Another New York Comic Con has come and gone and it is time to reflect on my experiences there.
I will be doing it a bit different this year from how I covered conventions in the previous years.
I will be listing 60 impressions that the con left on me.
Some are humorous and silly, but all of them together will give readers a pretty good vision of what it was like at NYCC.
Without further ado, and in no particular order:
60 )
Lines, lines, everywhere there's lines...- Sadly, a large part of any congoer's experience is waiting in line for something. Whether it is to get into the con, getting an autograph, getting an exclusive item or just using the restroom, you have to wait in lines, long, long lines.
59 )
Quality free swag attracts people- Every exhibitor worth their salt had something to give away to attract eyes to their wares. If you want to make an impression, have something more substantial than just your business card to give away. Peope will remember you far better if they get a print, comic, keychain, etc. with your brand and contact info. Business cards get lost or just plain tossed out, but a cool souvenir will be remembered far longer.
58 )
Free swag suggestion for next year: deodorant- Trust me, walking around a packed room after a couple of hours the main scent permeating the convention hall is armpit
57 )
Suggestion to cosplayers (#1)- If your costume has large wings, a tail, billowing shaped cape supported by wires, giant prop weapon or any other type of large element, please stay in the main concourses and do not try to navigate the show or sales floors. You just block traffic and knock things over.
56 )
Cell reception sucks at the Javits Center- The Javits Center was built in a time before the proliferation of cell phones so it's construction does not take their needs into consideration. The building eats up cell reception. The only places where I experienced even decent reception were in the press lounge as it is near the roof and on the main concourses if I was near the windows. My battery drained like crazy each day as it tried to find a signal or I tried to send tweets as part of my show coverage.
55 )
We need more power, Captain!- In relation to the dying cell batteries above, there are
NO power outlets available for the public anywhere in the Javits Center. Some powerstrips were available in the press lounge, but they were few and far between. When I tried to find an open outlet to charge my phone, some jerk with 6 devices plugged in (not all of them needed for his show coverage as he was watching television on Hulu on his plugged in tablet, while also charging his cell, laptop, personal portable fan, and 2 cameras - come on man, at least unplug your fan and be a decent human being
) was hogging an entire powerstrip by himself.
54 )
Artist Alley is the heart of the convention- This is where the true spirit of the convention lay. These hardworking artists (and writers) are the ones who bring all or your favorite characters to life. Most of them are incredibly friendly and love talking to their fans. They have a large selection of their work for sale and will often do commission sketches live at the show in addition to signing comics and posters featuring their work. Make sure you hit Artist Alley whenever you attend any convention!
53 )
Artist Alley does not deserve it's location- NYCC has Artist Alley tucked away in a separate part of the convention center, away from the main show and sales floors, panel halls and autograph rooms. Artist Alley should be in the main area in place of the sales floor. They should be near the publishers. Sticking them in a separate part of the convention center is a disservice to these hardworking professionals.
52 )
The Block- The rapidly growing "urban" vinyl toy/art market has it's own section of the convention. This area was heavily travelled by younger fans who are into this newer form of collectible. Many feel that this segment of pop culture is the next big thing, and NYCC gives it plenty of exposure.
51 )
Doctor Who is EVERYWHERE!- It is really nice to see that a show that when I was growing up was only known by the hardest of the hardcore sci-fi geeks is now a pop culture phenomenon. There were more dealers carrying Doctor Who merchandise than carrying Star Trek merchandise.
50 )
There are bargains to be had on the sales floor- If you are looking for action figures that are between 3 and 12 years old, you can find some great deals as these figures are old enough that anyone who wanted them has already gotten them but are not so old that the current crop of collectors don't already have them. I saw incredible buys on 2002-2012 Hasbro Star Wars figures. By the last day of the con, some dealers had them for $3 each or 8 for $20. There were some exceptions of course for figures that were particularly popular or hard to find, but about 95% of the figures from the line were available at the discounted prices.
