LA Comic Con CEO Chris DeMoulin joins Frank and Thomas to tell the story of a convention that exists because two fans couldn't get San Diego Comic-Con tickets. He gets into working with Stan Lee, why the LACC main stage sits in the middle of the show floor, and what Halloween weekend means for families heading to the LA Convention Center October 30 through November 1.

Chris came over from running Licensing Expo in 2012 and has led the show since 2018. He walks through how fan surveys decide the guest list, how a full cast reunion like the Lord of the Rings hobbits comes together, why anime and gaming are taking over the West Hall, and what roughly 350 fans bought into when LACC let them invest in the company. Thomas also reveals he's one of those 350.

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 1:21 How LA Comic Con Started
• 3:15 Fan-First Design and the No Hall H Main Stage
• 6:11 The Octopus, the Branding, and Working With Stan Lee
• 8:38 Halloween Weekend and Indoor Trick-or-Treating
• 11:21 Booking Guests and Cast Reunions
• 19:27 Anime, Akiba Station, and a Bigger Convention Center
• 25:09 Artist Alley and Indie Creators
• 28:31 Fans Become Owners
• 33:03 Charity Panels and Comics and Cancer
• 35:38 Advice for First-Timers and Families

Key Takeaways

• LACC was founded in 2011 by fans who were shut out of San Diego Comic-Con. Chris joined in its second year from the trade show world and took over running it in 2018.
• The main stage sits in the middle of the South Hall floor so fans never wait hours to see a panel. Close to 12,000 people watched the Lord of the Rings cast there.
• On Halloween weekend, exhibitors hand out free candy to anyone in costume, and the show wraps around 4 p.m. so families can still trick-or-treat at home.
• Guest booking starts with post-show fan surveys, and conversations with talent can begin two years out. The team is already talking to people about 2027.
• Anime and gaming now fill the West Hall, Akiba Station is expanding this year, and a connected 750,000 square foot convention space is coming after the 2028 Olympics.
• Artist Alley will have close to 800 artists this year, and The MIX brings unreleased indie games for fans to play.
• About 350 fans invested in LACC through its crowdfunding round, and Chris says around 40 percent of attendees each year are at their first con.

Quotes

• "The studios kind of drive the content down there. I think the fans drive the content for us." - Chris DeMoulin

• "If you picked up our show and moved it to Dallas or Atlanta or someplace else, it shouldn't make any sense. It should make sense to Angelenos." - Chris DeMoulin

• "The Avengers made the world safe for nerds." - Chris DeMoulin

• "One person's obscure is another person's treasured memory." - Chris DeMoulin

• "The stories change. The technology with which we consume the stories changes. But the relationship of the fan to the story doesn't change." - Chris DeMoulin

Source

See you at the Con: https://www.comicconla.com/

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If you got something out of this one, subscribe so you don't miss the rest of our LA Comic Con coverage, and leave a rating or review wherever you listen. Then send this episode to the friend who has never been to a con and keeps saying "maybe next year." #GeekFreaksPodcast

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Listener Questions

Heading to LA Comic Con this year? Tell us which panel you're planning around, or send us your first con story. Questions, reactions, and topic ideas for future episodes are always welcome at Info@GFPods.com.

Danny Trejo stopped in the middle of a video game recording session to tell Keith Arem he wanted to make a comic together, and that moment became Year of the Devil, a five-issue supernatural action-horror graphic novel starring Trejo as Diego, a warrior bound to the Devil. Keith Arem (Call of Duty, The Exiled) and Chris Yates (Marcus Walker: Kingslayer Protocol) join Frank to talk about building the story from Trejo's family history, his tattoos, and his lifelong love of history.

The conversation covers how Diego stays himself across five historical eras, why Etzel is more than a plot device, and how the team approached the Toxcatl massacre with help from historian Matt Torres. Keith and Chris also talk about Frank Mazzoli's interior art, the macuahuitl they plan to build and test on conquistador helmets, and why publishing through PCB Entertainment lets them run riddle contests with the Devil and surprise fan meetups at Trejo's Cantina in Hollywood.

