L.A. Comic Con embraces creativity with diversity of fan experiences

Shown is the outside of L.A. Comic Con. The three-day convention featured a slew of entertainment speaker panels, artist booths and anime artists. (Andrew Ramiro Diaz/Photo editor)

By Vishnu Potharaju
Oct. 1, 2025 9:19 p.m.
This post was updated Oct. 2 at 9:28 p.m.
Los Angeles’s biggest crossover brought fans of all genres together this weekend.
L.A. Comic Con took place Sept. 26-28 at the LA Convention Center. The three-day convention featured speaker panels, cosplay showcases and other themed events, which allowed attendees to engage with a variety of media and content. For vendor Tracy Ayala, one of the strongest aspects of the weekend overall was the crowd itself.
“You get a lot of diversity, but everybody’s really friendly,” Ayala said. “(There are) very few places you can work where everybody’s just happy to be there, so it’s a nice experience.”
For first-time attendee Kaleigh Stabenau, the weekend was a way to engage with not only people who share her interests, but also with fans of other projects that were unfamiliar to her. Stabenau, who works as a surgeon, said attending Comic Con allowed her to dive deeper into the cosplay community, which she found to be incredibly supportive and nonjudgmental. As a self-proclaimed “casual” cosplayer, Stabenau said cosplay helps her step out of her own life and be someone else momentarily, which allows her to feel energized amid her chaotic day job.
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Beyond just cosplay communities, however, Comic Con’s schedule offered events and interactions for fans of all genres. For example, at the South Hall Main Stage, the convention hosted numerous speaker panels throughout the weekend, including a session with the cast of “Phineas and Ferb.” Voice actors David Errigo Jr., Vincent Martella, Olivia Olson and Alyson Stoner answered questions about their experiences with “Phineas and Ferb” and voice acting overall.
“When I started on camera, you get pigeonholed very quickly because you fall into a certain type, and my physical appearance is going to limit the type of characters I can play,” Stoner said. “When I had the opportunity to begin voice acting, and I played my first spider … there are truly limitless opportunities.”
For University of Southern California graduate student Nicole Tran, being able to engage with “Phineas and Ferb” was what drew her to attend Comic Con. Tran, who said the show was one of her favorites in childhood, dressed up as Isabella Garcia-Shapiro and attended the convention to see the voice actors speak in the panel Sunday. Tran was also able to meet Isabella’s voice actor, Alyson Stoner, which she said was one of the highlights of her whole weekend.

In addition to fan experiences, Comic Con hosted a slew of artist and vendor tables, where fans were able to explore comic book collections, handmade art prints and more from their favorite fandoms. UCLA alumnus Priscilla Wu, for example, set up a stand for her company WhySoCilious, which creates handcrafted light-up Pokémon terrariums. Wu, who does not have a physical store for her company, said L.A. Comic Con was one of her first conventions in Southern California, and allowed her to create a fan base in the region and connect with customers.
Similarly, Monique Gonzalez, founder of pop-up bookstore Handcrafts and Hardbacks, said events such as Comic Con are helpful for her store, which does not have a physical location. Gonzalez said the diversity of the crowd at Comic Con allowed her to expand her audience outreach, creating connections with people from various places that she will eventually see again at their other pop-ups. Gonzalez added that although most viewers may attend the convention for comic books and other media, she was still able to help attendees be interested in reading, offering recommendations that align with customers’ specific genre interests.
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Comic artist Jacoby Salcedo, who has been interested in comic book art as a profession since high school, said the event allowed him to meet not only new readers but other creatives.
“A big part of why I do these shows is so I can potentially meet new readers,” Salcedo said. “But a lot of the comic creators, they just work from home, and they’re usually isolated, so these shows are, in a way, for us creators, a reunion.”
Salcedo, who is half Mexican, said his works focus on promoting diverse stories; his first book in collaboration with writer Julio Anta,“Frontera,” follows a young boy as he immigrates back into the United States through the Sonoran Desert and encounters a ghost. Salcedo said that an unexpected positive of the weekend was engaging with fans and learning about how his work has impacted readers.
“Being able to tell these stories that feature Mexican characters … is super important for me,” Salcedo said. “I’ve had many people come up to the table and be like, ‘Hey, that story really meant a lot to me.’ … You hope that people feel seen in it, but to be told that is gratifying.”
Through its diverse offerings, Stabenau said L.A. Comic Con allowed attendees to engage with their favorite media while also learning about new fandoms and projects. Wu added that Comic Con encouraged fans to interact with smaller artist vendors, giving the opportunity to up-and-coming artists to share their work with a broader audience.
“It’s just so exciting because you know you’re going to come here and you’re going to be around people who are just as enthusiastic about their stuff as you are, and so you already are starting with one thing in common,” Stabenau said. “Even if you’re not into a fandom, the cosplays and the passion that people bring to this is infectious.”




