Wizard World L.A. was my favorite comic convention before it went on hiatus in 2008. I went every…read moreyear of its short, but very fun, run. It had as many celebrities and big name comics professionals as San Diego Comic-Con and about quarter of the crowd. With that in mind, I was very eager to try Wizard's new addition to the family last year, Anaheim Comic Con. About half the convention floor was a celebrity signing area - most of whom charged for signatures and taking photos of them. What greatly impressed me was the panel line-up for Saturday. I watched Stan Lee with Avi Arad, Billy West with Phil LaMarr, Billy Dee Williams discussing "Star Wars," Nichelle Nichols talk about Martin Luther King telling her to stick with "Star Trek" despite putting in her resignation, William Shatner, and a reunion of the 1960s cast of "Batman." No matter what footage, freebie, or celebrity any other panel could provide, I doubt that anything could beat that Batman reunion. They had Adam West, Burt Ward, Yvonne Craig, Lee Meriwether, and of course the statuesque Julie Newmar. It was an absolutely priceless experience. But no first year convention is perfect. The confounding thing was having the panel rooms on the complete opposite end of the convention center, and another floor up, from where the exhibit hall was located. On top of that, the convention center was being shared with a coffee convention, which took the center of it all. Security made Anaheim Comic Con attendees exit the convention center, walk the length of it outside and re-enter through the doors on the end so we could take the stairs and escalators up to the panel rooms. Since C2E2 was going on that same weekend in Chicago, it felt like comics had a rather muted presence at this convention celebrating them. The concentration fell on the celebrity guests from other industries. Still it was quite the valiant effort, Wizard. Let's see what you've got in your bag of tricks this year.

I have been to Comic Con in San Diego and I enjoyed this smaller event just as much. I think it was…read morebecause there was a lot of space dedicated to the actual artists and you could talk to them and have them sign things. Also there were a lot of comic book vendors as opposed to big name booths promoting non-comic related media. Very good event.

Had an enjoyable weekend at Los Angeles Comic Con! Very crowded and yet still Amazing! The Events…read morewent according to plans. All shows went according to event scheduled time. Received a few signatures and personal photos with Voice actors and actresses. It was a blast! Definitely if you're into Superheros, action movies, comics and anime, this is where the congregations would be. The event is for all age's to enjoy! The only part I didn't care for was $35 dollars and up Parking. You could easily park in a lot a block or to away but it looked a little suspicious for likings. Other than that it was a decent event, a ton of fun and plenty of exercise!

Amazing! After a…read moreyear off from conventions and cons I came back swinging with the mighty hammer of Thor (Mjölnir). We teamed up with one of the greatest X-Men of all time, Rogue (aka my friend Ozelle) and we conquered. Grabbing great parking across the street in Rogue's Honda (for $30, which was about the same as the Convention Center, just easier entrance and exit). Parking garages in all directions, including at the Center, however Saturdays are busy and Sundays tend to clear out in waves making it difficult to get out at times so I always recommend parking elsewhere, taking the train/metro and/or rideshare. We did our badge pickup in the West Hall which was a lot more done up and full of so many vendors that go around. The weapons/prop check was super easy and rather than sift through belongings if you didn't set off any detector sensors you were in the clear (definitely backing snacks next time lol as we were worried about any outside food and heroes need their strength). It was cool to see the entire convention center utilized for the weekend. Enjoy loads of free game play, cool collectibles, movie cars, autograph booths, a massive halloween themed escape room, panel/guests stage, big brand stations (Dave & Busters, T-Mobile, the US Army to name a few) snack vendors, and a few food trucks outside. Starting off here was just the right way to jump back in as this was Rogue's first rodeo at LACC. We stayed indoors the entire time crossing bridges and walkways from one end to the next. Passing panel rooms and other fun areas including a food court of sorts with Groundworks Coffee and the longest line for Mr. Ewan McGregor (who my dad has met multiple times in the past) and the young Darth Vader himself Hayden Christensen. The South Hall is even more magical with more food, a bar or two and another outdoor food truck assortment. I was glad to see Baby's Badass Burgers and lots of other vegan friendly trucks in the mix. The main stage had loads of speakers not to mention competitions. The kids competition was so fun to catch pieces of.. The first and second place pre-teen werked it out as Chani from Dune and Megamind, but all of them were great like the Wolverine kid who came out with all the energy, best dance moves and super poses #FutureLegend #CurrentRockstar The Marvel Meetup Saturday looked epic, hundreds of people in a huge photo op, videos and reels. Hoping to join in next time with more Cosplay #Cosplan - meeting thee Lenore Zann was a true treat as she is a legend in various mediums including film, television, stage, video games and even politics. Best known for being the voice of Rogue #RogueMeetsRogue in so many games and both the original X-Men: The Animated Series plus X-Men 97'. Her energy is so sweet, powerful and infectious #TwinSpirit Catching Tara Strong, Amy Jo Johnson and Kevin Smith (over half an hour late) on stage were some fun highlights among others. I didn't run into as many friends as normal, but definitely ran into some first timers and we got stopped for photo ops, did photo ops and had so much fun, which is what is't all about. Sporting my Love & Thunder Vest/Jacket from Luca Jackets (a vendor I heart #ShopSmall), getting a fresh LA Library Card, freebies like pins, swizzle straws, mini keychains and then some are other things of note. The app for LA Comic Con was great for some things including finding specific artists and vendors. It had some flaws for both iPhone (Rogue/Ozelle) and Samsung/Android (I/Thor). The Fan Scan perks seemed fun, but we missed the fine print about some requiring two of the same images in different areas and didn't earn anything. Two days or the full weekend is highly advised as there's so much to see and take in you'll probably wish to double back at some point. Map out the things you want to do, people you wish to see like Rosario Dawson, Johnny Bosch (the 2nd Black Power Ranger and 2nd Green Ranger), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, The Boys), Ming-Na Wen (voice of Mulan, Marvel Agents of Shield, The Book of Boba Fett) and numerous others. Q Tips: Comfortable shoes and lots of water are your friend because my boots weren't a Nancy Sinatra song after those first 5k steps and we absolutely walked about 11k for the day. Restrooms in all directions, having a buddy to get out of a costume and/or hold/watch your belongings is helpful. My friend Sarah S. also noted two years back: Ask before you Snap, Get Consent and bring a bag or two as well as reusable water bottle (as they do have refill stations) and I couldn't agree more. Whether you're a comic lover, anime enthusiasts, cosplayer, avid admirer, movie maverick/maven/mav or curious sole you'll find something you, your family (including chosen), significant other or partner in crime (but heroism is a bit better) will enjoy. Absolutely coming back soon. Wanna join in? See you in 2025 LACC!

