“It's an amazing time to be a fan of all things geek right now” remarked Martha Donato, President of MAD Event Management, the producers of Long Beach Comic Con and several more pop culture events across the globe. “With our favorite comic characters crossing over into TV and film at an ever accelerating rate, we are more than happy to continue to provide a safe space for fans new and old to come together and celebrate where imagination, creativity, and drive can take us.”
For our first major announcement, MAD Event Management is proud to welcome the iconic and unforgettable William Shatner, joining us Saturday, September 2nd for Long Beach Comic Con! Most fans instantly recognize Mr. Shatner as James T. Kirk of Star Trek fame (greatest star ship captain of all time), while we also have fond memories of T.J. Hooker, or in more recent TV history, a comical turn as the “Big Giant Head” on 3rd Rock from the Sun! For horror fans, it's got to be all about Kingdom of the Spiders, The Devil's Rain, or his legendary roles on The Twilight Zone. Whether battling a lizard alien on a desolate rock planet or belting out “Rocket Man” as only he can, there's no doubt William Shatner's moments on screens large and small will always be highly entertaining and memorable... and now you have a chance to meet him in person!
Our first round of Long Beach Comic Con guests includes:
Dave Gibbons (Artist on Watchmen, Captain America, Batman)
Pia Guerra ( Co-Creator of Y The Last Man / Penciler on Hellblazer, Black Canary)
Tony Harris (Co-Creator of Starman, Ex Machina / Artist on Doctor Strange, JSA: The Unholy Three)
Sandy King Carpenter (Co-Creator and Editor at Storm King Comics)
Camilla d'Errico (Comic Artist and Painter)
Tyler Kirkham (Artist on Green Lantern, Amazing Spider-Man, Superman)
Whilce Portacio (Artist on Uncanny X-Men, Batman, Spawn)
Barbara Randall Kesel (Writer on Hawk and Dove, Ultragirl, Meridian, The First)
Scott Koblish (Artist on Deadpool)
Noel G. (Actor on The Fast and the Furious 1-7, The Purge, Walking Dead)
Neil Ross (Voice Actor on The Transformers, Voltron, Spider-Man, Metal Gear Solid, Call of Duty)
Rikki Simons (Voice Actor on Invader Zim / Co-Creator & Writer on Robotech: Clone)
BJ Ward (Voice Actress on G.I.Joe, The Incredible Hulk, Voltron)
Will Ryan (Voice Actor on G.I.Joe, Land Before Time, The Little Mermaid)
Appearing in Cosplay Corner:
Ali Williams
Angi Viper
Amber Brite
Bernie Bregman
Alkali Layke
Molecular Agatha
Zabracus Cosplay
Lisa Pinelli
The McDuffie Awards for Diversity in Comics:
Five creators will be awarded for their contributions and commitment to diversity, both on the page and behind the scenes in the comic book industry. The award's namesake, Dwayne McDuffie, is well known among fans and entertainment professionals alike with work on Warner Bros. Justice League Unlimited, Ben 10, and Static Shock animated TV series — the latter of which he co-created, based on the Milestone Media property he was partially responsible for. He also worked on projects for Marvel, DC, and other publishers. In 1993, he became one of the founding partners of Milestone Media, a studio created to promote diversity in mainstream comic books and other media. He died in 2011, aged 49. We celebrate his life, his work, and the commitment of creators following in his footsteps.
Judges for this year's award include a number of comic book industry luminaries, including celebrated Black Panther writer Don McGregor, Batgirl and Birds of Prey writer Gail Simone, Green Lantern and Iron Man artist Mark D. Bright, and Milestone Media's Matt Wayne, among many others. The winner of the award will be announced during a special ceremony at the Long Beach Comic Expo in February of 2018. Nominations will be opened at Long Beach Comic Con in early September 2017.
Space Expo:
For those who'd like a little nerding-out along with their geektastic adventures! MAD Event Management is dedicated to providing high-quality educational and often, interactive attractions made accessible through a pop culture atmosphere. Produced by the Columbia Memorial Space Center, Space Expo brings together the Space and Entertainment industries to strengthen them by fostering interest and creating future scientists and engineers. Hear from leading scientists, conduct experiments, check out authentic tools of space exploration and even see how you'd look as an astronaut!BurgerCon:
While it's true the Long Beach Convention Center will be surrounded by a small army of Food Trucks for the entirety of Long Beach Comic Con, this is not about things you can stuff in your face! Music tastemaker's Burger Records bring you BurgerCon, a new option for your Saturday night convention activities with a lineup of incredible bands and good times you'll be talking about for weeks after the show.
Over the next month, we'll be rolling out news on special guests, show features, panels and more than a few surprises, so keep an eye on LongBeachComicCon.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter and you won't miss a beat!
Long Beach Comic Con tickets are on sale NOW. Check in for details on limited VIP packages and more at LongBeachComicCon.com.