June 29 – July 1, Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con returns to the Las Vegas Convention Center for a 3 day celebration of comics and pop culture. This will be my second year attending this convention (not including the Arizona show that no longer exists) and I’m pretty excited for what the weekend will have in store. This is my top 5 reasons I am excited to be attending but you can check out all the awesome things planned at the official website (and if you are attending, make sure to check out the program listing for the weekend). If you have never attended and curious about the convention, you can check out my recap from last year to get a taste of Amazing Las Vegas.
Including Relevant Pop Culture
It’s no secret that the “Amazing” brand of conventions is highly focused on the world of comic books and its creators (it is a comic convention after all) but the convention is expanding past comic books. Amazing is bringing relevant guests and programming to its convention that adds a little more flavor which will attract a little bit wider of a demographic. Voice actors Ray Chase, Max Mittelman, and Robbie Daymond are a trio that are connected to popular franchises outside of the comic book industry and bring credible resumes along with them (Final Fantasy XV, One Punch Man, etc). Add in the incredibly popular video game Overwatch which Amazing also has voice talent from attending and there are plenty of guests to draw in the casual and hardcore anime and gaming fans.
Comic Book Legends
I’ll be honest, I am a signature chaser. I really enjoy collecting signatures from comic book professionals who have had a big impact on the industry and pop culture in general. Amazing is bringing a few heavy hitters that probably have worked on properties you hold near and dear to your heart. Jim Starlin (Infinity Gauntlet), Neal Adams (numerous titles but notably Batman and Green Lantern), Kevin Eastman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), and Rob Liefeld (Deadpool, X-Force), just to name a few. It is always a pleasure to be able to meet individuals who have helped craft some of the things we currently enjoy in pop culture.
A Taste of Hollywood
I’m a big fan of panels feature guests from current hit films and television series and Amazing is bringing several guests who I’ve never seen hold a panel. Charlie Cox from Netflix’s Daredevil is probably the guest I am most excited for. I haven’t had a chance to see him on a panel but coming off of his two seasons of Daredevil plus The Defenders, I would imagine he has a few stories to tell from his experiences on set. Throw in Brianna Hildebrand, Lewis Tan (who are both coming off Deadpool 2), Sam Humphrey (The Greatest Showman), Jason David Frank (Might Morphin Power Rangers), and you’ve got a nice mix of actors to meet. Throw in the fact that Collider is partnering with Amazing Las Vegas and will be holding panels as well, its an added bonus.
Cosplay
One of my favorite aspects of any convention is cosplay as I enjoy seeing people’s take on fan favorite characters. Here are a few cosplay photos I captured at last year’s Amazing Las Vegas.
The Single Commission
One thing I don’t do nearly enough is commission art work at conventions. I love custom, unique art from professionals and I plan on getting a piece done at Amazing Las Vegas. The only problem is deciding who will be the artist I choose to have it done by. A lot of it will come down to availability and pricing but the list of potential artists is a large one. I am leaning heavily toward Capcom artist Long Vo but there are plenty of great artists attending. To see the guest artists (as well as the rest of the guest list) bang it here. To see the list of artist alley participants and exhibitors, click here.
Legion of Sand 