YOUR GUIDE: New York Comic Con descends on Big Apple
New York Comic Con, the annual celebration of all things pop culture, is back in the Big Apple. Tens of thousands of fans will descend upon the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan for the gala of genre, festival of fandom, soiree of superheroes and convention of cosplaying. This year’s mega-event takes place Thursday, Oct. 6 to Sunday, Oct. 9. Tickets are sold out, except for Thursday’s festivities.
Here’s a top list of cool experiences, neat buys and awesome celebrities who will be in attendance.
Star Trek is having a banner year. Fifty years ago the influential sci-fi series aired its first episode, and what better way to celebrate the milestone than with Uhura herself. Nichelle Nichols will keep all frequencies open when signing autographs and posing for photos. Details are located here.
If Star Trek is not your fandom, check out the other celebrities attending, including Star Wars’ Carrie Fisher, Doctor Who’s Matt Smith, Sleepy Hollow’s Tom Mison and the one and only Stan Lee, among many, many others. Details are located here.
IDW Publishing is one of the best booths at the convention, and this year the company is bringing several authors, premiering exciting titles and offering a jam-packed schedule. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is well represented with the creative team of Paul Allor, Caleb Goellner and Matthew K. Manning. The X Files is represented with Joe Harris and Cat Scaggs. The Star Trek comics will have an exclusive variant and feature autographs by Donny Cates, Derek Charm, Joe Corroney, David Messina and Tony Shasteen. Details are located here and here.
You can power up with the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers at the Bandai booth. Their exclusives are always some of the convention’s best (and sell out quickly). This year they are bringing a Dino Megazord from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the first movie toy from the upcoming Power Rangers film, and a Naruto figure. All look awesome; all look like quick sell outs. These are perfect gifts for those who didn’t make the Funko lottery this year. Details are located here.
This year New York Comic Con is bringing its largest panels to off-site locations (they did this to a lesser degree last year). This means that fans will need to trek a few blocks to the Theater at Madison Square Garden. That’s actually good news because the convention floor will clear up a bit for those fans not checking out the panels. This year, events include cast members from AMC’s Comic Book Men, Batman’s Adam West, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Gotham, 24: Legacy, BBC America’s Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, Andy Serkis from War for the Planet of the Apes and, of course, The Walking Dead. Details are located here.
Loot Crate will be represented on the convention floor, selling its mystery boxes of fan favorites. Loot Crate is one of several companies capitalizing on the craze for subscription boxes. Expect to see presences from several of the competitors. Last year, Marvel’s Collectors Corps commanded an enormous line. Details are located here.
Marvel, DC, Valiant, Skybound, Image and Dark Horse will likely have central spots on the main convention floor. They bring a long list of authors and artists. Dark Horse always ups the ante, and this year is no different. They are offering an exclusive autograph signing with Frank Miller. Other creatives include Stephanie Buscema of Chimichanga, Rebekah Isaacs of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Andrew MacLean of Apocalyptigirl, among others. Details are located here.
There are several off-site events under the NYCC Presents banner. One of the best, for Trekkers and Trekkies, is The 50 Year Mission: Star Trek Then, Now, and Beyond on Oct. 7 at the Gotham West Market. Expect a great conversation about the new book The Fifty-Year Mission. Details are located here.
Enjoy the company and camaraderie of fans, cosplayers and like-minded people. These four days should be great!
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Click here for more information on New York Comic Con.
