San Diego Comic-Con has come and gone. New York Comic Con is a distant memory. Blizzcon is all but sold out. But there’s still one last big, geeky hurrah to be had before fans across the country pack it in for the holidays and begin planning their courses of attack for Black Friday and Cyber Monday: Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo.

The Los Angeles-based pop culture convention is returning to the Los Angeles Convention Center for its fifth year this weekend, running from Friday, October 30 through Sunday, November 1. Though it’s relatively young as far as conventions go, the event attracted 62,000 fans last year and is on track to exceed that record this year. But why should you go to Stan Lee’s Comikaze? Well, here are a few reasons why you might want to make the trek.

Princess Leia will be in the house!

We may still be more than a month away from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but you can get a sneak peek of what’s to come by meeting Princess Leia herself, Carrie Fisher, on Saturday, October 31. While Fisher is best known for her role as the cinnamon bun-haired leader of the Rebel Alliance, she is also an accomplished writer in her own right. Not only does Fisher have three books, two novels, and a one-woman Broadway show under her belt, she is a script doctor too. In the past, she provided notes on Hook, Lethal Weapon 3, and The Wedding Singer to name a few.

Find out how Nicolas Cage almost became the Man of Steel

One of the best new documentaries to come out this year is Jon Schnepp’s The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened?. The 90-minute film investigates the ill-fated, Tim Burton-directed, Kevin Smith-penned, Superman Lives, a stalled-out superhero flick so freakin’ bonkers that it was going to star Nicolas Cage as Superman. With a mullet. Nicolas Cage with a mullet. And there were robot spiders. This film must be seen to be believed and on Saturday, October 31 at 1PM, you can bear witness to the batshit insanity in person.

Take home that sweet, sweet swag

Much like Ash Ketchum, some of us gotta catch ’em all. No, not Pokemon. (Okay, yes, sometimes Pokemon.) I’m talking about all the exclusive pieces of merchandise that come with a convention. This year’s Comikaze Expo is no exception, with Funko POP! creating special versions of their Stan Lee figure, as well as a U.S. Agent that Marvel maniacs won’t want to miss. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Check out their complete official exclusive merch list.

Rub elbows with comic book royalty

Given that the convention is named after Stan Lee, it makes sense that there would be plenty of comic book creators, writers, and artists in attendance. With folks like Grant Morrison, Stan Lee, Todd McFarlane, Gerry Conway, Rob Liefeld, Arthur Adams, Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, Mike Mignola, Camilla D’Errico, Bryan Lee O’Malley, and many more set to appear at the con, this is going to be the weekend to meet comic book gods.

Reunited and it feels so good

Everyone loves a good reunion, right? Videos of soldiers coming home to their dogs. Seeing your college buddies ten years down the line. Watching the casts of your favorite TV shows come together on one stage for your viewing pleasure. Well, I can’t speak for the first two, but Comikaze will have the third option in spades. The casts of Sons of Anarchy, Power Rangers, The Adventures of Pete & Pete, All That, and GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) will all be in town to make you remember the good ol’ days. Here’s the complete schedule.

Say hi to Dan Casey while he signs his brand new book!

Wait, what? How did this get in here? Give a shameless plug, you say? Sure thing. As some of you may know, I have authored two books this year, and I am quite proud of them. With my Star Wars book officially releasing on November 1, I will be signing and selling copies of 100 Things Star Wars Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die and 100 Things Avengers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. Anyway, if you’d like to come say hi or have me autograph your baby, I’ll be there from 10AM-1PM in South Hall at Table #30.

Cosplay and Prop Making National Championships

One of the unique delights of attending any convention is seeing the incredible craftsmanship and creativity that fans pour into their cosplay. After months of slaving over sewing machines, soldering irons, and hot glue guns, enterprising cosplayers will unveil their creations and compete for cash money in the Cosplay National Championships on Saturday, October 31 at 4:30pm on the Hot Topic Main Stage. But say giant swords, ray guns, and mammoth battle axes are more your speed — well, simply come back on Sunday, November 1 to witness the Prop Making National Championship too!

Haven’t purchased your Comikaze tickets yet? Not a problem! Our pals at Meltdown Comics have a special offer code just for Nerdist readers. If you enter MELT at checkout, you’ll get 15% off your order. And with all that money you save, think of all the extra swag you can buy! Maybe a limited edition Stan Lee Funko POP! figure? Or a book about Star Wars? Or the Avengers? (Hint, hint…)

What are you most excited for at Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo? Let us know in the comments below!

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Featured Image: Wikimedia Commons