Comic-Con International

Not Your Typical Anime Art Show

When Agit Gallery curator Zero organized "Anime Explode!! (Let's Fighting Art)," which opened Friday night in Koreatown, he had one mission. Zero didn't want the art show to look like an artist alley at a fan convention. That's not an easy task to achieve when the theme is anime. Even in Los Angele ... More >>

Why Comic-Con Is Really About Community

In Southern California, you can be certain that the bigger the event, the more religious protestors you'll see across the street. Oftentimes, convention-goers will counter the protestors with signs bearing absurd slogans. That was the case in San Diego this year, when attendees dropped as many nerdy ... More >>

Why Regular Show Is So Huge at Comic-Con This Year

J.G. Quintel has been going to San Diego Comic-Con for a decade now. He started out his journey here as a fan, a CalArts student who caught wind of the event from his brother. Quintel would register to attend the convention after he arrived at the venue. He would walk into panels at Hall H, now the ... More >>

Comic-Con Stays In San Diego One Extra Year; L.A. Will Have To Wait

Despite entertaining come-ons from Los Angeles and Anaheim, Comic-Con will remain faithful to San Diego for at least one more year. San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders announced that the convention that has become a darling of Hollywood, the pop-culture cognoscenti and hot chicks who need a pre-Halloween ... More >>

Top 7 Lessons Learned at San Diego Comic-Con 2012

See also: *"San Diego Comic-Con 2012: Hasbro Listens to Fans With New, Exclusive Toys" *"San Diego Comic-Con 2012: Dethklok Gives Metalocalypse Fans a Sneak Preview of Upcoming Tour" *"San Diego Comic-Con 2012: Firefly's 10th Anniversary Symbolized by Jayne Cobb's Hat" *"Cosplay on Display at Comic- ... More >>

San Diego Comic-Con 2012: Hasbro Listens to Fans with New, Exclusive Toys

Over the course of two seasons, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic has emerged as the kid's cartoon with a far greater audience than just children. Adult fans of the show -- known primarily as Bronies, as well as the less frequent term Pegasisters -- have created their own online forums and fan con ... More >>

Wolvesmouth Goes to Comic-Con: Food Nerds Pop Culture Geeks

It's almost universally agreed upon that the food at Comic-Con sucks -- that is, unless you're a fan of floppy pizza slices and soggy hot dogs marked up to movie-theater prices. Yet just like music festivals, gaming conventions and other pop culture gatherings, Comic-Con is experiencing an influx of ... More >>

Comic-Con Death: 'Twilight' Fan Runs Into Side of Car in Bizarre Accident

Updated at the bottom with an eyewitness' account of what happened. First posted at 1:32 p.m. A woman collided with a car as she tried to cross a street outside San Diego Comic-Con today in a bizarre accident that took the Twilight fan's life. The accident at Harbor Drive and Fifth Avenue, just do ... More >>

Top 5 Cartoon Series You Need to Watch Before San Diego Comic-Con

See also: *14 Essential Items to Bring to Every Fan Convention *5 Essential Cosplay Tips for Beginners With two weeks to go until San Diego Comic-Con, news about panel appearances is just starting to hit the web. For animation fans, there's a lot in store from networks like Nickelodeon, Cartoon Net ... More >>

Five Cheap Ways You Can Support Your Favorite Artists

Art shouldn't be intimidating, but when you walk into a gallery and note that even the low priced items are several hundreds of dollars, it can be. But fear not, art lovers. There are plenty of ways you can support the artists whose work you've reblogged on Tumblr or pinned to Pinterest even when ... More >>

5 Standout Cosplays of 2011

See more photos in "2011: The Year in Cosplay." Read more in this years "Best of the Cons," Part 1 and Part 2 and "Top 10 Cult Stars of 2011." While some conventions attract more people in costume than others, there's no denying that cosplay has become a very important aspect of the fan convention ... More >>

Dragon*Con vs. San Diego Comic-Con: Which Convention Should You Attend?

