Review: LA Comic Con 2021

Update: L.A. Comic Con is back for 2022 from December 2nd - 4th, get your tickets here!

For those familiar with West of The Rockies—they know that, in addition of exploring unexplained mysteries and paranormal phenomena, we also enjoy a healthy dose of pop-culture. After all, it’s through movies, TV shows, and graphic novels that we are often given a visual representation of things few seldom see or experience.

For that reason, we were very much looking forward to Los Angeles Comic Con, which made it’s return this past December 3 - 5, making it the 10th installment of this popular convention, and the excitement was palpable with over 94,000 fans, vendors, artists, celebrities and cosplayer in attendance.

After the COVID pandemic forced organizers to cancel the annual event in 2020 (or as —— host of the Cosplay National Championship called it “the year that never was,”) LA Comic Con went ahead with this year’s convention, with safety being a top priority by asking attendees to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test and requiring face coverings.

You didn’t need your Spidey-Sense to feel the spirit of LACC’s founding father, Stan Lee (who sadly passed away on November 12, 2018) at this year’s convention. Not only were there amazing figures in the likeness of the comic book legend, but there was even a booth from “Stan Lee Forever,” where those attendance were treated to a beautiful painting being done of the God of the Marvel Universe.

On Friday night, the world famous Laugh Factory kicked things off with a set from various comedians including Tehran, BT Kingsley, and Jade Catta-Preta—they certainly were a great choice to bring on the laughs to LACC after the woes of this past year.

LA Comic Con 2021 was a full-scale production, occupying both the South Hall and the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. The South Hall was home to the Main Stage, Vendors, and the Artist Alley; while the West Hall housed the E-Sports Arena Anime and Gaming where gamers could put their skills to the test against other opponents, and fans lined up to meet some of their favorite celebs.

At the South Hall, LACC’s Main Stage was the epicenter for a weekend full of Panels and Q&A’s. A personal favorite was the interview conducted by Jock (best know for his work on Batman: One Dark Knight) and David Choe (of the Choe Show) with the legendary Frank Miller (creator of The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City, and 300). Frank talked about his career, art, and he even shared what his favorite art tool is for creating (a horsehair brush).

Giancarlo Esposito (known for his work on Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian among others) was another big draw with his Q&A, hosted by Jonathan Landon of the popular website, Geekscape. Among other topics, Giancarlo talked about his approach to acting and what he learned from Michael Mann, and there was even a surprise proposal by Jonathan to his girlfriend Heidi, making this an extra especial occasion. We wish them the best!

Another favorite of those in attendance, was the panel, “Representation Matters: Telling Our Stories Through Comics” with Emmy winning actor, John Leguizamo, and award-winning producer Peter Murrieta (Wizards of Waverly  Place). As the title of the panel stated, John talked about how in spite of the millions that make up the Latinx community, they go underrepresented in the entertainment industry.

To put John’s point into perspective: the population of Los Angeles (which has long been regarded as the Entertainment Capital of the World), is 48.6% Hispanic/Latino—yet Latino characters only make up 4.5% of Hollywood speaking roles (per the findings of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative).

John also talked about his own comic book, PhenomX, for which he teamed up with Spawn creator, Todd McFarlane. As fans may remember, John played the character of The Clown in the 1997 Spawn movie, and after a meeting with McFarlane at New York Comic Con in 2018, they decided to collaborate and bring the story of PhenomX to life. During the panel, John shared the inspiration for PhenomX’s main character, Max Gomez.

The Main Stage also showcased the 6th Annual Cosplay National Championship, featuring contestants who pulled out all the stops to recreate the look of their favorite characters from film, television, comics, video games, sci-fi, anime, horror, and competed for $20,000 in cash plus other prizes.

The winners where chosen by a panel of judges who have excelled in the cosplay and costuming communities, and participants and their original creations (store-bought costumes are not permitted) were devided into three categories: Master, Journeyman, and Novice.

Dominica and her Sisters of Battle cosplay won LACC’s Best in Show.

