Out West Comic Fest (formerly So-Cal Comi-Con) has been running since 2019.

Founded by Chris J Abeyta at the ripe age of 16 years old, the event began at a small monthly market night created to bring local creators, vendors, and families together in a shared community space.

The idea for Comic Fest came from Abeyta’s own childhood experience. Growing up, he always wanted to attend comic conventions, but the high cost of admission made it impossible.

Living in the small city of Banning, California, there were also very few opportunities or events for young people to experience creativity, fandom, or large-scale community gatherings.

When local market nights began exploring themed expansions, Abeyta was the one they reached out to, and he immediately began building what would become Out West Comic Fest.

What started as a modest gathering quickly grew into something much larger, a grassroots movement that expanded into hundreds of vendors, cosplay, and full community experiences.

At its peak in Banning, California, Comic Fest grew to over 200+ vendors, with entire city blocks shut down just to safely contain the scale of the event.

The growth eventually made it necessary to relocate the event to Tucson, Arizona, where it could continue expanding while staying true to its mission of accessibility, creativity, and community connection.

Out West Comic Fest is proudly a FREE experience to attend, designed to keep events accessible for families, fans, and first-time attendees.

Abeyta also remains deeply committed to keeping vendor costs as low as possible, understanding firsthand how difficult it can be for small businesses, independent artists, and creators to participate in large-scale events.

Today, Out West Comic Fest continues to evolve as one of Arizona’s most unique pop culture experiences. Built from the ground up by the community, for the community.