Con-Man: Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention

Sunday started off with a nice swim before heading downtown for the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention, aka the LA Bi-Mon-Sci-Fi-Con if you're a Simpsons fan, a long time staple of the local show scene that used to be held near USC. This chapter moved to The Reef, a converted warehouse for shopping and creative space. There's two giant parking lots on either side of the street but I was able to find a meter. Along with dozens of vendors, celebrity guests are on hand for signings and photos. This week the big draw was Agent Carter's Hayley Atwell along with Batman & Robin voice actor Loren Lester. A couple of Power Rangers were on hand as well. At only $10.00 an entry, the show is quite solid for the price. There were half a dozen long rows of exhibitors hocking everything from comic books to novels to DVDs, action figures, pulp publications and skin mags. Since it's just an empty space filled with tables, the joint could use a little ambiance in the form of signage, art on the wall or music playing. There was also surprisingly no area for food beyond a small cafe in the lobby.

It was crowded but not so much you couldn't get in and look at booths. It was also hot and stuffy, like flipping through long boxes had me sweating stuffy. Maybe it's cheaper to rent if you don't use AC? A decent sized line for Atwell had already formed on the signing side of the floor while walking around I came across some wonderful treasures including the novelization for one of my favorite films, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension. With no price tag, I asked the vendor, expecting it to be $10 bucks or so but it was only $2! Victory! At another table I picked up a Grifter action figure from Wild C.A.T.S. figure for only $5 then dug through some boxes for .25 comics coming up with Spartan, The Shadow, The Rocketeer, Cadillac's & Dinosaurs and frigging Night Man! Ran into some other vendors we see at shows, I'll most likely pick up a NECA Ellen Ripley figure from one down at Long Beach Comic-Con in September. Another was hocking awesome old school stuff like Incredible Hulk and Flash Gordon board games, John Wayne comics and little collected editions of pulps. Talked movies and books at another table as we both agreed that Mad Max: Fury Road has been this summer's best movie. Also picked up some foam He-Man swords from another vendor I hope to have out for He-Man Celebration. It only took an hour or so to walk the floor since there were no panels but all in, an excellent trip and well worth the price.