Comic Con Makes its Mark With First Ever Palm Springs Event

Comic Con Palm Springs Included the One and Only, Stan Lee

Written By: Sara Hyland Comic Con Palm Springs
Photographed By: Bianca Bayardo

There’s only one place where you can find Lou Ferrigno, half a dozen Spider-Men and all of the Dragon Balls. That place is Comic Con. The year 2016 embraced the first Comic Con Palm Springs with open arms, as did desert dwellers and those who crossed states for even a glimpse of the famously infamous Stan Lee. Stormtroopers marched side by side, Raoul Duke’s cigarette held onto his lips for dear life and Marvel and DC fans called a three-day truce. It was a weekend where characters were fused, genders were bent and Steampunk remained alive and well. Fandoms collided to create a beautiful universe.

The centerpiece for the front room of the Con was the stunning Back to the Future DeLorean replica created by the brilliant Mike Carey. Through extensive research via various viewings of the films and high resolution photos, he was able to create a roughly 95 percent accurate replica of the original. First, he restored the car before adding all the bells and whistles. What he could not find he made himself, including some screen-used parts, making for an unbelievably impressive copy, including the garbage-powered Mr. Fusion made from an 80s coffee maker that powered the car in the films. The best part? This DeLorean was signed by Dr. Emmett Brown himself—Christopher Lloyd.

One of the greatest parts about Cons is the opportunities they give for artists to showcase their amazing work. Dozens of artists turned up for Comic Con Palm Springs, but there were a couple of prominent shining stars. Los Angeles illustrator Joey Chou (@choochoojoey) is no stranger to Cons, and is in fact no stranger to another location that attracts thousands of patrons from near and far–Disneyland! You can find some of Joey’s masterpieces in the WonderGround Gallery in Downtown Disney. Another standout artist was Michigan’s Katie Cook (@katiecandraw). A partner in the beloved “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, ” this comic artist and writer has done work for Marvel, DC, Disney, LucasFilm, and many other companies.

In case anyone was worried this Con would be short on star power, fear no more. First of all, there was a Comic Con Palm Springs package called the Ultimate Stan Lee Ticket. This included a three-day pass with a preview and exclusive access, a t-shirt, two comic book variants from the Stan Lee collection, one autographed lithograph, an autographed ticket, a ticket for a photo op and VIP access to Stan Lee’s autograph line. If Stan the Man wasn’t enough, the OG Hulk Lou Ferrigno was there to show us what it’s like when he isn’t so angry. Fans of zombie culture felt no disappointment with The Walking Dead alum Vincent M. Ward and Fear the Walking Dead star Lincoln Castellanos present. The Crow creator James O’Barr was also a special guest, along with co-creator of Rogue, Michael Golden.

After meeting heroes, there were plenty of booths with ample souvenirs to spend your cash on. Caricatures were a hit—everyone wanted to be turned into their favorite superhero. The ever so popular Funko Pop! figures were everywhere one could turn, ranging from the commonest to the rarest. No one dare call the action figures “dolls” as they lay piled in bins or hanging in mint condition in their original packaging. Pins and buttons were also available for an opportunity to represent whatever cause moved you, as well as pairs of ears, headpieces and masks for whatever disguise you may want to create. And people certainly didn’t forget their Pokémon gear and plushies!

Welcome to Palm Springs, Comic Book Lovers