DesignerCon made its debut in Los Angeles fourteen years ago, establishing itself as the largest designer toy convention in the United States. In 2018, having outgrown its original home with an eons-long wait-list of artists, designers and vendors, it expanded to three times its original size in the Anaheim Convention Center. 350,000 square feet of programming space plays host to over 800 artists and vendors, including MEDICOM, Paul Frank, Ron English, and Nychos, as well as brands like Dumb Good and X-Large. Encapsulating the theme of outer space, DesignerCon 2019 goes to places it’s never been before, incorporating VR, art galleries and more for an all-inclusive, one-stop pop culture immersion. DesignerCon returns bigger than ever from November 22–24, 2019, with tickets are on sale now at designercon.com/tickets

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Here’s a taste of what’s in store:

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse VR Tunnel created by Sutu and sponsored by Sony Pictures Animation
Grossing over $350 million worldwide, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse made a greater impact on pop culture than any movie in the past year. For 2019, Sony Pictures Animation has partnered with DesignerCon and famed VR/comic book artist Sutu to showcase a glitch art tunnel, which draws attendees into the Spider-Verse with a cutting-edge VR tunnel, featuring original art and animation from the groundbreaking film.

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Exclusive Bearbricks by MEDICOM, Benefitting the Andy Warhol Foundation
Returning for the second year in a row, MEDICOM will plunge attendees into a jaw-dropping array of merch hard to find outside of Japan. The company will provide VIPs with an exclusive and limited-edition Bearbrick of the DesignerCon mascot. Artists Luke Chueh, Joe Ledbetter, Tristan Eaton, kaNO, Scott Tolleson, and Steven Harrington are also teaming up with MEDICOM to release custom-designed Bearbricks, available only at the convention on a first-come, first-serve basis. In addition, sales of the exclusive Bearbricks will benefit the Andy Warhol Foundation.

DCon 2019 Bearbricks Lineup
MEDICOM Bear Brick Line Up from Left to Right: Steven Harrington, Tristan Eaton, Luke Chueh, Joe Ledbetter, and kaNO.

Hamilltoon: The Many Voices of Mark Hamill — A Fan Art Show
A themed art show will honor the Jedi Master himself, Mark Hamill with an art show titled Hamilltoon: The Many Voices of Mark Hamill and curated by Carmen Acosta aka Jane Dope. Mark Hamill is scheduled to appear to celebrate the release of the Mark Hamill Funko Pop ONLY available at DesignerCon.

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Beyond Eden: A New Showcase of Lowbrow, Pop Surrealist & Outsider Art
On the heels of Littletopia that drew crowds at the LA Art Show, Beyond Eden is spearheaded by Thinkspace Projects founder, Andrew Hosner as a way to connect attendees directly to the larger art world, as well as the toy realm where many prominent artists also have thriving fine art careers. Picking up where Greg Escalante’s Littletopia left off, Hosner’s Beyond Eden will exhibit many artists that DCON attendees know and love, plus galleries who represent them and other artists in their repertoire.

The inaugural archway that welcomes attendees is designed by Carlos Ramirez, formerly of The Date Farmers artist collective. Galleries part of this year’s programming include La Luz De Jesus, KP Projects, Dark Art Emporium, Modern Eden Gallery, and the Tierra Del Sol Foundation.

DesignerCon 2019 Cover Art by Camille Rose Garcia

Book Debut by Camille Rose Garcia
Sweetheart of the pop surrealists, Camille Rose Garcia will release her long-awaited book, The Cabinet of Dr. Deekay, at this year’s convention, along with book signings and limited edition prints. The vivid colors that animate her cutely macabre visuals distinguish her as one of the most distinct voices in the Pop Surrealist movement, alongside titans like the iconic Mark Ryden and Lenora Carrington. Following its debut, the book will be available at Barnes&Noble and CamilleRoseGarcia.com.

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Secret Walls
Secret Walls returns to DesignerCon with a new kind of art battle. Bigger than ever, the competition between teams will prevail the entire weekend, and for the first time ever, DCON attendees will be able to vote for their favorite mural.

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VIP Opening Night
Following the massive success from last year, DesignerCon will once again host a special opening night for VIP pass holders, who get exclusive access to all vendors. VIPs will be granted early admission at 9 am on Saturday morning that concludes at 7 pm, while general admission Sunday hours will run from 10 am to 6 pm.

New MVP Level Pass
With even more access and perks than the upgraded VIP passes, the brand new MVP Pass grants attendees two exclusive Mark Hamill DesignerCon Funko Pops and an exclusive T-shirt, only available at DesignerCon! Learn more about MVP Passes at designercon.com/tickets

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Built as a tribute to Pop Art and the brilliant minds who create it, DesignerCon continues the tradition of commissioning original work that sets the pace for each year’s convention. For 2019, artist Steve Harrington created the attendee badges, while Camille Rose Garcia designed the catalog cover for the convention. Additionally, billboard advertisements for the convention will be created by Steve Harrington, Jim Mahfood, Matt Gondek, and Scott Tolleson.

After growing into the largest designer toy convention in the world, DesignerCon has become the destination for the creative minds from those who make your favorite pop culture mementos, pins, toys, prints and original art, to those who love them!

DesignerCon 2019 will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center located at 800 W. Katella Ave, Anaheim, CA 92802 on November 22nd through November 24, 2019.
Photography credited to Birdman Photos.