49 )
New collectibles are super expensive- As a flipside to #50, brand new or recent collectibles are overpriced. Many dealers had figures that are out in stores now like the Walgreens wave of Doctor Who figures, the last 2 waves of the Star Wars Black Series 3 3/4" and Marvel Infinite figures for double retail or more. I saw 30 or more wave 5 Ree Yees figures priced between $20-$25, after returning to NJ on Saturday I stopped into the Target a mile from the ferry and found him hanging on the pegs for $9.99, can you guess who I bought him from?
48 )
Suggestion to cosplayers (#2)- Please try to pick costumes that are appropriate to go out in public in. There were several people at NYCC of both sexes that were wearing just enough to keep from getting arrested. Please remember that these shows are attended by people of all ages, not just adults.
47 )
Comic book back issues are dying off- I am not sure why this is, but the only parts of the convention that were open and free of crowds were the rows of the show floor populated by back issue dealers specializing in books that were more than a few years old. Seriously, this whole area was a ghost town. Comic conventions used to be about collectors scouring long boxes looking for books to fill holes in their collection. What happened?
46 )
If you have enough money, you can cut lines- I was not aware of this until this year, but there is an "Ultimate All Access" pass that congoers can purchase that allows them pretty much free reign to cut lines at signings and panels, gives them first crack at exclusives, free autographs up to $40 each and other crazy perks. The catch is that there are very few available and it is somewhere around $500 to purchase this pass so only congoers with deep pockets need apply.
45 )
This year NYCC was bigger than 2014 SDCC- This year, San Diego Comic Con capped their available passes at 130,000. This year NYCC sold over 151,000 (I am not sure if this includes press passes so that number may be even higher). New York Comic Con has officially grown larger than the former US geek Mecca of SDCC. Whether or not this is a good thing is a different story though...
44 )
Just about everyone was really friendly this year- I ended up having some great conversations with total strangers all weekend while waiting in lines. It is pretty cool when people who just met can talk and laugh about common interests without any awkwardness.
43 )
Actual literature had a decent presence- Prose novel companies like Del Rey, Tor, Penguin and others had large booths displaying their products and many booths held giveaways and author signings throughout the weekend. It was a pleasant surprise to see actual books so well represented at a comic convention.
42 )
It is weird walking an almost empty show floor- On Saturday morning it rained causing alot of congoers to arrive long after the show opened it's doors. I made it there early like I always do so when the doors opened, I had the show almost to myself for the first 45 minutes or so before everyone else showed up. It was almost surreal to walk empty aisles when they are usually packed elbow to elbow. It did allow me to take some great pics of the various displays without constantly getting bumped into or having someone walk in front of what I am trying to photograph.
41 )
Talent should be cheery- If you are sour or unfriendly, you will not make any money. You drive away the fans that spent alot of money just to get in the door to see you. I will not name any names, but there were a few (former) celebrities I tried to engage in conversation who ignored me and others until mention was made of buying something from their table.
40 )
Max Brooks is one of the coolest people on earth- I didn't have anything for him to sign, but I stopped by to talk to him before the con closed on Sunday as he was finishing up at the Avatar Press booth. I reminded him of our meeting last year in which he signed my copy of "World War Z" that had the movie poster cover. It is well known that he is unhappy with the movie adaptation of his novel and I wanted to apologize for bringing that version to him last year instead of my first printing (I grabbed the copy on my desk that my sister in law gave me when the movie came out while my first printing was in another room on one of my book shelves). He laughed and said not to worry as he chose the poster used for the cover of the movie edition printing. Paramount wanted to put Brad Pitt on the cover but Max refused as that character is not even in his book so he chose the ruined city image. We then chatted a bit before he had to go. He was gracious, funny and generally seemed to enjoy our talk. it wasn't fake like you see alot when you meet a celebrity, this was genuine. Max Brooks is a great guy.
39 )
Suggestion for cosplayers (#3)- No more Deadpools, please. There were like 600 of you there. More than Batman. More than Spiderman. More than Superman. Enough is enough. Thanks. That is all.