Shannon CottrellSan Diego Comic-Con 2011​For the past three years that I've been covering conventions for LA Weekly, people have been telling me to go to Atlanta for Dragon*Con. I've heard it from commenters, friends and professional contacts. There are many who believe that Dragon*Con is the ... More >>

San Diego Comic-Con 2011: Demons, Angels and Gods, it's All Supernatural

CWTV.com​ See more photos in "San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Preview Night," "San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Day One," "San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Day Two,""San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Day Three" and "San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Day Four." The Supernatural panel graduated to the infamous Hall H this year at San ... More >>

San Diego Comic-Con 2011: Convention Favorite Nathan Fillion Talks Castle

Dianne GarciaNathan Fillion​ See more photos in "San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Preview Night," "San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Day One," "San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Day Two,""San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Day Three" and "San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Day Four." Nathan Fillion is no stranger to comic book convention ... More >>

Adventure Time Is a Hit at San Diego Comic-Con

Shannon CottrellAdventure Time takes over a Gaslamp Quarter pizza spot​See more photos in "San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Preview Night," "San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Day One," "San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Day Two,""San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Day Three" and "San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Day Four." If you were ... More >>

The Doctor is IN (OMFG!): Nerdist Podcast Live @ Comic-Con 2011

Dianne GarciaKaren Gillan and Matt Smith​See more photos in "San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Preview Night," "San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Day One," "San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Day Two." You will all have to forgive me for breaking the fourth wall of blogger "voice" for this one. The third person just wo ... More >>

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Return to TV in CG Animated Series for Nickelodeon

Shannon Cottrell​See more photos in "San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Preview Night," "San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Day One," "San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Day Two." Friday night, Nickelodeon brought Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans a sneak peek at what's in store for the franchise with a pizza party at Ba ... More >>

Yoshiki Heads to San Diego Comic-Con, Joins Forces with Stan Lee and Todd McFarlane

Shannon Cottrell​See more photos in "San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Preview Night" and "San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Day One." "I think any X Japan song kind of relates to an anime or comics," says Yoshiki, founder and leader of the legendary Japanese rock band X Japan. "Also, X Japan, we are kind of l ... More >>

justJenn Brings Geeky Stationary, Comic Cookbook and More to San Diego Comic-Con

justJENN​justJENN is a stationary designer, popular recipe blogger and all-around creative lady with a penchant for Star Wars birthday parties and comic character-themed treats. This year, she'll be at San Diego Comic-Con in the Small Press section of the exhibit hall, armed with copies of her ... More >>

San Diego Comic-Con Announces Sunday July 24 Schedule: Matt Smith and Karen Gillan to Appear on Dr. Who Panel

Shannon CottrellLast year, convention goers dressed as the Doctor and Amy. This year, Matt Smith and Karen Gillan will appear at SDCC.​More in "San Diego Comic-Con Announces Thursday July 21 Schedule: Bruce Campbell, Yoshiki, Stan Lee, Mike Judge and More.", "San Diego Comic-Con Announces Frid ... More >>

San Diego Comic-Con Announces Saturday, July 23 Schedule: Steampunk, Adventure Time, The Last Airbender, Robert Kirkman and More

Shannon CottrellSteampunk at San Diego Comic-Con 2010​More in "San Diego Comic-Con Announces Thursday July 21 Schedule: Bruce Campbell, Yoshiki, Stan Lee, Mike Judge and More." and "San Diego Comic-Con Announces Friday, July 22 Schedule: Doc Hammer, Jackson Publick, Chris Elliott, Wil Wheaton, ... More >>

The Unauthorized San Diego Comic-Con Survival Guide Prepares Fans for the Annual Mega-Event

​"They always say you write what you love, you write what you know, so Comic-Con was a no-brainer," says Doug Kline. Kline is the author of The Unauthorized San Diego Comic-Con Survival, a small, handy book that answers the myriad questions people may have about the annual pop culture extrava ... More >>

Is Anaheim Comic Con a Sign of What's to Come When Wizard World Heads to L.A.?

