The REAL 10 Reasons You Must Attend Comikaze Expo

A little over a month ago, I wrote about the reasons I thought this weekend’s Comikaze Expo was a must attend event. Since that time, many more announcements about the show have come out, so I thought this would be a great time to revisit the list.

10. Location: Although we’ve seen many shows flop in LA, this doesn’t alter the fact that the

pop culture seen is LA. There are a number of reasons that past LA shows have failed, but none of them have to do with the fertility of the cultural landscape in the City ofAngels.

9. Ticket Prices: Currently, Comikaze Expo ticket prices are $12 for a day or $20 for two

days. Kids prices? Children 12 and under are free. Also, the show has introduced a Hero price of $5 for individuals (and up to 4 family members) that are in professions like medical care, law enforcement, teaching, etc. These are ridiculously low prices and give you access to a full day of awesomeness.

8. Choices: This show is bringing options like few others. What’s your pleasure? Anime? Comics? Cosplay? Sci-Fi? Gaming? Fantasy? Horror? Tattoos? Whatever it is, this show has you covered. 

7. Star Trek: Over the last few years, Star Trek has all but disappeared from the So Cal con scene. If it weren’t for Trek Day at Frank and Sons (a must visit inCity of Industry,CA) earlier this year, there would have been no real outreach to the Star Trek community in this part of the country this year. That being said, with 10 Trek personalities listed on the guest list, Comikaze Expo is bringing the Trek back to LA.

6. Tattoos: I’m not sure how many of you have gotten a tattoo during a convention, but I can tell you it’s a blast. A few years back, I was fortunate enough to get Stan Lee to sign my arm at Long Beach Comic-Con and then to have had that autograph made permanent at Outer Limits Tattoo down the street from the show. As many items as I’ve bought at cons over the years, nothing rivals the nostalgia of that experience. This year, I am taking Comikaze up on their offer to pay for my Comikaze logo tattoo. I booked my spot weeks ago, so if you are interested in this facet of the show, contact one of the artists today.

5. Elvira, Stan Lee, Mark Hamill, and the All That Reunion: There aren’t many bigger names in the world of cons than those above. Even bigger than the names is the scarcity of their appearances at shows these days. First off, Elvira has already announced that this is her last show. So, if you’re like me and have stalled on getting her autograph, this is the last chance. Secondly, the recent announcement of Mark Hamill as a headliner is absolutely huge. I have attended over 40 cons/expos/shows in the last seven years and he has been present at only one of them. If you miss him this time, the opportunity may not arise again. Third, though the All That crew may have many shows in their future, nothing is certain. Despite the rarity of appearances by Hamill, I’ve never seen an All That reunion at any show. This could be a one-time event. Lastly, what can I say about the importance of Stan Lee? There is no bigger name in the world of comics. In many ways, he is the con. If you haven’t met him, you need to do so this weekend.

4. Creators: With over 60 comic creators already announced, Comikaze Expo is bringing the “comic” to this con! Although a panel with tons of the DC 52 talent is a definite must for me, I’m also very excited about the particular emphasis Comikaze has on local creators. Outside of the Alternative Press Expo, indie creators are rarely given center stage at a show. Although there will be a number of powerhouses from Marvel and DC (Joshua Fialkov, being my favorite), the indie scene will be bigger than most anywhere else in So Cal this year.

3. Outreach: I have not seen another group of organizers reach out to their community the way this one has. They are constantly promoting and constantly communicating. Over the years, I’ve seen a direct correlation between the outreach of the show and the product they put out. If this holds true again (which I anticipate it will), this will be one for the ages.

2. Community: Comikaze has made it abundantly clear that this is a show for the people of LA. They are reaching out to partner with just about everyone that they can find, so that they can make this, “the show that LA deserves” (words I’ve heard them say repeatedly).

1. Customer Service: I think I’m extremely biased on customer service from all of my years working at In-N-Out during high school and college. For those that are unaware, customer service is the cornerstone of In-N-Out’s philosophies on business. As such, making sure that customers left the restaurant happy was ingrained in everything we would do. It is because of this indoctrination that I get frustrated at shows where I know I am not being valued by the organizers. Many show organizers will make the mistake of over-emphasizing the bottom line of the upcoming show by putting at-risk the experiences of the attendees. I often urge con organizers to look at the show experience the way that a Las Vegas casino must. Casinos need to make money, but they can’t do it at the cost of the experience, or before they know it they’ll have empty gaming halls. In short, they must make sure customers leave their place with a smile on their face, even if their pockets are empty. That being said, the customer service that Comikaze Expo has shown reflects a forward-thinking attitude that takes into consideration a future for their brand. It is obvious that they want people to enjoy themselves…and with attendee enjoyment will come a much stronger probability of future shows. The first thing I evaluate at a con is the likelihood of a future show. Are the attendees happy? Are the vendors happy? Is the “talent” happy? The next show is always dependent on this show. Comikaze Expo is the first show I will ever attend where I can be certain their will be a next show, before entering the hall to this show. It is so clear that they have set this show up as a building block for future success and as such there is no doubt that there will be many happy people at the LA Convention Center this weekend.

So, I hope this list gives you an idea of why I think this show will be one of the most memorable of the year. It really wouldn’t surprise me at all if 5 years from now there are people flying in from all over the country for this annual event…and if this occurs, I’ll be saying I told you so. Remember, if you can’t make it to this year’s show, follow me on Twitter for updates throughout the weekend: @The_Con_Fluence