The competition was fierce with some incredible costumes gracing the stage. The judges definitely had a difficult decision to make ahead of them—and after much deliberation, Dominica and her Sisters of Battle cosplay walkaway with the prize for Best in Show.

But the specular cosplay was not limited to the Main Stage—the convention’s floor was filled with cosplayers in some impressive costumes, and they were more than happy to pose with attendees making for some fun photo-ops that filled the cosplay hashtag on Instagram.

Speaking of the convention floor, there were aisles and aisles of booths filled with some truly wonderful products that made fans and collectors stop in their tracks. One such booth was by Sideshow Collectibles—manufacturer and distributor of premium format figures and high-end collectible pieces.

Figures like the Joker (as played by Joaquin Phoenix in the 2019 film), had people stopping to take a closer look—and it was certainly deserved in order to fully appreciate it. No detail was spared.

Further down, there was the Superbad Action Figures booth where one could admire more pieces by Sideshow Collectibles and other makers close-up, without the glass barrier. Some, like this huge Lobo figure attracted a lot of attention and elicited some excited reactions from those stopping-by.

There were some life-size replicas, too, as could be seen at the Ecto1x booth. Here attendees could marvel (no pun) at these amazing recreations of Lighting McQueen from the animated movie Cars, a very cool Volkswagen Beetle done-up to look like Herbie from the movie The Love Bug, an impressive version of The Ectomobile from the movie, Ghostbusters, and a Pontiac Trans Am converted into KITT from the original Knight Rider TV series—the detailed interior on this vehicle was truly jaw-dropping.

For those looking to update or diversify their wardrobe, Hot-Topic along with other booths, offered some new and fun fashion options to choose from, as well as giving collectors the opportunity to grab some con-exclusive Funko Pops—and pops were plentiful throughout the convention, with countless characters that appealed to fans of just about any and every fandom.

Speaking of fandom: one booth I had to stop at, was that of Fandom Productions, who had legendary Disney Imagineer, Bob Gurr, in-person. Bob worked closely with Walt Disney himself to design some of Disneyland’s most iconic vehicles like the Autopia cars, the monorail, and submarines for The Submarine Voyage ride. At 90 years young, Bob enthusiastically greeted, chatted, and took photos with fans that lined up to meet him.

A personal cool-moment was getting a chance to meet the talented artist and animator, Steven E. Gordon at his booth. I was excited to walk away with a signed print of Holli Would from the 1992 live-action/animated movie Cool World, and a signed Jimi Hendrix print from the 1981 animated movie American Pop. Mr. Gordon worked as animator on these cult movies (both directed by animation legend, Ralph Bakshi), and they’ve been personal favorites of mine for many, many years.

Los Angeles Comic Con 2021 had something for everyone and, more importantly, provided a welcomed break from all the doom-and-gloom from the past year-plus. The joy emitted by crowd definitely made for a fun atmosphere for all attendees, vendors, and celebs present. I can picture Stan Lee smiling—proud of the team that put this event together, and of all the “true believers” that made this LA Comic Con one to remember.

Spread The Word And Spread The Love.

Posted on December 10, 2021 and filed under SUM4.

Parallel Universes, The Simulation Hypothesis, and The Mandela Effect with Author, Rizwan Virk

On this edition of West of the Rockies, we asked the questions: are we living in a simulation? Do multiple versions of ourselves exist in parallel universes living out their lives in different timelines? Could this explain not only the Mandela Effect but provide us with a new understanding of time and space?

We’ll explore these questions with our guest, MIT computer scientist and best-selling author Rizwan Virk, author of the book, “The Simulated Multiverse: An MIT Computer Scientist Explores Parallel Universes, The Simulation Hypothesis, Quantum Computing, and The Mandela Effect.”

Posted on November 12, 2021 and filed under SUM4.

Alien Information Theory: Psychedelic Drug Technologies & the Cosmic Game, with Author, Dr. Andrew Gallimore

In this edition of West of The Rockies we welcome Dr. Andrew Gallimore, author of the book “Alien Information Theory: Psychedelic Drug Technologies and the Cosmic Game.” In it, he helps the reader explore the mysterious DMT molecule, the effects it has on our brain, and how we experience reality.

