[dropcap size=small]T[/dropcap]he Los Angeles Convention Center is known for being the home to many things, conventions, expos, events, etc. Among them is Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo, one of the only conventions known to Los Angeles for being exceptionally grand in scale and filled with multi-media pop culture.

Video games, comic books, movies, and every sub-genre in between, Comikaze is home to some of the most innovative perspectives in the industry. Through partnerships of some of the most notable and recognizable comic icons in the industry, Stan Lee’s Comikaze has seen well over 35, ooo attendees through their first weekend in November of 2011 and grown to an astounding 55,000 attendees in their third year of 2013. 

The GO staff was lucky enough to attend this weekend and see some amazing things, and a special thanks goes out to our friends at Robot Underdog, as they were able to make some amazing things possible. 

Here is a recap through some photos of our favorite cosplays, up-and-coming designers and artists, and of course, Stan Lee himself. 

The moment we arrived to the event, Stan Lee was front and center on stage accepting a large cake for his recent birthday. When we say “large”, we really mean LARGE. The cake was nearly a to scale Incredible Hulk, take a look!

[dropcap size=small]T[/dropcap]hen, after the cake acceptance speech, to which Stan didn’t realize whose birthday it was (Stan Lee is really getting old), we met up with our friends at Robot Underdog (the team behind The Light of Hope web series). Together we met up with some of the cast and crew of Black Smoke Films, the team behind the Dragon Ball Z project, “The Fall of Men“, a story that follows Trunks in an alternate post-apocalyptic universe where the greatest threat is an Imperfect/Perfect Cell hybrid. 

While there, we got to sit in on a panel where the Director and crew revealed an extended look into their vision of a Dragon Ball universe – and let me just say, that it was absolutely incredible. The visual effects were outstanding, and the character development built around this 10 minute first look was remarkable. 

Though the project has yet to have a release date, this extended look will likely be available soon. Until then, if you have not seen it, take a look below at their trailer that is available on YouTube.

[dropcap size=small]A[/dropcap]fter the panel, we took off to see Ralph Garman and Kevin Smith talk about Batman ’66 and all the things the two usually discuss on their Hollywood Babylon podcast. Though a pleasant surprise guest turned into an over-bearing presence that outstayed his welcome, the original Robin Burt Ward himself stopped by. And stayed. The whole time. Which would not have been so bad, if Kevin Smith and Ralph Garman got a few words in edgewise. The panel lasted an hour, but it felt like an eternity that ended with Burt Ward talking about his unique brand of dog food that he and his wife make or support, I wasn’t really listening. Lost interest after 25 minutes. 

Once Robin was finished talking about dog food, our group went back down to the Exhibit Hall to take a look at some of the unique artists and designers. Here are a few of our favorites.

[dropcap size=small]E[/dropcap]ach week, one of the artists of Armpit Lazers will challenge another artist to draw a random Pokémon of the original 150. Pokédrawl is a compilation of those challenges. And its only $20! Take a look at some of their incredible artwork here.

[dropcap size=small]R[/dropcap]anging from $35 on up, Cha and her team have designed some of the cutest and unique collectibles we have ever seen. Something so simple became an amazing project that turned those late nights in front of the TV with cute and cool snuggle buddies in the form of EPF pillows. From TMNT to Marvel, to DC, to anything in between, Epic Pillow Fights will defintely have our business for years to come. Check out her website here. 

[dropcap size=small]A[/dropcap]t first glance, we almost walked past the PVC Armory booth. But Andres here caught our attention with a demonstration that really caught our attention. The bows you see are all made out of PVC and are painted and designed to resemble actual bows. The bows behind Andres are in fact the same as he has in his hand, though the string of the bow causes the PVC to bend immensely, with no stress that could cause damage. The bows are real, and they do work. I tried one out myself, taking a little over 40lbs of force to pull back. Just enough to bend that Samsung Galaxy Note Tab Pro 4 S in your pocket. Check out their website here. 

COSPLAY

Below are some of our favorite cosplays. We often ran into costumes, armors, and other amazing designers who had far more elaborate presentations with what they were wearing. When asking how they made it, most of the time you get an answer resulting that they did very little work in doing so, in that they bought it online. So, instead, we chose some of that stood out to us that were homemade. Take a look and see.