New York Comic Con (NYCC) is a four-day weekend extravaganza of an endless collaboration of pop cultured minds. Fans from all over the world come to gather to celebrate the art, cosplay, actors, artists, animation, and more! The convention takes place yearly at the Javits Convention Center. This year, the convention spanned Oct. 12 to Oct. 15, featuring a variety of guests and entertainment to enjoy.
New York Comic Con ranks second as one of the most attended fan conventions in North America. With over 200,000 attendees it’s one of the most talked about and prepared events in its industry. Given that, its website’s interface and media outreach is crucial. The convention has succeeded in its friendly approach to social media presence and its reach to embracing weirdness.
Comic con as the name implies, focuses on western comics and its counterpart creatives. This year, the growing influence of anime and manga is also getting its turn. Many of the distributors and retailers had anime and manga included in their show floors. The space has been transformed more than ever as an embracing space to include every form of creative work.
NYCC is a geek’s dream. Rows and rows of merchandise, collectibles, and prints. One of the main spectacles of the convention is it’s a huge opportunity for companies and brands to promote their content. Exhibitor halls at this center prove to be nothing but grand. Recognizable companies within the industry that attended this year to name a few were Nickelodeon, Funko, IDW, and Marvel Entertainment.
Attendees can explore show floors and the artist alley, attend panels and have a chance to meet their favorite celebrities. This year, the celebrities deemed the Guests of Honor were Chris Evans, Ewan McGregor, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Tom Hiddleston.
Another thing to add is that comic conventions are a chance to unveil new content and insider details for a variety of upcoming projects. On Thursday, Oct. 12, Marvel Entertainment released an exclusive first look at two new skin options for the new “Spiderman 2” video game releasing this month. The Playbill hosted a panel talking about their new Broadway show “Death Note,” based on the same named manga series by Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata. A portion of the cast was there to sing a section from the score for the audience to enjoy. This Broadway musical is a huge step in combining Western musical theater and anime into one for the stage to see. A perfect example of the evolving integration we’ve been seeing with Japanese pop culture.
Lastly, the streaming service, Disney+ is similarly showing an exclusive sneak peek for the new show “Percy Jackson & The Olympians” based on the corresponding novel by Rick Riordan. The audience roared with appraisal, as a revision of the classic children’s novel is getting a fresh update.
One issue that was present from numerous overheard complaints from the attendees was the issues regarding fire safety and occupancy codes. People were shoulder to shoulder to get in on the action.
In the end, the convention was packed with buzzing energy from fans and the sharing of the creative arts. Looking forward to next year’s Comic-Con, we can hope to see improvements to seating or rest space for attendees, as well as brand-new content. Overall, the event is one to attend for all things geek, and it’s a safe environment for fandom-goers that allows you to be uniquely you.