Good news first; the staff are friendly. If you like quiet places, this is for you. If you don't…read morelike crowds, this is for you. The building itself is pretty. If you get overstimulated very very easily this is perfect for you because there's honestly hardly anything there to overstimulate you. The loudest and most exciting thing there was someone's R2-D2 robot prop-toy (which was pretty cool ngl) Bad news: This was quite possibly the most boring con I have ever been to in my 25 years of living. I can't believe I spent over $50 of my hard earned money on this slop. To just get 1 WATER BOTTLE at the vending machine is $11... There is hardly an artist alley, I didn't see any artist booths in the artist alley. The exhibit/merch section was also mostly barren. I've been to comic con ran events before such as wonder con, which is wonderful!... I've been to smaller events like anime Ontario which was great! Honestly, this wasn't anything like wondercon. I'm so disappointed. It feels more like an old folks home than a convention. Conventions typically should be more exciting than this ... My bestie and I got so bored we left the con and walked across the street to the aquarium and had more excitement watching fish list aimlessly in a tank.

Comic con? More like FraudCon. I paid $75 for the weekend and had high hopes. The staff were…read morefriendly and helpful and the star is for the staff alone (and the gorgeous convention center). This venue was reduced to two tiny rooms, the "Artist alley" barely had any artist booths inside (maybe like 3 or 4). The rest were just booths of voice actors or vendors selling overpriced comics and funko pops and essential oils for some reason??? My sister and I have been to several conventions in the past (AX, Anime Pasadena, Wondercon, etc) and usually, you will find a large amount of cosplayers walking about. But here, we felt foolish bc there were very few cosplayers other than us. Very few people at all really. It was quite sad. We only lasted like an hour and 20 minutes of that hour was the line. Also, to add insult to injury, I am not a huge fan of one of their rules regarding the wristbands. If I pay for a ticket, have a receipt and proof of purchase, then why would I ever have to purchase ANOTHER weekend pass for losing a flimsy paper wristband?? Although I did not lose my wristband myself, it just seems like a racket to me. You might as well just start handing out lanyards and badges instead like other conventions...that way it's much harder for people to lose them.

I love this event! It's fun for all ages, but I would say the MOST fun for preschool aged kids. My…read moreson loved the woom bike activation, bounce houses and the love bug music booth. The bounce houses are an additional cost though, as is food. They have a decent selection of food trucks and snacks. I also really appreciated the free cold brew! Shout out Caffe Luxxe. There are never any super long lines (except for woom usually) and there is a lot to explore. It's also so nice that the museum allows for free admission during the festival. I really appreciated the tables and chairs they had under the big tent this year! It can get pretty hot there so definitely bring sunscreen, hats, water etc. Maybe if they had some water activities that would be fun in the future! This is a festival definitely meant for advertising to families with kids, so every booth is ultimately trying to sell you something, but it's definitely nice to get some exposure to new brands! I appreciate all of the free goodies so we got a change to check some of the businesses out for ourselves.