38 )
Where was all of the Star Wars stuff?- Outside of the dealers' room, I was hard pressed to find anything Star Wars related this year. I know we are in a non-movie year, but there is still alot going on in that Galaxy far, far away. Del Rey Books had a decent Star Wars presence and there were some scattered Star Wars items from other publishers and manufacturers, but the pickings were slim. Star Wars was just recently acquired by Disney so you figure the mouse would be pimping their new property pretty heavily, but aside from an announcement of a new Marvel Comics series and a surprise "Rebels" panel, there was almost no real Star Wars presence this year. With a new movie coming next year (and presumably every year afterwards until we die) hopefully there will be a bigger Star Wars presence at NYCC 2015.
37 )
AMC's The Walking Dead gets far more attention than The Walking Dead- I am sorry, but it is just wrong when a television show based on a critically acclaimed long running comic is more loved than the source material.
36 )
Promo buttons are like badges of honor- The more promo buttons on your lanyard, the more you look like a pro congoer.
35 )
Papercuts suck- While rolling one of the many promo posters I picked up from a booth, I got the wickedest papercut in between my middle and ring fingers of my right hand. How is it that a paper manufacturer can make the edge of a poster sharper than any blade Gillette can manufacture?
34 )
Keep hydrated- Walking the floor of a con all day is thirsty work. I bring a bottle of water with me in the morning and refill it during the course of the day from the water coolers in the press lounge. The general pass holders can refill from any of the water fountains found near the rest room areas (I tried one of the fountains and the water was cold and had no discernable bad taste so they are safe).
33 )
Weapons policy. Seriously?- This one just confuses me. You cannot bring a sword/knife/battle axe/etc. into the Javits Center for safety and security reasons. You can, however, purchase them on the sales floor, quite cheaply I might add, without any difficulty. I won't even pretend to understand the logic behind this.
32 )
Don't buy the first collectible you see- If you walk the sales floor, you will notice that a large majority of dealers have almost the exact same inventory especially when it comes to toys (honestly, they really do). If you look around, you may just find the item you saw cheaper at another dealer's table. There are exceptions of course, but this is basically a fact.
31 )
Wait for Sunday to purchase if you can- Unless it is something that only 1 dealer has or you REALLY need it RIGHT NOW, try to wait for Sunday (or whatever the last day of a given convention is) as you just might be able to score a deal. Many dealers at the end of a show are happy to let something go for less than sticker price so they don't have to pack it up and take it home.
30 )
No, I am not Kevin Smith- Several times this weekend people came up to me asking if I was Kevin Smith (Clerks, Mallrats, et all). Yes, we look a bit alike in the face (something in the water in NJ makes us all look the same) and are about the same age (he is 2 or 3 years older than I am), but I am taller and at least 100-150 pounds lighter than him. I love the guy's work and have met him on a few occasions, but I am not him, sorry.
29 )
Buddy The Elf was the most unexpected cosplayer at NYCC- There was a guy dressed up as Buddy the Elf from the Will Ferrell movie "Elf" at the con on Saturday. He was really tall like the actor and even looked a bit like him. He was totally in character getting super over excited at everything he saw and was actually really amusing. There was a woman with him dressed as Zooey Deschanel's character that helped complete the illusion.
28 )
Tote bags are your best con friends- With all of the great free swag you can collect at NYCC, you will need somewhere to carry it all. Several booths had tote bags emblazoned with their logos available for free to congoers. I had 2 full bags (in addition to the messenger bag that has accompanied me to every con for the last decade or more) on Saturday so those free totes were a lifesaver.
27 )
Apparently Power Rangers is still a thing- I knew that the show was still running, but I was really suprised with how popular it still is. There were tons of Power rangers cosplayers and the Bandai booth was jam packed all day everyday of NYCC.
26 )
Suggestion for cosplayers (#4)- When you accidentally whack someone in the head with your sword or other gigantic accessory, at least apologize. Some girl cosplaying an anime character hit me in the temple with her outrageously large accessory and then got mad at me because my head bent her prop. You hit me little girl, your fault, not mine.
