Big Wow ComicFest

Big Wow ComicFest is a recurring comics and pop culture convention held in Long Beach, California, known for its focus on indie comics, Silver Age creators, and family-oriented programming. The festival features exhibitors, panels, workshops, cosplay, and guest appearances by cartoonists, writers, and artists across comics, animation, film, and television. Founded in the early 2010s, the event draws local and national creators alongside publishers, retailers, and fans from Southern California and beyond.

History

The convention traces roots to the independent comics scene and regional comic shop networks that include Comics Journal, Alternative Comics, Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, and Fantagraphics Books, aligning with institutions such as Gallery Nucleus, The Society of Illustrators, Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, and predecessors like MegaCon and WonderCon. Early editions featured creators connected to Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Dark Horse, IDW Publishing, Archie Comics, Valiant Entertainment, BOOM! Studios, Oni Press, and Fantagraphics alumni, reflecting ties to comic history events such as San Diego Comic-Con and New York Comic Con. Organizational links with local arts organizations, including Long Beach Museum of Art, Museum of Latin American Art, California State University, Long Beach, and regional retailers such as Golden Apple Comics and Meltdown Comics helped establish the festival's profile. Over time the convention expanded programming to mirror trends from Anime Expo, PAX East, Emerald City Comic Con, and Phoenix Comic Fest while maintaining a distinctive focus on comics craft emphasized by examples like Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, Carmine Infantino, and Joe Kubert.

Organization and Programming

Programming has included panels, portfolio reviews, workshops, live drawing demonstrations, and signing sessions coordinated with creator groups and publishers such as Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, IDW Publishing, Archie Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, Valiant Entertainment, BOOM! Studios, Oni Press, Fantagraphics Books, Drawn & Quarterly, Top Shelf Productions, Viz Media, Kodansha USA, and Yen Press. Educational partnerships have been formed with institutions like CalArts, ArtCenter College of Design, Otis College of Art and Design, California Institute of the Arts, SVA, and Pratt Institute for portfolio days and masterclasses. Cosplay programming references communities around World Cosplay Summit, Anime Expo, Dragon Con, and judges drawn from studios such as Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Nickelodeon Animation Studio, and Laika. Retail and indie creator alleys showcase sellers similar to Comixology, Image Comics’ Indie Retailers, APE (Alternative Press Expo), and Small Press Expo. Panels often discuss adaptations involving Warner Bros., 20th Century Studios, Paramount Pictures, Netflix, Amazon Studios, and HBO.

Guests and Notable Events

Past guest rosters have mixed Silver Age and modern creators, including artists and writers associated with Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Neal Adams, John Romita Sr., Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee, Frank Miller, Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Mark Waid, Geoff Johns, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Gail Simone, Raina Telgemeier, Jeff Smith, Chris Ware, Art Spiegelman, Alison Bechdel, Daniel Clowes, Frank Quitely, Humberto Ramos, Sara Pichelli, Jim Steranko, Eisner Award, Harvey Awards, and creators with credits on The Simpsons, Futurama, Rick and Morty, Adventure Time, Steven Universe, Batman: The Animated Series, X-Men: The Animated Series, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Special events have included themed panels on adaptations like Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns, Saga, Sandman, Maus, and Understanding Comics, alongside portfolio review sessions mirroring practices at Society of Illustrators and live drawing events reminiscent of Sketchfest. Notable moments involved charity auctions, retrospectives honoring figures such as Joe Kubert, Will Eisner, Julie Schwartz, and exhibitions curated in collaboration with The Cartoon Art Museum, Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, and Ohio State University Libraries.

Attendance and Impact

Attendance numbers have reflected regional comic convention trends comparable to WonderCon Anaheim, Pasadena Comic Con, Long Beach Comic Expo, NYCC, and SDCC exhibitors, drawing thousands of fans, creators, and vendors. The festival has influenced the Southern California comics marketplace, supporting independent creators associated with Kickstarter, Patreon, Indiegogo, Etsy, and small press distribution networks like Diamond Comic Distributors and Lakeshore Entertainment retail channels. Economic and cultural impacts have been noted in relation to local businesses including Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center, Long Beach Airport, Renaissance Long Beach Hotel, Hyatt Regency Long Beach, The Pike Outlets, and arts districts such as East Village Arts District (Long Beach), linking to regional tourism promotions by Visit Long Beach.

Venue and Location Changes

Originally hosted in smaller Long Beach venues and exhibition halls, the convention later utilized the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and associated spaces such as Pine Avenue, Long Beach Performing Arts Center, and nearby hotels like Hyatt Regency Long Beach and Renaissance Long Beach Hotel. Changes in venue mirrored those at conventions like San Diego Comic-Con moving between facilities and WonderCon relocations, driven by attendance growth, exhibitor needs, and municipal permitting coordinated with City of Long Beach authorities and venue management teams. Logistics have involved collaboration with transportation nodes like Long Beach Transit, Metro Long Beach, and parking infrastructure serving regional conventions.

Category:Comics conventions in the United States