Chapters

• 0:00 Meet Keith Arem and Chris Yates
• 0:47 How Year of the Devil Came Together
• 4:10 Where Danny Ends and Diego Begins
• 7:31 Etzel, the Devil, and the Heart of the Story
• 15:00 Five Eras and the Four Horsemen
• 20:37 Built for Games, Film, and Beyond
• 23:11 Aztec History and Cultural Authenticity
• 29:08 Frank Mazzoli's Artwork
• 31:07 PCB, BackerKit, and Trejo's Cantina Surprises

Key Takeaways

• Year of the Devil started when Danny Trejo, recording for the Like a Dragon games, saw Keith's graphic novel The Exiled with Wesley Snipes and asked to make one of his own.
• Diego carries Trejo's tattoos and attitude, and the Devil's mark on his body changes each time he kills one of the Four Horsemen.
• Diego dies and returns younger in each issue, landing in a new real-world era, while Etzel and Death act as his conscience between lives.
• Every cover artist on the book is of Latino descent, and historian Matt Torres consulted on the Aztec weapons, language, and relationships.
• PCB builds every property with games, animation, and film in mind, and Keith says they are already fielding those calls but refuse to treat the book as a cash grab.
• Publishing independently through BackerKit lets the team run fan experiences like the Devil riddle contest at San Diego Comic-Con and exclusive drops at Trejo's Tacos, Trejo's Donuts, and Trejo's Cantina.

Pull Quotes

• "We really felt like it had to have something like some dirt under the fingernails." (Chris Yates)

• "He's not really a clean superhero. He's super violent. He's flawed, and he's haunted, and he's also searching for this redemption path." (Keith Arem)

• "What's interesting about a comic book is that the story doesn't progress unless you turn the page." (Keith Arem)

• "Sometimes a story is better told when you read it, and sometimes it's better when you watch it, and sometimes it's better when you play through it." (Keith Arem)

• "He made Diego feel like a part of this world. It felt like it was seamless, instead of just insert Danny Trejo." (Chris Yates, on artist Frank Mazzoli)

Links and Resources

• GeekFreaksPodcast.com is the source for all news discussed on the podcast.
• Back Danny Trejo's Year of the Devil on BackerKit: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/pcb-entertainment/danny-trejo-s-year-of-the-devil

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Ken M from the Ocho Duro Parlay Hour joins Frank to unpack how ODPH started, why the long title became “the O.D.P.H.,” and what it takes to keep a show thriving for years. We get into releasing that first episode on Memorial Day 2017, the shift toward video, editing choices that keep conversations human, and how community support has changed since the early “podcast Twitter” days. Ken also shares a favorite New York Comic Con memory and talks about leadership at Nerd Initiative and what’s next.

00:00 — Meet Ken M and the ODPH origin story, including an early detour and why the show finally launched in 2017.
01:25 — Naming the show: craps “hard 8,” parlay, and why they shortened it for listeners.
04:41 — Rehearsals, buying gear, and the decision to ship on Memorial Day 2017.
05:57 — “Day and night”: how episode one compares to today and crossing 800 episodes.
08:03 — Still nervous sometimes, and why that spark matters; an NYCC moment with Scott Snyder.
13:19 — Money talk and podfade: expectations, Patreon, and why consistency wins.
17:19 — From retweet rings to real support: how the community evolved.
22:38 — Video vs audio: what changed after 2020 and why audio isn’t going anywhere.
31:16 — Editor in Chief in 2023, creative freedom, and moving on in good standing.
42:11 — Editing philosophy: keep the “ums,” fix the facts, sound natural.

• Ship it before it’s “perfect.” Momentum beats perfection, especially early on.

• It’s normal to feel some nerves. That’s part of what keeps interviews exciting and honest.

• Audio isn’t dying. Video grew fast after 2020, but audio remains a core, durable medium.

• Edit for clarity, not polish. Keep natural cadence and correct only what truly needs it.

• Community has matured. Shoutouts with substance beat retweet loops every time.

• Consistency over vanity metrics. Focus on craft and cadence to outlast podfade.

• “The audio will be here till the end of time.”

• “If we make it sound too perfect, people are going to think it’s not.”

• “If your goal is all monetary, you’re in the wrong business.”

• “He has a fantastic podcast. You need to check it out.” (Scott Snyder at NYCC)

Enjoying the episode? Follow and subscribe, leave a quick review, and share this one with a friend using #GeekFreaksPodcast. It helps more listeners find the show.

• Check out more from Ken and ODPH: https://odphpodcast.com/

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TV & Film, Entertainment News, Interviews, Podcasting, Geek Culture, ODPH, New York Comic Con, Editing Tips, Video Podcasting, Community Building

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