Comikaze Expo 2013 the show in review

Comikaze hits town again for the third year and my has this show grown. It's been bigger and better every year and this year was no exception. Not only are Stan Lee and Elvira always big draws, I mean one of them did buy the con and all, but they brought some pretty spectacular guests. 

This year one of the big draws was all three power puff girls for a reunion. The oddest thing was the complete lack of powerpuff girl artwork available. Note to artists, read who your head liners are and plan accordingly. An original sketch for the girls to sign was extremely hard to find, but not completely unattainable with all of the art available. E.G. Daily, Cathy Cavadini and Tara Strong were all very sweet, and onstage during their panel there were delightful.

Tara Strong got her own panel the following day, where she fairly glow. Being the voice talent of many beloved cartoon characters such as The Fairly OddParents, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and Princess Mononoke bring quite a following.

Another big highlight of Comikaze Con, perhaps my favorite highlight would be Bruce Campbell. He's always a huge draw, even if he is sort of a con staple, but few can resist. 

Bruce took pictures with fans and signed plenty of autographs. Let's face facts, Bruce is utterly delightful. He's punchy and sarcastic, and just a ton of fun whether you're interacting with him during a signing or he's on stage.

One thing that is fantastic about Comikaze Con is that you never know who you will run into, or what creepy clown will photo bomb you. It's a small enough con, that you can walk around without the pushy crowd, and you'll see plenty of celebrities, artists and writers milling about checking out the scene. Signings aren't all too rushed, and there are plenty to be had, although at a premium rate.

Like any convention, the panels are also a pretty big thing. While most will focus on the main stage, since it's right on the convention floor, this year also offered panels in adjacent rooms and floors. Although the Kaiju panel turned out to be more a bashing of Pacific Rim, and why old school Godzilla ruled, the Making Comics Great for Kids was one of the best panels I have seen in a long time.

Participants Tom Pinchuk (Max Steel, Unimaginable), Joe LeFavi (Fraggle Rock, Thrilling Adventure Hour), Mairghread Scott (Transformers Prime,Rescue Bots), Paul Morrissey (Monster Galaxy, Casper The Friendly Ghost) and Kazu Kibuishi (Amulet, Daisy Kutter) delved into not only the importance of not glorifying violence but also not shying away from tragedy. It was not only insightful but well put. Everyone on the panel is obviously very passionate about what they do, but its great to see this much focus on comics for kids that aren't just filled with fart jokes. Great job guys.

One thing that Comikaze Expo does phenomenally well is cosplay. There is so much quality cosplay there. If you've never been to Comikaze Expo, it's certainly one to add to your con list.

Want to see more pictures? Check out our Flickr Album!