Going…going…gone! The 5th anniversary of the Long Beach Comic & Horror Con (LBCHC) came and went on Nov. 23-24, at the Long Beach Convention Center.

Attendees were treated to a weekend full of super heroes, sidekicks, villains, and of course, comic books!

The LBCHC opened its doors to geeks from all over the world on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 9:20 a.m. and Long Beach’s very own Vice-Mayor Robert Garcia opened the ceremony with a special performance by Eric Calderone, (Metal Hammer’s 2013 Shredder of the Year winner).

The Long Beach Comic & Horror Con’s exhibit floors were packed with talented animators, horror writers, comic geniuses and comic geeks walking around the booths like zombies hunting for live flesh.

Speaking of zombies, there was a booth dedicated to transforming innocent looking geeks into starving zombies for a very inexpensive price of $10.

This year the Long Beach Comic & Horror Con added more kid zones as well as a new “Cosplay Corner”. LBCHC encouraged the guests to enter their own artwork into “Infected” by Art’s Talent Search. They not only received the chance to meet their favorite artists and writers, but also discovered new talent like John Mulhall, author of Geddy’s Moon, and Ethan Castillo, a nine-year-old with an amazing talent to draw.

In celebration of 50th anniversary of the show “Doctor Who,” the Long Beach Comic & Horror Con screened the special live from BBC America at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23.

Attendees also had an opportunity to check out the Auction by Premiere Props, and had a chance to bid on movie props and memorabilia from their favorite movies or T.V. shows.

The LBCHC wasn’t only about comic books and interesting costumes, it was also about bonding, and spending quality time with loved ones.

For example, Angel Frost, a single father from Ensenada, Baja California, had a goal to not only make an amazing costume of Doctor Octopus, but to spend quality time with his son.

Frost and his son (dressed as one of Spider-Man’s nemesis, Sandman), not only dressed up to attend, they also participated in the 3rd Annual Masquerade Ball, a costume contest held in the Promenade Ballroom on Saturday, Nov. 23, and won $500. Other winners took home $250 and $100, as well as other cool “geeky” prizes.

For the contest, 52 participants walked the stage while the host, Mike Shields, read some details about their costumes, and the panel consisting of Jesse Snider (judge on the SyFy Channel’s hit show Heroes of Cosplay), Vince Hernandez (creator of the new Aspen comic titled “Cosplay”), and Vampy Bit Me (professional cosplayer), meticulously watched the participants and later offered them their awards.

Once the contest ended, many of the amazing cosplayers stuck around to take pictures with fans, exchange their contact information and talk about their favorite movies and shows.

Some show guests included John Kricfalusi, (cartoonist, creator of the Ren & Stimpy Show), Christopher Rice, (New York Time’s bestselling author of “A Destiny of Souls”) and Sara Richard, (artist for “My Little Pony,” and “Power Puff Girls”).

Other guests included Noel Guglielmi, (actor in The Walking Dead), and of course Halloween favorites, Bela Lugosi Jr, (Bela Lugosi’s son), and Butch Patrick, (Eddie Munster of the hit show “The Munsters”).

The Long Beach Comic & Horror Con not only had exhibit floors packed with tons of cool stuff, but also had rooms dedicated to entertaining the attendees and teach them about Voice Acting, talk about ghost and conspiracies, and have a Q and A with Greg Weisman, (producer, creator of “Gargoyles”), Jymn Magon (co-creator “Chip n’ Dale Rescue Rangers”), Bob Schooley (co-creator, “Kim Possible”), and Rob Paulsen (voice actor, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “Animaniacs”).

For those unable to attend, don’t worry the Long Beach Comic & Horror Con’s website: http://longbeachcomiccon.com is updated and ready to give you a glimpse of what you missed out on.

If anyone missed this exciting event, don’t worry; The Long Beach Comic Expo will be coming on May 31 and in June 1st of 2014!

So geeks and fans alike, remember that next year will emerge with yet another Comic & Horror Con to satisfy your every need and desire with interesting costumes, contests, and a chance to meet your favorite artists and creators.

Mark that calendar for a new year and don’t forget to attend the one and only Long Beach Comic & Horror Con!