‘Luxury’ Comic Convention to Debut in L.A. This Fall

Hot off the heels of the opening of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, Los Angeles will also host the inaugural Icon Festival of Comic and Narrative Art at the Biltmore Hotel this November.

The festival will be a two-day celebration of original art by some of the biggest comics artists working today, including Nick Dragotta (Absolute Batman), Daniel Warren Johnson (Transformers), Ryan Ottley (Invincible), Jim Cheung (Young Avengers), Frank Cho (Skybourne), Sanford Greene (Bitter Root), Megan Huang (Star Wars), Dave Johnson (Superman: Red Son), David Mack (Jessica Jones), and Bill Sienkiewicz (Elektra: Assassin).

This festival, from the team behind the Lake Como Comic Art Festival and Hawaii Comic Art, will be distinguished from typical comic conventions both by its historic setting (the Biltmore Los Angeles hosted the luncheon where the idea of the Academy Awards was first conceived) and by its limited capacity, which will allow attendees to spend meaningful time with artists.

“This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to meet some of the most talented comic book artists working today while experiencing the grandeur of one of the most prestigious spaces in Los Angeles,” Icon cofounder Steve Morger said in a statement. “You can explore the storied hotel, talk with creators about their craft, commission art, and purchase rare, original pieces.”

To commemorate the festival, Alex Ross hand-painted a rendition of the hotel’s iconic Angel symbol. Although Ross himself will not be in attendance, the Icon Festival will host The Art Of Alex Ross Exhibit, which debuted at the Dunn Museum in Chicago and features more than 100 works by the popular artist.

“This is not your usual comic book event,” said Ross, who designed the poster for the 74th Oscars in 2002. “This is a luxury event.”

The festival will take place the weekend of November 7–8, preceded by a VIP opening night reception and cocktail hour on Friday, November 6.