We talked to Andrew about how our brain creates our reality in the world we inhabit, how DMT functions as a reality switch, the wonderful and strange worlds the user is transported to, and the intelligent entities one encounters there. We also ask the question: how real is the DMT reality, and how real is our own? This is a conversation that will leave you thinking, so don’t miss it.

Posted on October 19, 2021 and filed under SUM4.

Science, The Paranormal, and Investigating with A&E’s “Ghost Hunters,” with Brandon Alvis

On this edition of West of the Rockies we discuss science and the paranormal with Brandon Alvis. As a long time researcher of the paranormal, we talk to Brandon about his scientific approach to investigating this mysterious field, some of the notorious locations he's visited, and his work as the paranormal technician of the A&E TV show, Ghost Hunters.

We’ll also discuss some of the equipment he employs in his investigations with the “Ghost Hunters” team, various aspects of paranormal research, and his upcoming book, Elements of a Haunting: Connecting History with Science to Uncover the Greatest Ghost Stories Ever Told, co-authored with fellow Ghost Hunters team-member, Mustafa Gatollari.

Posted on October 18, 2021 and filed under SUM4.

Where the Footprints End: High Strageness & the Bigfoot Phenomenon, Vol. I with Author, Joshua Cutchin

On this episode of West of The Rockies, we take a deep-dive into the world of Bigfoot, and the various, strange phenomena that sometimes accompany encounters with these mysterious creatures (like strange lights and poltergeist-like activity, among others).

Our guest is Joshua Cutchin who, along with Timothy Renner, wrote a fascinating book titled, “Where the Footprints End, Vol. I: Folklore.” We’ll explore with Joshua the similarities found between Bigfoot creatures, UFOs/Alien encounters, and Fairy Lore—be sure to buckle-up, you don’t to miss this one.

Posted on September 1, 2021 and filed under SUM4.

The Pentagon UFO Report, The Misinformation Age, and "The Goldilocks Zone," with Author David Luxton

David Luxton is a Associate Professor in Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences at the University of Washington (and former military psychologist and Air Force veteran). We take this opportunity to chat with David about the Pentagon UFO Report; his meeting with Former Navy Commander, David Fravor (who witnessed the ‘tic-tac’ UFO); and his new novel, “The Goldilocks Zone,” in which he tackles the topics of UFOs, Mind Control, and living in the age of misinformation.

Posted on July 22, 2021 and filed under SUM4.

Shimmering Light: Paperclip Nazis, Roswell, UFOs, and A Lost Race, with Author Walter Bosley

In early July 1947, something crashed at a ranch outside of Roswell, New Mexico—fast-forward 74 years later, and this single event has been the subject of numerous books, documentaries, TV shows, and the inspiration for several movies; all the while the answer to this mystery continues to remain elusive. Was it a UFO from another planet? A Top Secret military project? Or something else entirely?

We interviewed Walter on the topics covered in his book "Shimmering Light": Project Paperclip, mysterious Nazi technology, the Roswell Incident, and a lost race that went underground after a cataclysm event on Earth. We'll also take a look at how MKULTRA projects, and the infamous, genius rocket scientist (and occultist) Jack Parsons, fit into this web of mystery.

We’ll also be introduced to Walter's Father, Charles Bosley, who (while serving in the USAF) said to have participated in a recovery/rescue mission in another Roswell-type event that occurred underground near Winslow, Arizona in 1958, and where Charles encounter a civilization that went into hiding wanting nothing to do with us.

Posted on July 5, 2021 and filed under SUM4.

Gone At Midnight: The Mysterious Death of Elisa Lam, with Author Jake Anderson

In this interview, Jake talks of his attempts to gather information by contacting the LAPD and the Cecil Hotel management, the strange synchronicities surrounding the case, he’s thoughts on the Netflix docu-series, and why he believes this case is far from solved. It appears that there are still important questions that remain unanswered regarding the Elisa Lam mystery.

