By Bren Belmonte | Staff Writer
Unforgettable. Bustling. Positive.
The second day of the Los Angeles Comic Con was held on Dec. 4 at the L.A Convention Center. Long hallways house the non-stop traffic, with sitting areas nearby as an oasis for comfort. Joy spread throughout the hall, surrounded by compliments and bustling chatter from upstairs.
Up the escalator from the main hall was the food court which consisted of various local cuisine. The smell of fresh Asian noodles persuaded taste buds to come and taste. Inside the food court buffet there is Santa, waddling as if he is walking on clouds as he purchased a cookie.
All around were a diverse range of people and cosplayers. “Squid Game” guards march proudly through the food court to their next destination.
The triangle-shaped mask guard from “Squid Game” excitedly waited in line for the exhibitor’s hall to open.
“I’m really looking forward to getting some never-before-seen sci-fi comics,” the man in a pink jumpsuit said happily.
The Exhibitor’s Hall was packed with eager vendors persuading con-goers’ attention with eye-pleasing booths, signs, and a plethora of merchandise. Left and right there were different varieties of merchandise for any anime and comic lover. Small groups of chatterboxes stopped in the middle of the small intersections to socialize.
A digital artist who draws anime, cartoons, and her own characters, Xarinesca’s artwork expresses complete passion. Xarinesca’s passion is visible on her social media platforms, displaying digital prints, buttons, and stickers. Her excited personality along with her gratefulness for each purchase of her artwork makes her day. Comic Con was Xarinesca’s sixth con and her biggest con that she’s been a vendor.
“It’s been a long ride here,” Xarinesca stated humbly. ”I usually sell out easily at smaller cons but I came prepared with even more prints and trinkets this time!”
Walking out of the hall after some heavy spending, con-goers sit along almost every carpeted floor. Music can be distantly heard in the other halls as people danced and showcased their cosplays for social media to observe. The diversity of cosplayers could also be seen in people of color and various body shapes all mingling with cheerful spirits.
Cosplayers in small gatherings throughout the massive hallways are common to see, especially when many cosplayers from the same fandom find each other in the middle of a huge intersection. The foot traffic was bustling and crowded but there was still positivity spread as a group of “Genshin Impact” cosplayers found each other and began to socialize. Even adding each other’s social media to meet up again at another con, the group began to spread with more cosplayers from the same fandom.
“It’s been really awesome hanging out with my best friend, and meeting new people with whom I share [the same] interests with was the best experience of all,” passionately exclaimed Emmy, a 15-year-old who cosplayed as the “Genshin Impact” character Lumine.
Smiles could be noticed from these individuals, even with the mandatory masks, as the gleeful shares of interests spread throughout the hall. Clicks of cameras could be heard from nearby people were taking pictures of the group.