25 )
Lego minifigures are REALLY popular!- There were at least 4 dealers' tables selling nothing but Lego minifigures from various sets. Not the sets, just the minifigures. And they were EXPENSIVE. And they were flying off the tables as fans scooped them up. I had no idea that they were that hot a collecible.
24 )
I had no idea that copies of Action Comics #1 were so plentiful- Action Comics #1, the first appearance of Superman from 1939, is something of a holy grail book. I was under the impression that there were not that many copies in existence any longer but I saw no less than 7 copies at NYCC at 4 different high end comics dealers' booths (they ranged from total beater copies to an almost pristine copy worth millions). I had only ever seen 1 low grade copy in person in the previous 40 years I have been on this planet so seeing 7 in one place was quite cool.
23 )
Star Trek seems to be in decline- The granddaddy of all geek franchises looks to be losing people's interest more and more. I saw very few Trek cosplayers and very little Trek merchandise at NYCC. This is a sad thing.
22 )
I spent a total of $10 at NYCC this year- Not counting my transportation and food (all of which was spent outside NYCC) I spent a grand total of $10 at the show. I bought a set of the Blackest Night Lantern Corps rings from a dealer for a custom project I am working on (9 rings at $1 apiece) and a single comic at the Dark Horse Comics booth during the Buffy/Angel/Faith signing as it had a Serenity story that 2 of the 3 creators signing worked on and I am a big Firefly/Serenity fan. I had a blast at the show without breaking the bank. I got bags and bags full of free swag, tons of autographs and other goodies all weekend long (seriously, I spent 3 hours this afternoon sorting everything out).
21 )
There are only 2 temeratures in the Javits Center: freezing or sweltering- I am not kidding. The temperature extremes are so crazy that I am surprised that thunderclouds do not form where the different ac/heater regions come together.
20 )
Mattel was sorely missed this year- Mattel chose not to exhibit at NYCC this year for one reason or another and they were missed. Their booth was really cool last year and even though I do not collect their products, it is always fun to see their different lines on display.
19 )
Diamond Select Toys had some great stuff on display- Like Mattel above, I do not collect most of their lines, but I really enjoy seeing what they have to offer. If they would produce figures for the licenses that they have in 3 3/4" instead of 6" or 7", I would be all over their products.
18 )
Retro styled toys, why?- This is something I do not get. In an age where we have manufacturers that can produce absolutley INCREDIBLE figures in the 3 3/4" / 4" scale with tons of articulation, great paint apps, and loads of great accessories in the $10 range, why would anyone pay the same amount of money for a 5 point of articulation figure sculpted (often quite poorly) in a style from decades past with minimal paint apps and, if you are lucky, a single accessory? I understand the "Alien" Reaction Figures from last year as they were reproductions of an actual 1979 line that never saw the light of day and there was a huge nostalgia factor involved. The rest of the stuff being produced I do not get. The licenses are all over the place, some fit the era (Goonies, Back To The Future, etc.) while others are far too modern (Firefly, Trick Or Treat, etc.) to have ever had figures in this style. There were multiple dealers carrying these figures and aside from some exclusives (NES Freddy + Jason, glow in the dark Universal Monsters, etc.) it doesn't look like they sold very many during the course of the show.
17 )
Suggestion for cosplayers (#5)- No more Harley Quinns. Just like with Deadpool, there are far more than enough of you at any show.
16 )
There are some REALLY nice high end collectibles- If you have big bucks, you can get some absolutely INCREDIBLE items for your collection. I saw several manufacturers that had studio scale starships (Firefly, some Star Trek vessels, etc.), lifesized weapons (Halo, Mass Effect, etc.), super high quality prints, prop replicas cast from the film used originals (Lord Of The Rings/The Hobbit, Marvel movies, etc.) and other just awesome items that I would love to have, you know, if I was rich instead of just good looking.
15 )
Lots of kids this year- I saw far more kids at NYCC this year than last. This is good as the industry needs new fans as their current fanbase ages out of collecting due to having kids of their own/buying houses/life expenses/just growing up/etc.
