Dredd 3D -- shot on the RED ONE -- opens Friday, September 21st

Last weekend the second annual Comikaze Expo took over the Los Angeles Convention Center. The expo is Los Angeles's answer to San Diego Comic Con -- a 2-day convention of comic books, movies, and pop culture. This year, former Marvel Comics honcho Stan Lee came aboard as host which added a level of historical significance to the show. RED was on hand to witness the show and document it on a 5K EPIC.

Stan "The Man" Lee and Todd McFarlane kicked off the show Saturday morning with a mutual appreciation festival on the main stage in the exhibition hall. This main stage sets Comikaze apart from other pop culture conventions. Instead of queueing in long lines for popular panels outside the hall, visitors could drop in and out of great events without leaving the room. Kevin Smith (who shot Red State on RED) interviewed Adam West (Batman!) onstage and the new online show Batgirl: Spoiled was previewed on the big screen there. Both events were just a short walk away from any exhibitor booth or the indoor Quidditch Pitch.

Comikaze covers the middle ground between small comic collector shows and big productions like San Diego Comic Con. The result was a large yet fan-centered show that never traded its fun atmosphere for mainstream ambitions. Not yet overrun with the gigantic boothes of Comic Con, the floor of Comikaze gave equal space to Hollywood movies like Dredd 3D and YouTube star Hannah Minx.

Though we were there to document the experience, carrying a RED EPIC through a room of pop culture geeks becomes an exhibition in itself. We really enjoyed meeting so many RED fans and answering questions about the camera that shot The Amazing Spider-Man and The Hobbit. We hope to see you all again next year.