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Press · L.A. Comic Con · Los Angeles

Our first press trip: L.A. Comic Con

Five halls, hundreds of booths, and a lot more trans representation than we expected.

By Dominic Anthony Pérignon and Carter Nelson · T-Time Media

The 'Welcome to L.A. Comic Con' sign above the crowded convention center atrium

T-Time Media is an independent media company run by trans folks, and we did something we'd never done before: we went to Comic Con in LA as press.

We applied for press access, and we got in. Dominic, the founder of T-Time Media, and Carter Nelson, our creative partner, went together, and we'll be honest, we had no idea what we were walking into.

Bigger than we thought

We thought we knew how big it would be. We were wrong. There were five halls, and every one of them was packed with booths. Hundreds of them. Comics, characters, celebrities, and more. You could spend the whole day in one hall and still feel like you missed half of it.

Every corner felt different

What stuck with us most is how different every corner felt. The event has whole sections for Artist Alley, autographs, and photo ops. One minute you're looking at crystal figures and painted collectible statues, then a table of signed X-Men prints. The next you're staring at a glowing custom PC with an octopus sitting on top of it. In South Hall there were immersive experiences, and the Día de los Muertos display, with candles, marigolds, and skulls, was one of the most beautiful things we saw.

There was a main stage with surprise performances, and you never knew what was coming next. And the cosplay was incredible: a Jack Skellington, a character with a TV for a head, and plenty more.

Seeing trans stories in the comics

We were surprised to see trans representation at Comic Con. We stopped at the table for Horror Not Hate, an anthology of 26 socially conscious horror stories from more than 120 people, with an art gallery of over 50 illustrations in the back. The creator told us why he made it: he was worried about his gay and trans friends, immigrants, and his own family, so he got people together. One of the stories is comedian Rylie Silverman's first comic, an allegory for coming out as trans, told through a werewolf story. We listened, grabbed a sticker, and moved on to see what else was around.

Dominic and Carter talking with a creator at the Story Spark booth, home of the Horror Not Hate anthology
Throughout the entire event, we noticed no fear and no judgment, just a whole lot of comics.

Why we do press work

T-Time Media is trans-led. We cover events and stories from a perspective most outlets don't have, and press access is how we get in the room.

Trans people are usually the topic of someone else's story. We'd rather be the ones telling it. A press badge puts us in the room, with the camera, deciding what gets covered and how.

It also lets us show trans folks that they belong in places like Comic Con. And we get to cover trans people the way we actually live: finding comics with characters like us, geeking out over cosplay, and just enjoying the day. Not as a debate. As people.

We're independent, so no outlet tells us which stories count. That means we can spend time on creators who don't get much attention, like the creator we met behind Horror Not Hate, an anthology of 26 stories that includes a trans coming-out allegory. Press coverage helps small creators get seen, and we want to be part of that.

And yes, there's a practical side too. Press access opens doors to events, interviews, and partnerships, and that helps us keep doing this work.

Walking the halls, we felt no fear and no judgment, just a whole lot of comics. We want to make more of that visible.

From the floor

A cosplayer in an intricate geometric, papercraft-style mask and costume Cosplay

Geometric mask cosplay

One of the most striking builds we saw on the floor: an entire face and outfit constructed from faceted, papercraft-style panels.

A cosplayer in a terrifying nun costume carrying a Happy Halloween bag Cosplay

Terrifying nun cosplay

Horror cosplay fit right in next to the comics, Halloween bag and all.

Painted crystal collectible figures on display Collectibles

Crystal figures

Painted crystal statues, lined up among the collectibles.

A custom PC build with a glowing orange octopus sculpture on top, 'L.A. Comic Con' etched on the case Builds

Octopus PC

A glowing custom PC build with L.A. Comic Con etched on the glass — octopus included.

A cosplayer in a red gown with Día de los Muertos sugar-skull makeup and marigold trim Cosplay

Día de los Muertos cosplay

Sugar-skull makeup and a marigold-trimmed gown, one of the most striking looks we saw.

Comic Con recap video — coming soon. Video by Dominic and Carter.

What's next

This was our first press trip, and it won't be our last.

See what's open →