Our first time at The Great Family Event. All outside The Gene Autry. Parking was easy and Free…read more We had a great time trying samples from all the different vendors. The children loved all the different hands on children stations. Once the huge slides were visible, they were excited to slide down all the jumpers. However they were an additional charge. I then bought the $40 purple wristband for the kids but still some of the rides they wanted to do required even more tickets. I was so confused! This part could have been a bit better organized as there were too many different tickets. It would have been nice to have a visual for the rides that needed more tickets. Information on what exactly the wristband included would have been nice. Notice for the rides that needed the additional tickets only would have been nice. Anyway the balance bike company also was a fun activity for them. They rode around and had a great time. The kids had a great time though and definitely enjoyed going up and sliding down. The kids enjoyed the live music and all the bands. They danced to the music, played the games and loved all the different characters that appeared throughout the day. The freebies were a plus but I should have taken a wagon. The food trucks also featured a variety of food options and shredded ice. Tacos, pizza, etc. Face painting booths were fun for the kids but also a charge. $15-$30. The Tonies booth and character was fun! I loved the Don Fransisco's coffee was a big help since the adults needed a boost. Thanks to Volvo and the Family event people we got a couple of nice pictures. Anyway great day that wore the kids out. They feel asleep in the car! See you next year!

I'm leaving this review in regards to the Live Oak Park Halloween Festival for 2024:…read morehttps://www.ci.temple-city.ca.us/1392/Halloween-Festival Under Temple City, the crowd was intense. Parking was the challenge and the closer you want to park, the more you wait! Park farther on the streets and just walk, you might be able to trick or treat along the way. This year, the jumpers were free, parents must sign a waiver (preregistration was available online until 1pm same day). Unfortunately, the lines for each jumper was soooo long! Roughly 30-40min wait and so many families were saving space for other families so the two kids in front of me became 8! Drink or treat was way too long, stretched across the baseball field and you enter the parking lot side to get candy. The games had a line as well, they might have given out candy and prizes if you win? It was too long and we didn't wait. Food being sold was scarce, we ordered a burrito from the birria truck and after waiting roughly 15-20min and told to wait another 20min we just asked for a refund and decided to eat elsewhere given how late and cold it was getting. Overall, so many people! Might go elsewhere for Halloween night.

So its time for Halloween and in this time of super sicko's who will spike candy for kids, what are…read moreyou going to do to avoid it? Well this is a great option if you don't mind the lines. Literally its time to go to a city or church sponsored event where you can play games for candy prizes, enjoy a few inflatables, and get a bite to eat from a food truck or three. This was the second time that the Munchkin and have been here for this event. We came in 2011 just after having moved to Temple City and now in 2013 as well. The event has grown significantly in the last two years. This is both good and bad. Bad as the lines are even longer, good in that there is more incorporated into the event. Pro Tip: Arrive early with a group of at least 2 adults, 3 or 4 would be preferable. The early arrival and the large group of adults allows one adult to take the kids around while the other adults wait in lines allowing the kids to play the games, get candy, or go on the inflatables/jumper without having to stand around bored. They also have a raffle for a boys and girls bike, toy/candy packages, and pontification by local officials (ie the mayor). The fact that the city does this is an awesome thing IMHO. I know that I appreciate a place to go where the candy can be trusted to be safe and that there is a positive vibe. This park is entirely surrounded by single family homes and this also allows many of the participants to go door to door traditional trick or treating. This is both good and bad. Since the parents must be ever vigilant about the candy and treats that are obtained. Overall this Halloween festival is a hit. I am sure that I would go back again. However I hope to go back with additional parents and a larger group of munchkins, perhaps even a pack. Who knows maybe I will see you there... Here is the 2013 flyer from the city: http://www.templecity.us/parksrec/Flyers/HalloweenCarnival2013.pdf

