WARWICK, N.Y., July 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MAD Event Management LLC — experienced hosts of diverse and inclusive pop culture conventions — today announced the 10th edition of its annual comics-first show, Long Beach Comic Con (#LBCC2018) and has unveiled the industry leading special guests attending this milestone event. Long Beach Comic Con 2018 will connect fans and their favorite creators in the beautiful Greater Los Angeles area, and is scheduled to rock the Long Beach Convention Center, located in Long Beach, California from September 8-9, 2018!
“When I launched Long Beach Comic Con back in 2009, my hope was simply to create a meaningful and enjoyable event for fans of all ages, and give something back to the comic community that supported me for many years,” said Martha Donato, President of MAD Event Management. “To be sitting here today, planning for our 10th edition, and reflecting on all we’ve accomplished in those years, is both humbling and energizing.”
“We are enthusiastically recommitting our focus to comic storytelling and the creative arts, first and foremost,” added Kris Longo, Managing Director of Long Beach Comic Con. “Our goal is to create an event that empowers the casual fan to explore comics in a deeper way, and to satisfy the fans who rightfully feel that many cons have shifted focus away from comic programming.”
In its tenth iteration, Long Beach Comic Con reaffirms its commitment to the medium, remaining true to its origins and celebrating the creative talents behind some of the industry’s most iconic comic books, as well as popular television shows and film — including properties Black Panther, Battlestar Galactica, Power Rangers, Twin Peaks, X-Men and so much more!
Serving as the show’s 2018 Guest of Honor, Eisner Award-nominated comic book writer and novelist Christopher Priest (Black Panther, Static Shock) makes his Long Beach Comic Con debut this year. To further this year’s renewed comics-first approach, LBCC will feature a significant increase in participating comic book publishers, including long-time supporters Aspen Comics, Prism Comics and Top Cow, while welcoming newcomers AfterShock, whose new series BEYONDERS will be celebrated at the show with an exclusive LBCC edition of issue #1 with a cover by interior artist Wesley St. Claire (who will be attending the show as a special guest), Charon Comics, Los Comex and Valiant Comics (in partnership with Los Angeles-area retailer The Comic Bug).
Long Beach Comic Con’s guest slate kicks off with acclaimed cartoonist Jaime Hernandez, legendary writer Marv Wolfman, Dean Haspiel and Jonathan Ames (co-creators of the landmark graphic novel The Alcoholic), DC Super Hero Girls artist Yancey Labat, Border Town co-creator Eric M. Esquivel, Deadpool artist Scott Koblish, The Magic Glasses co-creator Melina Chavarria, My Little Pony artist Tony Fleecs, comics/animation writer Mairghread Scott (Guardians of the Galaxy) and many others. Long Beach Comic Con will additionally host over 250 vendors, celebrity guests and several renowned cosplayers. The full list of confirmed special guests is available here: http://longbeachcomiccon.com/guests.
In addition to the comic programming, this year’s festivities will include:
- LBCC’s Cosplay Contest: The West Coast’s most inventive and artistic costuming wizards show off their fantastic talents and compete in a variety of fun categories for a grand prize.
- KnokX PRO Wrestling Ring: Where comics and pro wrestling collide — featuring pro-wrestler RIKISHI!
- GeekFest Film Festival: Two solid days of indie movie bliss, often with the filmmakers themselves on hand.
- Comic Creator Conference: A September 7th event designed to connect professional comic creatives with other high-level industry professionals to empower them with exclusive and personal insight, as well as provide access to decision makers, peers, publishers, and other leaders within the industry. Note that this event has a separate fee for entry and is open to industry professionals ONLY.
- Space Expo: A con-within-a-con experience that’s all about space exploration! Featuring experts in their respective scientific fields, kids (or big kid adults) can have fun with science-based interactive experiments! Space Expo's Guest of Honor is Herbert Jefferson Jr, who portrayed Lt. Boomer on the classic series Battlestar Galactica.
Long Beach Comic Con tickets are on sale NOW. Follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more details on upcoming limited VIP packages, photo ops and more announcements about new guests and programming. Kids 10 and under get in FREE! For additional information go to LongBeachComicCon.com and for tickets go to lbcc2018.eventbrite.com.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0b42b49c-8d4f-4daf-b8d4-0a5b624d3b8c
About MAD Event Management LLC
MAD Event Management functions as an owner/operator of several events of many sizes and provides expert consultant services to companies seeking to establish, grow or improve their event business. We have years of experience managing all aspects of live events, including large scale consumer and trade shows, meetings, conferences and exhibitor execution. MAD owns and operates several pop culture conventions: Long Beach Comic Expo and Long Beach Comic Con, Long Beach, CA; New Jersey Comic Expo, Edison, NJ; C3: Comic Creator Conference; and C3: Havana, Cuba Edition. For more information, visit www.madeventmanagement.com.
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