While October is tech event-heavy, especially in California, there’s more to geek out on than gigabytes and Galaxy S IVs.
Both coasts host long-standing comic book conventions, APE and New York Comic Con. Texas has FenCon and Dallas Comic Con; St. Paul has FallCon; Cincinnati has PandoraCon; Wichita has Encounters; London has MCM London Comic Con; Belgium has F.A.C.T.S; and South San Francisco has Kraken Con.
Only one is associated with the Comic-Con in San Diego. That’s APE-the Alternative Press Expo. Held right in the middle of San Francisco’s Innovate SF, a month dedicated to technology, APE is celebrating its 20th event. Comic Con International took the event over in 1995. Self-and independent publishers and alternative artists are the stars at this expo. Just like its big sister, the event has an exhibition hall as well as panels. Topics include Monsters in Indie Comics; Keeping Comics Alive for a New Generation; and the Queer Cartoonists Panel.
On the other side of the country, New York Comic Con is steadily reaching levels seen in San Diego. It’s almost as long as SDCC. It even has an extended Preview Day-six hours compared to three in San Diego. Last year, 112,000 came to the event.
Held at the Javits Center, the exhibition floor isn’t dominated by TV and movie studios. But the major studios are all in attendance, holding panels and ushering their stars out.
Warner Brothers will sneak three pilots. HBO shows will be repped by panels for “Game of Thrones” and “True Blood” while Starz will bring out actors for its new shows “Outlander” and “Black Sails.” “Once Upon a Time” creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz will hold a panel. The show’s Consulting Producer Jane Espenson is also in attendance, promoting her hit digital series, “Husbands.” ABC will also promote its new hit show, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” And prior to the debut of season 4, AMC trots out the cast for “The Walking Dead.”
Autograph seekers will have plenty to cheer about: Sir Patrick Stewart, David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, and William Shatner are just some of the celebs appearing.
The always innovative Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles is getting into the geek scene. It kicks off its Marvels & Monsters: Unmasking Asian Images in U.S. Comics exhibit on October 10. There’s also a comics-themed Target Free Family Saturday and a showcase of short works that subvert images commonly seen of Asians in comics. For instance, actress Carin Chea’s bad-ass Mrs. Lai goes head to toe with “The Jumper” intent on plummeting to his death off her ledge.
Also of note: Star Trek’s George Takei and Janina Gavankar of True Blood and Arrow appear Oct 16th for a panel on Asian Americans in media.
That’s just for October with Stan Lee’s Comikaze kicking off November.