This past weekend was the second annual Nuke the Fridge Con, held at twice-weekly Frank & Son's…read moreCollectible Show. I'd been to Frank's in the past when various industry professionals and wrestling stars came to do signings, but the sheer numbers don't compare to the crowds NTFC attracted. First off, I applaud NTFC's planners for choosing to hold the event at Frank's. Each stall within is a small business that could use the influx of crowds and, for a convention held there, could function as a built-in dealer hall -- no massive amount of set-up and tear-down in a rented out convention center, and by that same token you're not forcing attendees to pay horrendous parking garage fees. Whenever there's a convention in SoCal (Wizard World, Comic-Con, etc), the dealers at Frank's sometimes pull up stakes, pack up as much as they can, and pay the sometimes exceptionally high booth prices to exhibit. It's a gamble for these businesses, and by having a con right at their homebase of business is good for them. Plus, they have more of their product available, and more elaborate displays, so this is a positive for the attendees as well. With everything there are some negatives, and I only really saw two in hosting NTFC at Frank's: tightly packed crowds and lack of parking. Since Frank's is a long-running collectible show , the majority of the space is already taken up. Though Frank's does have a small area set aside for extra exhibits, that space was consumed by the massive signing lines for people like Stan Lee and Mike Tyson. The rest of the area had an artists alley and the walls were lined with booths for other professionals who came to the show. It was a pretty tight bottleneck just to get in and out of the space (though I could think of worse places to be stuck than staring at Ray Park as he shook hands and gave a thumbs up for pictures). Frank's gets pretty crowded on its own some days, but with the promise of seeing such people as Ray Park, Stan Lee, Mike Tyson, Ernie Hudson, Richard Hatch, Virginia Hey, and others for FREE, you can imagine how many people turned up. As for parking, Frank's already has a shortage of available spaces on regular business days, but it was exponentially more competitive during NTFC. People were parking in red zones and on unpaved spans of land, below bright, red block letters screaming, "NO STOPPING ANY TIME!!" While these people were devil-may-care about it, police were taking down plate numbers and mass producing tickets. Were attendees up for the walk, there was ample parking across Valley Blvd, in Walnut. Personally, I feel the pros far outweighed the cons of NTFC. Regarding the convention itself, I was impressed. I mean, it was FREE, not to mention the array of industry professionals they were able to rake in. And there were cosplayers. REAL cosplayers. Women were dressed as Silk Spectre, Jurassic Park velociraptors, and Twi'leks, and there were troops of men in Star Wars mercenary and Jedi regalia. The presence of cosplayers are often a sign of a healthy con. If you have a girl painted all blue or a guy in full head-to-toe Hulk costume on your second year, you're doing something right.

Simply put, if you're a dedicated gamer, you need to come at least once. Hot babes, games, and grub…read moregalore. It is very pricy though, and parking is ridiculously expensive. The first day, I paid only $25. The next day, it skyrocketed to $40 for the same spot. Expensive parking and food aside, it's definitely worth it. I hope to attend next year as well.

E3 is gamer version of Comic Con. When major game developer debut their new game and many featured…read moreplayable demo. As much I like the idea but I think I just too old now and don't had enough time to play the console games as before. I when to this year (2019), I am surprised to find there's really no mobile game in the expo and still dominated by transitional console and pc games. I not too impress with the graphic of today and near future game that they reveal like the FF VII remake, the playable demo graphic feel like a bit out dated graphic or can be the tv screen that they used just simply isn't match as the nice quality of many flagship phone that our screen had and is the screen ratio is much better on most phone. Most of the playable demo had long line especially the exclusive game like Final Fantasy. They open to public since last few year and definite had increase volume of traffic and actually the experience less pleasant and I just don't think justified with the $150 plus ticket for the general public.

A nice night to be at Hansen Dam for the lantern festival. It was during Mother's Day weekend, so I…read morebrought my mom along with me to enjoy this event. We got here an hour after it started, so we had to park in the further parking lot which was an easy walk over. As we approached the open area, food trucks and vendors were all around the parking lot and checkin was easy. We got to chose from four different colors of mandala bags, which had our essentials inside to making our lanterns as well as some extra goodies. We grabbed some ice cream and then found a spot in the sun near the stage to enjoy the live entertainment before the lantern meditation kicked off. As the sun was setting we walked over to the lake and waited to let our lanterns float in the water. I added some sayings, drawings and in remembrance for family who passed away. It really was a magical night and I'm glad I was able to do this with my mom to celebrate an early Mother's Day. We let our lanterns go and walked over to the doc to get an overall view of everyone else's. We didn't end up staying till the end as it was getting chilly and there was still an hour left of setting the lanterns off. **I also want to say thank you Yelp for the giveaway tickets to this event, I would have never thought to check it out without discovering it here. They have the lantern festival in different lakes across the states so be sure to check out where they'll be next!

The lay out of the event was good. For people who have never been to this park it can be confusing…read moreon where to park. It would be best to post signs around the area and in other places around the other parking lots that the park has. Second problem were the portable bathrooms... half way through the event there was no toilet paper in any of the stalls and the sinks ran out of water. At least post a sign saying there's no water and toilet paper since there's no one maintaining them. Also I'd suggest y'all consider taking back the complimentary backpacks and marker that y'all give out with the lanterns. I know they come with the ticket and some people want to keep the bags and marker. But personally I would have wanted to give it back to y'all to use for the next event. Anyway it'd be a nice optional choice is what I'm saying. The food trucks were good.