Comikaze Expo is Los Angeles’ first and only large-scale multi-media, popular culture convention. The two day event is held during the fall at the Los Angeles Convention Center

Los Angeles Convention Center

The Los Angeles Convention Center is a convention center in the southwest portion of downtown Los Angeles. The LACC hosts annual events such as the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show and Anime Expo, and is best known to video games fans as host to E3...

, located in downtown Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. Comikaze Expo embraces a diversity of genres, including comic, anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

, gaming

Gaming

Gaming is the act of playing a game.Gaming may also refer to:* A synonym for Gambling; playing games of chance for money.* Playing a role-playing game, in which players assume fictional roles....

, sci-fi, fantasy

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 and horror, with a large focus on the community. The annual event was first held on November 5th and 6th of 2011 with a total of 35,000 attendees throughout the entire weekend.

Origins

Comikaze Expo was founded by siblings Regina, Fabiano and Mario Carpinelli of Temecula, California

Temecula, California

Temecula is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States with a population of 100,097 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it the lowest populated American city over 100,000 population. It was incorporated on December 1, 1989...

. As children they were immersed in geek culture and were avid attendees of San Diego Comic-Con International. After moving to Los Angeles, CEO Regina Carpinelli decided that the city needed a large-scale comic book convention of its own. With the help from Klaus Moeller and Shelle Mannion, Comikaze Expo is becoming one of the largest multi-media, popular culture conventions on the West Coast

West Coast

West Coast most often refers to coastline which is on the western side of a particular area. Many other terms refer to this initial meaning. Some of these things include:-Australia:...

 of the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

Events

Comikaze Expo features a large floorspace for exhibitors. These include several vendors such as local artists, tattoo artists, comic book dealers, comic book publishers, press vendors, designers and collectibles merchants. Amongst Artists' Alley are autographing areas where celebrities and artists sign autographs and sell portraits. Traditional contests and gaming tournaments include the Cosplay Contest, the Masquerade, Magic The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, Warhammer, and several original Nintendo games.

The event also includes panels featuring various celebrities, reunions, upcoming feature films, and artists. In September of 2011, Comikaze Expo announced it would host horror icon Elvira's last convention appearance.

Dates	Location	Attendance	Featured Guests
November 5, 2011	Los Angeles Convention Center	35,000	Stan Lee Stan Lee Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.... , Elvira, Mark Hamill Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord... , Tony Todd Tony Todd Anthony T. "Tony" Todd is an American actor and movie producer, known for his height of 6'5", and deep voice. He is well known for playing the Candyman in the horror movie franchise of the same name, William Bludworth in Final Destination and for guest starring roles on numerous television... , Ernest Borgnine Ernest Borgnine Ernest Borgnine is an American actor of television and film. His career has spanned more than six decades. He was an unconventional lead in many films of the 1950s, including his Academy Award-winning turn in the 1955 film Marty... , Tippi Hedren Tippi Hedren Nathalie Kay "Tippi" Hedren is an American actress and former fashion model with a career spanning six decades. She is primarily known for her roles in two Alfred Hitchcock films, The Birds and Marnie, and her extensive efforts in animal rescue at Shambala Preserve, an wildlife habitat which she... , Morgan Fairchild Morgan Fairchild Morgan Fairchild is an American actress. She achieved prominence during the late 1970s and early 1980s with continuing roles in several television series, in which she usually conveyed a glamorous image. Fairchild has also performed in live theater and played guest roles in television comedies... , Jhonen Vasquez Jhonen Vasquez Jhonen Vasquez , also known as Chancre Scolex or simply Mr. Scolex, is an American comic book writer, cartoonist and music video director... , Lisa Foiles Lisa Foiles Lisa Renee Foiles is an American actress and video game journalist. Foiles has appeared on Seasons 7-10 on the popular Nickelodeon series All That. She and three other cast members were the only members to last through Seasons 7-10... , Kel Mitchell Kel Mitchell Kel Johari Mitchell is an American actor, comedian, singer, rapper, screenwriter, producer, parodist, dancer and musician. He was best known for his work as a regular cast member of the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series All That, his portrayal of Kel Kimble on the Nickelodeon sitcom Kenan & Kel,... , Josh Server Josh Server Joshua Aaron "Josh" Server is an American actor and comedian, best known for being the only All That cast member to remain through the entire original 6 seasons.-Acting career:... , Robert Venditti Robert Venditti Robert Venditti is a comic book creator. Venditti is most notably known for his work on the Top Shelf Productions title The Surrogates, which was adapted to a major motion picture starring Bruce Willis directed by Jonathan Mostow for Disney.-Education:... , Marina Sirtis Marina Sirtis Marina Sirtis is a British-American actress of Greek descent. She played the role of the human/Betazoid Commander Deanna Troi, ship's counselor, on the television and film series Star Trek: The Next Generation.-Life:... , Garret Wang, Robert Beltran Robert Beltran Robert Adame Beltran is an American actor, known for his role as Commander Chakotay on Star Trek: Voyager.-Early life:... , Lori Beth Denberg Lori Beth Denberg Lori Beth Denberg is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her work as an original cast member of the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series All That, and for her role as Lydia Liza Gutman on The WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show.-Acting background:Denberg began acting in community... , Cast of Nickelodeon's All That All That All That is an American live-action, sketch comedy-variety show that aired on the Nickelodeon cable television network featuring short comedic sketches and weekly musical guests. The theme song for All That was performed by TLC... , Cast of Sushi Girl, Cast of Bad Kids Go to Hell Bad Kids Go to Hell Bad Kids go to Hell is an upcoming film based on the best selling graphic novel of the same name directed by Matthew Spradlin.-Cast:* Ben Browder as Max* Judd Nelson as Headmaster Nash* Cameron Deane Stewart as Matt* Augie Duke as Veronica... , Cast of Police Academy Police Academy Police Academy is a series of American comedy films, the first six of which were made in the 1980s. The seventh and to date last installment, Mission to Moscow, was released in 1994. The series opened with Police Academy which started with the premise that a new mayor had announced a policy... , Select Cast of Star Trek Voyager and Deep Space 9, Top Shelf Comics, Top Cow Comics, Pow! Entertainment