The Saturday of Labor Day Weekend marked my first time attending Long Beach Comic Con, and I was excited to see it return from hiatus. Yes, I left with mixed feelings, but please don’t assume that means LBCC isn’t worth attending next year. Read along to understand what I experienced exploring Long Beach Comic Con for the first time.

Upon my arrival at the Long Beach Convention Center, I admittedly had trouble finding the convention since there was no banner or signs indicating the convention was taking place or where to find the entrance. Luckily, I bumped into a couple that pointed me in the right direction. They were wearing matching Batman vs. Superman shirts, so it felt safe to assume they were coming from the convention.

When I finally found the entrance, I was scanned by security and entered the convention center, where I saw three Star Wars droids patrolling the lobby and engaging in “small talk” with the present attendees. I was immediately charmed and felt more confident that I was in the right place as more attendees came in after me. I approached the registration table for my wristband for entry. Checking in was easy, and the event staff were very kind and open to answering my questions about where to find what. Signage was minimal, but since a majority of the convention hall was closed off and staff and security were present to ask questions, it was essentially impossible to get lost.

Artist Alley was on the first floor, so it was set to be my first stop. At first glance, there were approximately twenty vendors, and it looked like walking through the LBCC Artist Alley would take ten to fifteen minutes if you only came to browse and found nothing that suited your taste. But I extended my time in the LBCC Artist Alley by talking to the vendors, particularly the present authors promoting their books. For example, I spoke with American comic book writer and illustrator ​​Ted Naifeh and bought a signed copy of his YA graphic novel, Witch for Hire, which stars a teenage witch investigating a series of high school pranks that have gone from mischievous to downright dangerous. 

After an hour of talking with vendors and circulating the LBCC Artist Alley twice, I was directed upstairs by a staff member and entered the Exhibitor Hall. Similar to Artist Alley, there appeared to be up to twenty vendors, including a mix of artists, authors, voice actors, and comic book sellers. Among the vendors, I recognized clothing designer Miss Alphabet, selling super dresses and accessories, and bookbinder and fanfiction enthusiast Staymagical Creations, selling her signature fanfiction reading journals. I was also happy to recognize Prism Comics among the vendors, browse their graphic novel selection, and purchase a small stack of LGBTQ+ books, including The Girl from the Sea and The Deep Dark by cartoonist and animation writer Molly Ostertag.

There were very few other attendees exploring the Exhibitor Hall, but it gave me the chance to talk one-on-one with the vendors and learn more about their creative backgrounds and projects on a deeper level. For instance, I checked out the GeekFest Film Festival booth and was particularly interested in their horror film selection, especially when I read their synopsis for Scissor Sleepover. I spoke with comedy writer Jordan Morris and bought a signed copy of his YA horror-comedy graphic novel, Youth Group, which tells the tale of teenage exorcists in Orange County, California. I also spoke with story artist and illustrator Jerry Gaylord and bought a signed copy of his YA graphic novel, Clark & Lex, which reimagines a young Superman as a middle school football star who longs to stand out.

Once I was done exploring the Exhibitor Hall, I went back downstairs and sat down for the Helluva Hotel Q&A, starring Amir Talai (voice of Alastor from the adult animated television series Hazbin Hotel), Leslie Rodriquez Kritzer (voice of Rosie from Hazbin Hotel), Georgie Leahy (voice of Stella from the adult animated web series Helluva Boss), and Morgana Ignis (voice of Sallie May from Helluva Boss). As a big-time fan of the Hellaverse, I was extremely excited for this particular panel. Among the audience, I noticed attendees dressed as characters from the Hellaverse, such as Valentino, Blitz, and Loona. I, myself, was wearing a graphic tee featuring the Princess of Hell, Charlie Morningstar, in anticipation of this panel.

During the Q&A, the panelists talked about their respective shows and provided detailed insights into what it takes to be a successful voice actor and how they secured more projects. For starters, Amir essentially suggested that aspiring actors should take acting lessons (duh) and learn to be a people person because you’re more likely to be hired back or recommended for other projects if you’re friendly and easy to work with. Georgie, who was an absolute delight to witness, agreed and essentially said, “Don’t be a d—” if you want to be hired back. Leslie and Morgana also provided insights into their experiences as voice actors and how they got rehired for projects. Ultimately, all four panelists reached a consensus that reputation is everything in the entertainment business and emphasized the importance of treating your employers and coworkers with kindness and respect.

At one point during the Q&A, Eric Schwartz (voice of Chazwick “Chaz” Thurman from Helluva Boss) was brought on stage as a surprise addition, and it was fun watching him add to the energy on the main stage. Altogether, the Hellaverse cast members on stage presented a wonderful working dynamic that filled the room with laughter. Among them, Georgie was especially hilarious and evidently sweet, contrary to her villainous character on Helluva Boss. All in all, sitting down for this panel and talking to the Hellaverse cast members during their meet-and-greets was extremely worthwhile and arguably my favorite component of the convention, so LBCC gets serious brownie points from me for their celebrity guest list.

After the Q&A, I spent time talking with other attendees, who shared mixed feelings about LBCC’s return from hiatus. A fair share of attendees were happy for the convention’s return, but were also expecting more vendors, photo opportunities, and interactive activities for the price they paid for weekend tickets. Other attendees, particularly parents with young children, were content with the layout and lack of crowds. Yes, I was slightly disappointed by the number of vendors and the lack of signage and photo opportunities, but I also loved that the tame atmosphere allowed me to talk in depth with participating vendors and learn about their projects without any interruptions. Conventions can be very overstimulating, so occasionally it is quite nice to explore at a slower pace.

Lastly, I sat down for the Long Beach Comic Con Costume Contest. One by one, the contestants walked onto the main stage to showcase their costumes and interact with the audience in character. Among the costumes, I recognized Blitz from Helluva Boss, Mr. Fantastic from The Fantastic Four, Nezuko from Demon Slayer, and Cyclops from The X-Men. One of the judges was even dressed as Entrapta from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.

Once the contestants were finished showing off their costumes, the judges left the room to make their final decisions in private. While the judges were elsewhere, the spokesman and a member of the not-for-profit cosplay group Los Angeles Ghostbusters entertained the audience with pop culture trivia and debate. According to him, American actor Nicholas Cage was supposed to play Superman at one point in his career, but never did, and American actor and animator Walt Disney was once fired and told, “he lacked imagination,” much to my surprise. 

For debate, he also posed the question of who would win between billionaire playboys and heroes Batman and Iron Man, and in my opinion, Batman would be the winner. Why? Because, in most of his depictions in media, Batman was willing and capable of making the hard decisions. He knows the individual weaknesses of the Justice League in case of the off chance one of them turns evil or falls prey to mind control or other nefarious forms of manipulation. In a world of superheroes, Batman is a human hero with the power and capability to take down his enemies and his friends if or when necessary. Don’t agree with me? That’s okay. Click here for a more in-depth opinion from a fellow TGON writer.

Eventually, the judges returned, and the winners were announced and awarded their individual prizes and tickets for the next Long Beach Comic Con in early September 2026. Since the Costume Contest was the grand finale of opening day, it was time to pack up and go home. At the end of the day, I wished there was more to see and explore, but ultimately, I did not regret the time I spent talking to the vendors, event staff, and other attendees, and I hope to attend next year to see how LBCC continues to grow.