What it was like
Your best conversation of the weekend will be with somebody sitting behind a folding table with a stack of their own comics and no line yet. That is artist alley, and it is why people who have done every big convention still make room for this one.
The floor carries the whole spread — comics, film and television, gaming, and the collectibles that only surface when a collector finally decides to let go. Panels run from the superhero machine down to indie books three people have read, and the creators who made them are in the room instead of on a screen. The cosplay contest is where six-month builds finally get judged by people qualified to appreciate the seam work.
It takes over the convention center on the Long Beach waterfront for a weekend, floor and panels together.
Go with the friend whose long box you have been hearing about for years.