Comicpalooza: Going to a Comic Convention in the Eyes of a Weeb!

By Miriam Herrera

 on June 1, 2023

When Comicpalooza first started, I was one of their first convention goers, the convention was only limited to the first floor. I met so many people there that I even ended up working with several vendors at their booths. The integration of anime wasn’t instilled in Comicpalooza until many years later and the first of the anime voice actors appeared. Comicpalooza was slowly bringing more anime and manga mediums into their convention by then. I was still a convention goer before partnering up with the amazing Comic-Watch and then it all started last year. My first year of representing Anime Watch and becoming media for Comic-Watch was an even more amazing experience as several of my colleagues flew down to host a podcast together.

However, this year I would be working alone in media for anime, the thought was daunting. Yet, once I stepped forward to speak to many of the voice actors that were present it gave me the confidence to voice even more about the wonders of anime and manga alike. The beauty of anime and the storylines and arcs that they present forward has given a new meaning. The newer animes like By the Grace of the Gods showcase to not strain yourself with work and to take better care of yourself mentally and physically. The older generation now coming back with Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War coming back with a top-tier animation that has been trending throughout the Twitterverse. Many reboots have happened during this time with Fruits Basket getting a complete reboot and many have followed. While I will hold on for Hitman Reborn to reboot, fingers crossed.

Convention itself will always be marketed to many comic book nerds and geeks, while many of my colleagues dubbed me an apex predator as I also enjoy the world of Marvel and DC and many more. Yet, when it comes down to it, anime and manga will always win out with me, no matter how many tv shows or movies come out in the superhero market. Give me One Piece any day and I will proudly declare that I am Queen of the Pirates to those around.

Would I have loved to do another photo shoot with the voice actors like before? Very much yes.

Do I think that anime and manga are slowly climbing the ranks of the most sought medium to be read and watched? Yes. While the world is vast and ready to explore many of the animations out there, we cannot help but wonder what new anime and manga will be out there for us to get our hands on.

Several of these voice actors including Paul Castro Jr., Colleen Clinkenbeard, Luci Christian, Jason Douglas, and many more were kind enough and encouraging with me. They were all eager to speak to all their fans and were so kind to each person that walked up to them. Talking with them at length and listening to what each one has to say to them. The admiration I have for them talking to everyone until a panel they had to go to came up and even then, they tried their best to talk to their fans before leaving. The smiles and their excitement when they spoke about their animes or the movies and even talked about their daily lives. I would love to speak to them again, their enthusiasm was contagious.

I was even able to find two manga creators who were the kindest ever.

H.H. German is writing a manga about a superhero that fights against animal abuse. The manga is called Here Comes Calico! When buying their manga, you are helping to fight against animal abuse. And what a wonderful cause this is to have. The love of animals is one the H.H. German has always had and Calico first started out as a comic book, but expanded to the idea of a manga. They move forward by casting a wider net to those around them and bringing forward awareness. A review for this manga will be coming soon!

Saymond and Pedro Blaze are brothers from Costa Rica they are not only amazing artists and writers, but they got together to write a manga together. Iridescent follows Shotter as he enters a martial arts event: Destination Tournament. However, a mysterious organization attacks him, and a whirlwind of adventure beings with Shotter’s childhood friend, Karen. This will be such an action-packed manga and I can’t wait to dive into this one as well. A review for this manga will be coming out soon as well!

Comicpalooza is expanding each year, showing the beauty of the art of comics and manga. The hope that we can showcase a little more of the anime and manga industry, to allow it to break through is always a topic to showcase. Comicpalooza bringing forward voice actors and panels will always be a good idea. I would have enjoyed having a photo shoot with the anime voice actors like a couple of years before. So many dub voice actors for One Piece and My Hero Academia were showcased and playing on that will always be a good idea for those that are there to see them.

So was going to a comic convention a good idea, well if you are a dual wielder like me, yes! Go and explore and see what the wonder of the world of comics can give you. Explore the other side of the world to see what it has to offer you and see what the stories of the comics will offer you. There are many of them that I will always enjoy, including Spawn, X-Men, Deadpool, and many more. Don’t let the intimidation of a fandom or a new experience of picking a comic up scare you off. Being both a weeb and comic geek will open many doors for you, and explore many stories that will throw you in for a loop.