This September, celebrated character designer and illustrator Bobby Chiu (Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland) and Emerald City Comic Con founder Jim Demonakos are transforming LightBox Expo, their acclaimed celebration of the visual arts, into LightBox Expo Online, a unique international virtual art event, featuring over 300 guests and more than 200 presentations.
LightBox Expo Online will be a multi-faceted experience for everyone from aspiring artists and students, to professionals and fans, with a focus on animation, illustration and concept art. Guests featured in the virtual show floor includes Oscar winner Everett Downing (co-director of Hair Love), Rona Liu (production designer at Pixar Animation Studios), James Gurney (creator of Dinotopia), Natalie Hall (artist on The Shape of Water), Loish (internet influencer), Claire Wendling (Spectrum Grand Master 2018), Andy Park (Director of Visual Development at Marvel Studios) and hundreds of others.
The event will be held at www.lightboxexpo.com from Friday, September 11 through Sunday, September 13.
“LightBox Expo Online will be an unforgettable way to discover all the artists and exhibitors who are participating in the event,” said Chiu, LBX Creative Director. “We’ve created an experience that is unlike anything else out there. The virtual artist alley and show floor works on any web browser, your phone, and is even compatible with VR headsets for a truly awesome experience.”
Using amazing browser-based technology, attendees will be able to navigate a 3D virtual show floor featuring over 300 artists from across the globe. Participants hail from Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, the U.K., Lithuania, Spain, Singapore, the Netherlands, Ghana, Canada, Malaysia, Israel, Mexico, Dubai, Sweden, Australia, Indonesia, Serbia, Denmark, Argentina, the Philippines, France, Norway, the United States and many other countries.
“Bobby and I realized we had the opportunity to re-invent LightBox Expo, following last fall’s incredible launch in Pasadena,” said Demonakos, Convention Director. “The best part of this virtual event is that we can include artists and designers from around the globe, many of whom may have otherwise been unable to attend. At the same time, we’re using the site to create a robust experience for attendees who want to learn more about the process of creating art.”
Many of the programs throughout the weekend will include interactive or downloadable elements to enhance the learning experience, all of which will be available from the LightBox Expo website.
Registration for LightBox Expo Online is now open to anyone with an internet connection worldwide! There are four tiers for attendees to choose from. As little as $1 gets you access to the whole weekend, while the highest tier, $40, gets you a tote bag featuring artwork created for LightBox Expo Online by renowned Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, as well as an exclusive print by Chiu, and much more!
