps]], [[Paul Lieberstein]], [[Rainn Wilson]], [[Rodger Bumpass]], [[Sean Astin]], [[Tom Kenny]], [[Virginia Gardner]]
}}
{{Convention list
| date = October 4-6, 2024
| venue = [[Los Angeles Convention Center]]
| location = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]
| attendance = 
| guests = [[Amy Jo Johnson]], [[Anjelica Huston]], [[Brandon Rogers (actor)|Brandon Rogers]], [[Carel Struycken]], [[Christina Ricci]], [[Christopher Lloyd]], [[Cristina Vee]], [[Emily Swallow]], [[Ewan McGregor]], [[Giancarlo Esposito]], [[Gordon Cormier]], [[Harvey Guillén]], [[Hayden Christensen]], [[Hayden Panettiere]], [[Jack DeSena]], [[Jennie Kwan]], [[Jimmy Workman]], [[Johnny Yong Bosch]], [[Kate Micucci]], [[Kayvan Novak]], [[Kristen Schaal]], [[Lea Thompson]], [[Shawn Crahan|M. Shawn "Crown" Crahan]], [[Michael J. Fox]], [[Ming-Na Wen]], [[Olivia Hack]], [[Paul Sun-Hyung Lee]], [[Rosario Dawson]], [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]], [[Tara Strong]], [[Thomas F. Wilson|Tom Wilson]], [[Vivien Lyra Blair]], [[Zach Tyler Eisen]]
}}
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official|https://www.comicconla.com//}}
* [https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-nov-03-la-et-pickcomic3-20111103-story.html Los Angeles Times]
* {{Cite web |title=Stan Lee Launches His Own Comic Convention |url=http://geekout.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/11/stan-lee-launches-his-own-comic-convention/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815082657/http://geekout.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/11/stan-lee-launches-his-own-comic-convention |archive-date=August 15, 2012 }}

{{Multigenre conventions in North America}}
{{Stan Lee}}

[[Category:Annual events in Los Angeles County, California]]
[[Category:Comics conventions in the United States]]
[[Category:Conventions in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Events in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Multigenre conventions]]
[[Category:Recurring events established in 2011]]
[[Category:Stan Lee]]