Shannon CottrellHanging out at the GNB Cosplay booth at Anaheim Comic Con​ See more of Shannon Cottrell's photos in "Anaheim Comic Con 2011." Read more in "Southern California Ghostbusters Turn up at Anaheim Comic Con" and "Green Lantern Goes Samurai at Anaheim Comic Con." On the morning of A ... More >>

Wizard World to Launch Los Angeles Comic Con This September

​Wizard World announced this morning that it is bringing Los Angeles Comic Con to the L.A. Convention Center September 24 and 25. Artist Mike Deodato Jr. (The Amazing Spider-Man, Batman and many more) is the first announced guest of honor for the event. Clare Kramer, who played Glory on Buffy ... More >>

Artist Camilla d'Errico Talks Femina & Fauna, San Diego Comic-Con and Her Anime Fan Secret

Camilla d'Errico is part of a generation of artists whose work is as recognizable in art galleries as it is at fan conventions. Equally known as a painter and comic book creator (Tanpopo), d'Errico frequently depicts female characters that appear both hauntingly beautiful and fearless. Her new book ... More >>

Top 10 LA Weekly News Stories Of 2010: Sex, Drugs, One Absurdly Long Tongue And The 'Attempted Lynching' That Shook Los Angeles

Swam2dayWe get it: You like your news with a side of sexy​How better to determine the Top 10 news items of the year in our wonderfully fucked-up, always aggravating but certainly never boring City of Angels than by raw click count? The following stories may not be the most important of the y ... More >>

Comic-Con Stays In San Diego, Turns Down Los Angeles

​After flirting with Los Angeles, Anaheim and even Las Vegas, it looks like organizers of the annual Comic-Con convention will stay in San Diego for another five years. Nerds across L.A. are sighing right about now. Sorry guys, you'll have to catch Olivia Munn on G4 as usual. The good news: T ... More >>

Doc Hammer, Jackson Publick and the Cult of 'The Venture Bros.'

The Venture Bros., which begins the second half of its fourth season Sunday night at 11:30 on Adult Swim, is a curious show. It hasn't won the awards that Robot Chicken and The Boondocks have. It didn't spawn a rock band with a Billboard top 20 album like Metalocalypse did. It doesn't have the super ... More >>

Ever Get the Feeling You've Been Conned?

The search for authenticity at Comic-Con 2010

Comic-Con Interview: Musician/Artist Voltaire is a Convention Renaissance Man

Voltaire is a Renaissance man for the convention circuit. An animator, comic book creator and toy designer, he has a lot of reasons to hit up events like San Diego Comic-Con. But Voltaire's best known occupation, the one that brought the Con crowd out of the Gaslamp Quarter and into North Park venue ... More >>

AMC's 'The Walking Dead' Signs, Seals, Delivers On Hype At Comic-Con 2010

​ With Emmy-winning powerhouses Mad Men and Breaking Bad, AMC is at the forefront of cable TV drama. What fans and geeks have hoped for, this year's Comic-Con audience can attest to, and the rest of the world is about to find out is that the network is poised to break all-new ground in October ... More >>

Comic-Con: Man In Harry Potter T-Shirt Stabs A Fellow Convention-Goer

File photo of Comic-Con.​A Comic-Con attendee was stabbed over the weekend following an argument over a seat at the annual convention in San Diego that has become increasingly important to Hollywood and its appetite for comic-based franchise films. The scuffle happened Saturday afternoon at ... More >>

Comic-Con 2010, Day 2: Street Fashion in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter

Really, we didn't intend to meet one Angeleno after the next while in San Diego for Comic-Con, but it happened. It seemed like our entire hometown had picked up and moved to the Gaslamp Quarter for five days. Check out a few fashionable locals we spotted in another city on Day 2 of Comic-Con. Allie ... More >>

Man Stabbed with Pen in Comic-Con's Hall H Following Argument About Sitting 'Too Close'

​ The big-time film and TV panels that are hosted in the San Diego Convention Center's mammoth Hall H during Comic-Con are usually epic in a number of ways, particularly on Saturday which is the con's busiest day and when all of the marquee blockbusters trot out their teasers and treats for th ... More >>

Picks from San Diego Comic-Con's Schedule: Emily the Strange, Yoshitaka Amano, Buffy the Musical

Check out our Comic-Con picks for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Sunday is Kids' Day at San Diego Comic-Con. Throughout the day, there will be lots of events for the young ones. But, if you don't have kids and you're not completely exhausted, there might be a few panels for you too. If you've been ... More >>

Picks from San Diego Comic-Con's Saturday Schedule: Futurama, Peter Bagge and Zombies