Posted on June 20, 2021 and filed under SUM4.

UFOs: Frequency - Distribution - Shapes, with Author Cheryl Costa

In this episode, we talked about her recent book: UFO Sightings Desk Reference: United States of America 2001 - 2020. Cheryl will be one of the speakers at the upcoming Contact in the Desert conference—the largest UFO show in the world. This virtual event will be happening June 25 - 28, and pass-holders will have two full weeks to watch the lectures and workshops. For more info and to purchase passes, visit the CITD website.

Posted on June 7, 2021 and filed under SUM4.

Abductions, Psychedelics, and The Multiverse with Dr. Michael Johnson

Dr. Michael Johnson is no stranger to alien and UFO-related experiences. However, this is the first time that he’s going public in such a manner as now, and we are honoured to be one of the first ones to have interviewed him in this capacity. Dr. Johnson is a retired Harvard Medical School psychiatrist and professor, having received his BA from Earlham College in Richmond Indiana, and MD from Indiana University School of Medicine. Following his medical residency in psychiatry, Dr. Johnson served as a “Lieutenant Commander” and “Staff Psychiatrist” at a US Naval Hospital, subsequently moving to Boston to become the “Psychiatrist-in-Chief” at the Massachusetts Osteopathic Hospital, before eventually taking the position as Staff Psychiatrist at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates in Cambridge.

Posted on July 10, 2019 and filed under SUM4.

Review of Contact In The Desert 2019

On Monday June, we returned from an amazing conference in Indian Wells, namely, Contact In The Desert. A weekend of mysteries, new scientific discoveries, introspection, debate, and spiritualism, this is one of the largest (if not the largest) UFO conferences in the world. However, referring to it as merely an “UFO conference” would in no way do it justice, since it is so much more than that. It encompasses all things New Age, mind exploratory, and fringe: topics such as ancient civilisations and archeology; conspiracies; government whistleblowers; meditation and health; and recent history are also covered. Essentially, most areas that the mainstream media and the government are reluctant to talk about. Not all of the subject matter is everyone’s cup of tea, but there is plenty to explore for all attendees. It’s a weekend of opening your mind and expanding your consciousness, and being receptive to all types of theories.

UFOs, Antarctica, and The Fourth Reich with Author & Researcher, Brad Olsen

Brad Olsen is one of a handful of writers known for their active world travel and field research, possessing a wealth of knowledge that encompasses a myriad of different topics and eras. Despite this, his knowledge is in-depth and borderline encylopaedic. During our last interview with Brad, we talked about his book, Future Esoteric: The Unseen Realms, providing an overview and questioning him about his interest in these topics as a whole. This time round, our focus was more specific, and we mainly concentrated on the chapter, “The Fourth Reich In America.”

Posted on June 12, 2019 and filed under SUM4.

Life, Death, and Life After Death: An Interview with Author, Whitley Strieber

Sunday, April 28th (2919), we had the honour and pleasure of interviewing Whitley Strieber for the second time—this time around our talk centred predominantly around his latest book, The Afterlife Revolution. In this interview, Whitley talks about his relationship with his wife, Anne. More importantly, though, he talks about their relationship *after* her death. That is, communication with someone in the apparent afterlife. We also delve deeper and inquire as to whether it is only us, humans, that are capable of experiencing love in this manner. Does love transcend our reality/physical Earthly existence? Why do some of us have the experience of apparent “otherworldly’” visitors? What of Out-Of-Body or Near-Death-Experiences? And, ratherly pertinently: should we *fear* death?

Posted on May 10, 2019 and filed under SUM4.

"Drugs As Weapons Against Us: The CIA War on Musicians and Activists" with Author/Director, John Potash

John Potash’s recent book, Drugs As Weapons Against Us: The CIA’s Murderous Targeting of SDS, Panthers, Hendrix, Lennon, Cobain, Tupac and other Activists, was published in May of 2015, with the corresponding documentary released just this past January (2019), titled, Drugs as Weapons Against Us: The CIA War on Musicians and Activists. Both have been received extremely positively, pulling together a host of historical facts, analyses, and thorough research, resulting in a well-presented stance that certainly holds water. It is also important to mention that he has worked as a counsellor for people with mental health problems and addictions for over 25 years now. So he is certainly no newcomer or sideline spectator when it comes to this topic.

