It's been a little more than two months since the grand poo-bah of all nerd gatherings, the indefatigable geek-pride celebration that is Comic-Con International, but fear not, fellow genre lovers — this weekend's inaugural Long Beach Comic-Con should provide a thimbleful of nourishment if you're still having withdrawals. No, it won't have nearly as many A-list stars, ubersneak-peek panels or that impressive army of steampunk cosplayers, but besides sharing that ocean-front vibe with the San Diego-based CCI, it will have appearances by some pretty big names: Marvel Comics guru Stan “The Man” Lee; Robot Chicken's co-creator Seth Green (and don't forget, he's Oz, Buffy lovers!); actor Thomas Jane (the second and way hotter Punisher — sorry, Dolph Lundgren); George Lazenby, a.k.a. the most underrated James Bond; and the ubiquitous Hulk himself, Lou Ferrigno, will all appear. Not to mention dozens of comic book writers and artists from a slew of popular titles, and a variety of special screenings and performances. We foresee bright things in your future, LBCC.

Fri., Oct. 2, 3-7 p.m.; Sat., Oct. 3, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., 2009

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