Women Take Center Stage at Comic Con L.A.

Comic-Con LA is a premier pop culture event held annually in Los Angeles. It brings together fans, creators, and industry professionals to celebrate comics, movies, TV shows, gaming, and more. Attendees enjoy panels, meet their favorite artists, explore “Artist Alley,” and participate in cosplay.

With a diverse range of exhibitors and over 100,000 attendees, Comic Con LA serves as a hub for entertainment enthusiasts and as a powerful platform for pop culture.

The Rise of Women in Comic Con Culture

Seeing women in comics, games, and entertainment shows that they’re just as much a part of it as anyone else. For girls who love these things, seeing women who create and share their stories is inspiring. It shows that they can do it too. Comic-Con LA, brought out some amazing female talent such as Erin Moriarty & Karen Fukuhara who play Starlight and Kimiko from The Boys, Amy Jo Johnson who played the Pink Ranger from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and Emily Rudd who plays Nami from One Piece.  

Convention centers are also spaces where fans actively engage with pop culture through cosplay, a practice where individuals dress up as their favorite characters. Historically dominated by male characters and creators, these conventions have gradually evolved to embrace a more diverse and inclusive representation of women. Female characters, writers, artists, and fans have gained visibility, challenging traditional gender roles and stereotypes. This trend has allowed women to reinterpret and reclaim characters in ways that challenge traditional gender roles. Female fans, creators, and cosplayers contribute to a more inclusive and diverse representation of women in pop culture. In addition, female gamers, developers, and content creators are increasingly being recognized and celebrated.

Interview w/ CEO of Comic-Con LA

We had the pleasure of interviewing Chris DeMoulin, who is the man in-charge of Comic-con LA., who spoke on how the vision of the Comic-Con involved diversity, equity and inclusion. 

It was surprising to find out that comic-con LA organically draws in a diverse range of attendees. In fact, Mr. DeMoulin, claimed that the ethnic demographics of LA Comic-con are very representative of the ethnic-mix of LA county. Throughout our conversation we theorized that the reason for the ladder is because fandom crosses ethnicities. Which aligns with my belief that storytelling is a cultural unifier.

“No matter what fandom you have, if you come to the show you will find something that resonates with you,” Mr. DeMoulin stated.

This was proven with the diversity of the talent they brought along. There were some great panels that were focused on the role of  LGBTQ+ members and women in Pop-culture. Additionally, they had incorporated booths for comics, gaming, anime, cars and sports. Los Angeles is the hub for creativity and diversity therefore, Comic-Con LA aimed to resemble the diversity of LA. For instance, Chris highlighted how this con had the largest artist alley out of any convention in the nation because LA has so many talented artists .

Needless to say, Comic Con LA 2023 played its role as a unifier for people from all different background to come and share their enjoyment of the same fandoms.