Check out our picks from Comic-Con's Thursday and Friday schedules. Saturday marks the 36th annual Comic-Con Masquerade, a massive costume contest where contestants will compete in categories like "Most Humorous," "Best Original Design" and "Best Re-creation." If there's anything we learned from ... More >>

Picks from San Diego Comic-Con's Friday Schedule: Adult Swim, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Archer and More

Friday, June 23 is Star Wars Day at San Diego Comic-Con. Bring a lightsaber. SDCC announced its Friday schedule this morning. Even if you're one of the few that isn't into Star Wars, there will be plenty to do. Here are our picks from the schedule. Feel free to leave your own in the comment section. ... More >>

NFL Stadium Construction In L.A. Could Mean Dust And Debris For Comic-Con

LA Live.​While Los Angeles would very much like to host Comic-Con, that huge San Diego comic convention that has flirted with the idea of moving to L.A., Anaheim or Las Vegas, the prospect has a very real road block: Blogger and state Republican Party vice chair Jon Fleischman notes (via LAO ... More >>

'The Simpsons' Makes Fun Of Potential Comic-Con Move To Anaheim

​Is there a zeitgeist of opposition to a potential move for the annual Comic-Con from San Diego to Anaheim? It appears that the ultimate nerds' nerd and foremost authority on such matters, Comic Book Guy, is none too happy about the prospect.

Coachella vs. Comic-Con: Are the Two That Different?

The similarities between music festivals and fandom conventions are remarkable. Both center around a need for community. You go to hang out with your friends and meet new people who have similar interests. Both have scenes surrounding them. Just as there are people who hop from one convention to the ... More >>

San Diego Proposes $753 Million Convention Center Expansion To Keep Comic-Con, Other Shows

An image from Comic-Con.​A $753 million expansion of San Diego's convention center aimed at holding on to Comic-Con and other shows has been proposed by that city's port and convention officials, with approval by the Port Commission expected Tuesday. The move would sweeten the pot for a capac ... More >>

Five Reasons Comic-Con Should Move to L.A.

Shannon CottrellVenture Bros. cosplayers at Comic-Con​ As L.A. Weekly has been reporting for several weeks now, the buzz is strong that San Diego Comic-Con may have outgrown San Diego. Should the event decide to leave the city where it blossomed from a small fan gathering to a mega-convention, ... More >>

In Fight To Host Comic-Con, Anaheim Enlists Facebook

A scene from Comic-Con.​The city of Anaheim recently launched a Facebook Fan Page in its effort to woo the packed Comic-Con convention from San Diego. The city also penned an open letter to the organizers of the get-together, stating, "You need to be assured that moving to Anaheim is the best ... More >>

IT'S THE LOVE OF THE ART, MAN!

BEST SPOT TO SPY ON JAMES BOND

Videothing Interviews Gwar at Comic-Con: "Your Junk Is Hanging Out" (NSFW)

Videothing was down at Comic-Con last weekend looking for thrills, and, lo, there was Gwar, the fleshy mutant metal band whose bodily fluids pour out of their cavities like puke from the mouth of a sorority girl. Word are useless in these instances. Just watch. (NSFW)

Comic-Con 2009: Meeting Up with deviantART in the Artist's Alley

Liz OhanesiandeviantART user Meghan McMahon at Comic-Con​In some ways, deviantART is the driving force driving Artist Alley's at comic book and anime conventions across the nation. The online artist community doesn't typically sponsor booths or have any other sort of official presence at the ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Comic-Con '09, Cosplay, Ninjas and Sexy '60s Spies

If city traffic felt a bit lighter over the weekend there was a reason why -- a majority of Angelenos hightailed it to San Diego for the annual Comic-Con to indulge their inner geek, strap on that Storm Trooper costume, spend their savings on first editions, preview new video games and attend panels ... More >>

Never Nude? Try "Never Laid" at Comic-Con '09

With the running around from panel to party to panel, and all the attention paid to organizing booths and securing the perfect Storm Trooper costume, Comic-Con was exhausting and seemed to be the last place that anyone was having sex, ourselves included. Curiosity got the best of us so we asked peop ... More >>

Comic-Con 2008: For Love of the Con

Big crowds, too little sleep and even less food at San Diego's fanboy mecca