The Long Beach Comic Con (LBCC), held this year on September 2-3, recently wrapped up, and it was another solid show, and in its ninth year seemed to be the biggest one yet.

The LBCC is one of a growing list of smaller- to mid-size conventions that offers a more comics-based focus as opposed to the big boys like the San Diego and NY Comic-Cons, where movie and TV programming and exhibitors almost overwhelm all else. Here, a variety of big names and new voices mingled in the sizable Artist’s Alley, and indie publishers were in abundance. Comic creators were well represented with names such as Howard Chaykin, Pia Guerra, Dave Gibbons, and Gene Ha, among many others. In terms of celebrity guests, this year’s LBCC managed to book both William Shatner and Sherilyn Fenn, along with a number of fan-favorite animation voice actors.