Hello, readers! December is almost upon us, and every SoCal geek knows what that means. As Los Angeles’ largest pop culture event, L.A. Comic-Con takes center stage and announces its legendary talent, panel, and entertainment lineup for its December 1-3 show that fans have anticipated all year. Event organizers are reportedly leveling up this year’s lineup after an incredibly successful convention in 2022, which resulted in over 126,600 attendees. Did you attend last year’s event? If so, tell us in the comments what you’re looking forward to most this year. I’m excited to explore Artist Alley and attend several panels and writing workshops, but I can’t wait to see what else is in store for me and fellow attendees.
L.A. Comic Con 2023 will occur at the Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015. Show Hours for the three-day event are as follows:
- Friday, December 1: 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
- Saturday, December 2: 9:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Sunday, December 3: 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
With autograph signings, photo ops, and over 250 panels and workshops scheduled throughout the weekend, fans will have dozens of opportunities to meet and greet hit entertainment talent. According to the official Comic-Con press release, fans can expect to see creators, artists, cosplayers, celebrities, and other notable talents within the entertainment industry, including:
- Amy Jo Johnson [known for roles in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Felicity, Flashpoint]
- Billy Boyd [known for roles in The Lord of the Rings, Child’s Play, and Seed of Chucky]
- Bonnie Wright [known for roles in Harry Potter and After the Dark]
- Brendan Wayne [known for roles in The Mandalorian, Book of Boba Fett]
- Bryce Papenbrook [known for roles in Attack on Titan and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba]
- David Yost [known for roles in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers Cosmic Fury]
- Diana Lee Inosanto [known for roles in The Mandalorian, Ahsoka]
- Dominic Monaghan [known for roles in The Lord of the Rings and Lost]
- Efren Ramírez [known for roles in Napoleon Dynamite, Employee of the Month]
- Elijah Wood [known for roles in Lord of the Rings and Yellowjackets]
- Eman Esfandi [known for roles in Ahsoka and King Richard]
- Emily Rudd [known for roles in Netflix’s One Piece and Fear Street]
- Erin Moriarty [known for roles in The Boys and True Detective]
- Grace Caroline Currey [known for her roles in Shazam! and Annabelle: Creation]
- Ivanna Sakhno [known for roles in Ahsoka, Pacific Rim Uprising, The Spy Who Dumped Me]
- James and Oliver Phelps [both known for roles in Harry Potter and Fantastic Friends]
- Jamie Campbell Bower [known for roles in Stranger Things, Twilight & Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1]
- Johnny Yong Bosch [known for roles in Power Rangers: The Movie, Trigun]
- Jon Heder [known for role in Napoleon Dynamite, Blades of Glory]
- Karen Fukuhara [known for roles in Suicide Squad and The Boys]
- Lateef Crowder [known for roles in The Mandalorian, Falcon Rising, and Tekken]
- Matt Smith [known for roles in Doctor Who and House of the Dragon]
- Natasha Liu Bordizzo [known for roles in Ahsoka, The Voyeurs]
- Rainn Wilson [known for roles in The Office, Super]
- Sean Astin [known for roles in The Goonies, Toy Soldiers, Rudy, and The Lord of the Rings]
- Sean Schemmel, [known for roles in Dragon Ball Z and Pokémon]
- Tom Kenny [known for roles in SpongeBob SquarePants, Rick and Morty]
- Trina Nishimura [known for her role in Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia]
- Virginia Gardner [known for roles in Marvel’s Runaways and The Fall]
Do you see anyone you recognize? Fans can also anticipate world-class artists and creators:
- Ryan Ottley, Invincible, The Amazing Spider-Man
- Ryan Stegman, Marvel’s She-Hulk, Spider-Man, X-23 Absolute Carnage
- Skottie Young, Spider-Man: Legend of the Spider Clan, Human Torch, and Venom
- Jason Aaron, Thor, The Avengers, Ghost Rider, and Wolverine
- Dan Slott, She-Hulk, The Superior Spider-man, Fantastic Four
- Zeb Wells, Hellions, Amazing Spider-Man. Currently, She-Hulk, Marvel’s Zombies
- Ariel Diaz, The Boys, Street Fighter, Vampirella
- Josie Campbell, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, My Adventures with Superman
- Rose Besch, Amazing Spider-Man, Catwoman, Star Wars Adventures
- Nick Spencer, Morning Glories, Superior Foes of Spider-Man, The Fix
- Jim Cheung, Scion, New Avengers: Illuminati, Young Avengers and Avengers: The Children’s Crusade
- Patrick Owsley, The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, Scooby-Doo, Simpsons
- Michael Swanigan, The Mask, Defenders of Earth, Challenge of the GoBots
- Scott Koblish, G.I. Joe, The Punisher, Thor, Hulk, Captain America,
- Steven E. Gordon, X-Men: Evolution, Shrek 2, Eight Crazy Nights, The Swan Princess
Furthermore, for the first time in show history, attendees will get to test their gaming skills in Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter tournaments set at the Gaming and Anime Stage all weekend. Fans can play alongside FGC legend Justin Wong and FGC organizer Alex Jabailey (known as Jebaited on Twitch) in eSport-style tournaments. Gaming fans will also be given access to a live-streaming studio, a free-play area, and indie gaming demos powered by the Media Indie Exchange or The Mix, where fans can play up to ten new games and learn what’s new and upcoming in the gaming industry by meeting various game developers.
The Main Stage is where the most anticipated panels and events occur, including where fans can witness and participate in the seventh annual Cosplay Contest. Sign-ups for the Cosplay Contest have officially closed, but if you want to show your support to the participating cosplayers, the contest will take place on Saturday, December 2, at 6 p.m. There will be three cosplayer categories: Novice, Journeyman, and Master. The judges have yet to be announced to the public, so stay tuned via the L.A. Comic-Con social media channels.
Fans can anticipate various artists and creators stationed at the Exhibitor Hall and Artist Alley, including Original WEBTOON creators, Graveweaver (Table F04), and Purpah (Table E39). If you want to learn more about these specific creators, click here to read my interview with Graveweaver and click here to read my interview with Purpah. As a long-time fan, I am excited to see what these creators have to sell and showcase for this year’s Comic-Con. Fans can also anticipate the appearance of Prism Comics (Booth 1011) and Shero Comics (Booth 1315), two phenomenal supporters of the new-age comics industry where everyone has a voice.
Are you attending L.A. Comic-Con this year? Tell us in the comments and show us what a super fan you are! Fans can still get their tickets by visiting www.comicconla.com/tickets!