Posted on April 7, 2019 and filed under SUM4.

Bob Lazar: Area 51 and Flying Saucers - An Interview with Investigative Filmmaker, Jeremy Corbell

We recently had the opportunity of interviewing investigative documentary filmmaker, Jeremy Corbell. His two latest releases are "Hunt for the Skinwalker" (based on a book by George Knapp & Dr. Colm Kelleher), and "Bob Lazar: Area 51& Flying Saucers." The latter was the spotlight of our discussion.

Posted on March 6, 2019 and filed under SUM3.

"Future Esoteric: The Unseen Realms" with Author, Researcher, and Explorer, Brad Olsen.

On this edition of WoTR, we focus on Brad’s book, Future Esoteric: The Unseen Realms, as well as delve into some other related topics. We question him about his very own “red pill” moment, including when and where it took place, and how it changed him. We also discuss some of his top “sacred sites,” what types of locations they are, and what makes them so special. We then move on to talk about UFOs and classified government projects, asking him about his own experience with UFOs, his thoughts on hidden underground cities and military bases, and the connection to the Third Reich when it comes to “flying saucers” and secret space programs.

Posted on November 5, 2018 and filed under SUM3.

Aliens, Abductions & The Nature of Contact with Kathleen Marden, Director of MUFON's Experiencer Research

Kathleen Marden is an author, extraterrestrial-intelligence researcher, and most popularly known as the niece of Betty & Barney Hill. To most people that have researched the UFO phenomenon even just a bit, the Betty & Barney Hill case is very likely one that the majority of you have stumbled across.

Kathleen is an activist for contactees and experiencers across the globe, and hopes to make the subject more known, lessening the negative stigma attached to such incidents and topics. She is the Director of Experiencer Research at MUFON (Mutual UFO Network), as well as the author of several books (five to date).

Posted on August 23, 2018 and filed under SUM3.

Science, Magic, & Symbols with Ryan Gable, Host of "The Secret Teachings."

At this year's Contact In The Desert Conference, we sat down with Ryan Gable, host of the radio show, "The Secret Teachings," to get his take on all things occult, including the relationship between science and magic, as well as the power of symbols, and the benefits and pitfalls of these practices. We asked him about the possible nefarious goals of CERN, and we also discussed Manly P. Hall's legendary work, "The Secret Teachings of All Ages." We furthermore reviewed the occult practices of rocket scientist, and subject of the brand new CBS All Access series, "Strange Angel," Jack Parsons. Enjoy!

Posted on June 22, 2018 and filed under SUM3.

Contact In The Desert 2018 Review

Once again, we had the privilege of attending the Contact In The Desert conference this year, the largest conference of its type in the USA. This annual event presents a boiling pot of information regarding fringe research and ufology, where people come together and share their findings and knowledge on topics such as ancient civilizations, spirituality, human consciousness, UFOs/UAPs, the paranormal, and extra-terrestrials.

Posted on June 22, 2018 and filed under SUM3.

Ancient Civilizations, The Sphinx & Egyptology's Resistance to Alternative Theories with Dr. Robert Schoch

Dr. Robert Schoch is best known for his research and claims regarding the Great Sphinx of Giza – like the pyramids of Giza, many of us take the Sphinx and its history for granted. That is, we assume we know the basics:  it’s in Egypt; it has the body of a lion and the head of a man; and it was built by the ancient Egyptians of the Old Kingdom. However, what Dr. Schoch and his colleagues propose is a rather different theory, suggesting that the Sphinx is likely far older than we have always believed it to be, therefore meaning it must have been created under different conditions and by different people than originally assumed. The journey of his research is absolutely fascinating, and we were excited to pick his brains on this topic.

Posted on May 30, 2018 and filed under SUM3.