Cosplayers and cosplay enthusiasts of all ages descended upon the Long Beach Convention Center on June 11 for LA Cosplay Con (#LACC2016), a celebration of all things cosplay.
LA Cosplay Con took place June 11 in Long Beach, and the day was packed full of cosplay, panels, meet and greets with popular cosplayers, and lots of shopping in the exhibit hall. 
In its third year, LA Cosplay Con is growing steadily. The Long Beach Convention Center was an excellent choice in venue as it provided lots of space and great lighting in the lobby to display cosplay and pose for photos. There was also ample space for people to sit down and relax—some of those costumes can wear you out.
In further proof that it really is a small world, especially in the con circuit, I ran into a group of Doctor Who cosplayers and realized that I’d met the Eleventh Doctor cosplayer at Fan Expo Dallas the weekend prior. As it turns out, we’re both from Southern California. Small world, indeed! 
I checked out the Cosplay Q&A panel to get a sense of what fans wanted to know about cosplay. The panel was hosted by one of my favorite cosplayers, Loki Hates You. The panelists included Vivid Vivka, Vert Vixen, Raychul Moore, and D Slim Cosplay. For some, the questions were about basic things like how to budget time to build costumes, and what makeup works best when it’s hot outside. For others, the questions were more specific, such as which social media platforms do professional cosplayers prefer, and how do they decide which cosplay they’re going to work on. It was highly energetic, informative, and amusing all at the same time.
Before the cosplay contest, fans were treated to a performance by the Library Bards. If you haven’t had a chance to check out this parody band, be sure to visit their You Tube channel. Bonnie Gordon and Xander Jeanneret are incredibly talented, and you’ll never be able to listen to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” the same way ever again. The cosplay contest was hosted by Nerds Like Us, who also sponsored the free after party once the con was over. I didn’t stick around for the entire costume contest because the volume was too high in the exhibit hall so I went back to the lobby to take pictures.
At present, it fits perfectly into one Saturday, and there’s plenty of room for growth, which would be great because cosplay is such a huge phenomenon these days. I really appreciated the fact that there was a set of tables set up in the exhibit hall with fabric, sewing machines, and all kinds of materials for people to work with. That’s the kind of thing you’d expect to see at a convention celebrating innovation in costuming. I think that it would be great to have makeup demonstrations and makeup vendors there as well so that fans can ask questions and learn from the professionals. 
LA Cosplay Con is a must-attend convention if you’re looking for a place to show off your cosplay among people who appreciate the craftsmanship. It’s a great place to meet people whose passion is cosplay, and it’s also a great way to build a network in the cosplay community.
Comments are closed.