(Pre) Con-Man: Comikaze 2014

Los Angeles' biggest comic book and pop culture convention returns to downtown this weekend as family spun Comikaze celebrates it's 4th year in existence.  We've attended every year and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger.  Last year welcomed some 55,000 attendees over 3 days and I'm sure 2014 will match or explosively exceed that figure.  Teaming up with Mistress of the Dark Elvira and Stan "The Man" Lee, Comikaze is your typical new age show with media guests, autograph and photo ops, writers and artists, exhibitors and Artist Alley.  Comikaze does things a little differently on the programming side as they tout their most popular guests on a main stage on the floor.  While it's cool that everyone can participate and view, it's also awkward and uncomfortable to stand for 20-30 minutes.  Like any show based on selling autographs, Comikaze is offering VIP packages to get a little more up close and personal with guests from television shows like Arrow, Serenity and Game of Thrones.

Comics wise you've got some big names attending like Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Mark Silvestri, John Romita, Jr., Brian Michael Bendis, Peter David, J Scott Campbell, Whilce Portacio and Len Wein.  Media guests you're looking at Kevin Smith, Adam West, James Hong, Kevin Conroy and peeps from True Blood and GOT.  I'm actually a little surprised at how low-watt the media guest list is, considering this is Los Angeles but I'm guessing it's a little more special and lucrative to go somewhere where you won't see a familiar actor on a day to day basis like in Iowa or Oklahoma.  Comikaze is known for reuniting casts from your favorite shows and in years past have welcomed Salute Your Shorts, All That and Pete & Pete.  This edition it's a Mad TV celebration along with 1966's Batman.  Programming wise, again, I'm a little surprised at how many fan run panels there will be instead of the actual people involved in the comic, show or movie we're all there to talk about but hey, it's their expo.  Outside the show there's a cosplay after party and a Tetris, 30th anniversary thing where participants can pay to dress in a Tetris piece outfit and create a real life version of the game?