It has now been
about a month since my absolute favorite event of the year: New York Comic Con,
presented by ReedPOP at the Jacob Javits Center for four days each
October. Much has already been written
about the incredible goings on at that show and, rather than repeating that all
here, I thought I would take this opportunity, a month later, to reflect on
what makes the show great. This way, I
can help advise you, my fellow Geeks on the Street, on how to have the MOST
#GeekPositive experience imaginable at a show of this size and scope.
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| Entering the Show Floor at New York Comic Con, Javits Center |
In that vein,
then, I have decided to boil down (if such a thing is even possible!) the
specialness of NYCC to five key areas:
(1) Incredible Celebrity Guests: huge national conventions, like
NYCC and its west coast cousin, San Diego Comicon, draw some of the biggest
names in nerd—and mainstream—entertainment imaginable. At this year’s NYCC, for example, I was able
not only to attend a spotlight panel of my favorite comic book writer Scott
Snyder, but I also saw the entire casts of both of Marvel’s Netflix series, Daredevil and Jessica Jones. These sorts
of guests might not appear at your small-town, local show, but they come out
for these large, media-apparent events.
If you are attending a convention on the scale of NYCC, you MUST make
the time to catch at least one of the big name panels. It is a really special feeling knowing not
only did you see the stars of a beloved program or movie, but also that they
probably shared some exclusive or advanced content with you, just for being a
fan.
Drawback: Lines for actual autographs and/or photo ops can be
tremendously long and the actual meet-and-greet moment might be quite pricey,
especially for A-listers. I actually was
not able to dedicate the time for any celebrity autographs this NYCC, as there
was just too much else to do to spend potentially hours in a line. That being said, Artists’ Alley, which is the
bread and butter of conventions for us comic book nerds, did allow me the
opportunity to meet such comic book top talent as Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie.
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| More than 100,000 people attended NYCC 2015 |
(2) THE CROWDS!: For four days in October, I always feel as though I
have approximately 100,000 friends who share my love for popular culture and
want to express that passion via costumes and collectibles. NYCC draws an absolutely massive number of
human beings and, despite how sprawling the Javits may seem for any other
annual event, the building is continuously jam-packed with this sea of amazing
humans. Most people you meet at a
convention are friendly, be they NYCC first timers or seasoned pros, like
myself.
Drawback: THE CROWDS! You
are perpetually sharing personal space with strangers. Everywhere you turn, there are bodies. You are probably bumping into someone at any
given moment… you get the idea. There
are lots of people. It can be hard to
move. But hey, at least the people are
cool!
(3) Quality and Variety of Vendors: You can find just about any
nerd swag for which you are searching at NYCC.
I was able to score a couple of SDCC exclusives for which I had been
searching since the summer, as well as an original, complete, in-box Kenner
Hall of Justice playset. There are
vendors selling everything from collectibles, which is my particular “take my
money, please!” indulgence, to handmade items to t-shirts to posters to comic
books to… the list goes on and on. If it
is pop culture related and you want it, chances are it will be for sale at the
show.
Drawback: Things tend to be a bit pricier than they would be
from another venue
or show during the rest of the year. For example, we noticed a number of recently
released Star Wars items going for double their original price,
even though they are not limited edition.
Be savvy about your NYCC purchases; the Show Floor is AMAZING, but try
and use it to snag those one-of-a-kind, won’t-find-it-anywhere-else kind of
things, not just a toy or t-shirt that you can get anywhere.
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| Looking down on the Show Floor entrance |
(4) Expansive programming: There is so much going on at any time
at NYCC. Often, when we would get shut
out of a panel we wanted to see, or were just plain too tired to keep walking
around, we would duck in to a panel we didn’t know anything about. And, every time, that panel turned out to be
great! We saw the premiere of a new WGN
entitled “Underground” about slavery and the underground railroad and really
enjoyed it. We also caught part of both
the panel for MTV’s upcoming Shannara
Chronicles television show and the Disney Infinity Marvel panel and, just
from a few minutes in the audience, were committed both to watching the telly
program and purchasing the video game.
The bottom line: at a show on the scale of NYCC: just about anything you
see is going to be awesome!
Drawback: Although there may be MANY things you want to see,
thanks to the
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| Charlie Cox & Deborah Ann Woll from Daredevil on the big screen during the Marvel Netflix panel |
depth of the programming schedule, it is quite likely that you
may not get into desired panels. I, for
example, am a huge X-Phile, but I had to choose between that panel and the Daredevil/Jessica Jones event. We went with the Netflix panel, as we knew
that that would be the hottest event at the con. Still, I was saddened not to be present for The X-Files panel. I had my moment of
mourning, but I was determined NOT to let this disappointment throw me. During when I would have been at the X-Files panel, I saw an incredible DC Comics panel instead. So any disappointment can be turned into a
victory pretty easily at a show of this size!
(5) That Once-In-A-Lifetime Feeling!: There is nothing else
quite like being at a show like New York Comic Con. My entire year is planned around being able
not only to be at this show, but to being able to commit it to completely: in
my availability, financially, with enough stamina to withstand four long, full
days. No matter how many years I
attend—this was my sixth NYCC—I always leave the show on the last day wanting
more, already making plans and anticipating the next year. Each show is special and unique, yet also
familiar and a favorite tradition. Much
like Christmas, I do my best to keep the spirit of New York Comic Con with me
all the year through. The show is just
that remarkable of an experience
Drawback: There is none! Come out to New York—the greatest city in the
world!—and attend our incredible convention.
I promise: you will not regret it.
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| Celebrating the 10th NYCC in Panel Room |
Looking forward
to meeting my fellow Geeks on the Street at next year’s amazing, unforgettable,
crazy, fantastic New York Comic Con! Until next time, this is your official
Geek on the Street Dr. Kelly wishing you a Glorious Geek Day!
Article by Kelly
I. Aliano, PhD
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