14 )
Xena charges way too much for her autograph- Lucy Lawless was charging $80 for her autograph. That is about $55 too much. She is a solid $25 autograph at best. William Shatner gets $80 per autograph and he is a genre legend. I am sorry, I am sure Mrs. Lawless is a great person, but she is no William Shatner.
13 )
Weta's booth had a huge, animated Smaug head!- Weta had an enormous Smaug (Hobbit dragon for those not in the know) head atop their mountain themed booth. The eyes opened and closed and the irises of the eyes dilated. it was very cool.
12 )
Bill Nye The Science Guy sat at the same table as me in the press lounge- On Saturday I sat in the press lounge for about 40 minutes as my feet were tired from pounding the floor for over 5 hours straight. As I am sitting at a table with a woman from another press outlet on the opposite side of the table, Bill Nye comes and sits directly across from me for his interview with the woman. It took me a second to recognize him asd I had my glasses on the table in front of me. I didn't interrupt their interview session but I did say hello and then goodbye to Mr. Nye as I was leaving. Pretty cool little surprise encounter.
11 )
Beetlejuice was the coolest cosplayer at NYCC- he looked and acted the part. Very cool and very original as he was the only Beetlejuice at the con.
10 )
Marvel Comics had the single weirdest free giveaway at NYCC- Glow in the dark Watcher eyeballs. In the Original Sin crossover event, the Watcher is killed and his eyeballs stolen. Marvel gave out slightly slimy (I think because of the way they were manufactured, hopefully not done on purpose) high density rubber glow in the dark eyeballs. Morbid, but kind of cool none the less.
9 )
The 75 Years of Batman display, why no Adam West costume?- They had just about every costume from Michael keaton (1989) to Ben Affleck (at least his cowl and cape), but no Adam West costume. That is arguable one of the best known versions of the costume but it wasn't represented.
8 )
Diamond Select Toys had an Adam West Batman- On Saturday, Diamond Select Toys had an actor in full Batman 66 garb in their booth to promote their line of Batman television version banks, busts, etc. He looked fantastic. He even had Adam West's build and jawline. it was almost like stepping back in time and seeing the real deal.
7 )
As always, FUBAR Press rocks- The guys from FUBAR Press were present in Artist's Alley in their traditional military styled booth signing and sketching for their fans all weekend. If you like zombies in wartime stories, go to their site (
www.fubarpress.com ) and buy their entire catalogue, you will not be disappointed. Why are you still reading this? Go buy their books. This list will still be here when you get back.
6 )
Dark Horse Comics had, hands down, the BEST booth of any major publisher!- Their booth was wide open allowing for easy shopping, their wares were fully stocked and stock was replenished regulary, their staff was friendly and well versed in the details of their products. They had regular FREE creator signings every hour on the hour. Dark Horse had an amazing assortment of creators on hand and a high quality assortment of free promo materials (comics, prints, posters, miniprints, etc.) to be signed alongside additonal product that could be purchased for signing. A big thumb's up to Kari Yadro, Dark Horse Comics Director of Conventions and Events and all of her crew for having my favorite booth at NYCC!
5 )
4 Days is a long convention- I am exhausted after 3 days, I can only imagine how people that did the whole 4 days must be feeling today.
4 )
There was a 300 pound man dressed as a female anime character- I hope to someday be able to get that horrific image out of my head.
3 )
I managed to cover almost everything of interest- In the 3 days I was there, I scoured just about every aisle looking for items that I thought would interest everyone here who could not make the trip. NYCC is too big of a con to do in a single day. You need at least 2 days to see everything.
2 )
Everyone looked like they were having a great time- Just about everyone was all smiles with people only really starting to show any grumpiness towards the end of each day as the constant walking or standing in lines began to wear them down. All in all it was a pretty positive experience.
1 )
Dr. Schol's Gel Inserts- These things are great. I was on my feet all day for 3 days in a row. I know if I didn't have these inserts I would probably been in a world of pain but I made it through the con with only slight discomfort. The Javits Center is HUGE and often things you want to see are on opposite sides of the building so alot of walking is required.
