The New York Comic Con (abbreviated NYCC) is not just a mecca for nerds, it is a museum of the past, present, and future of our culture. The Javits convention center, for three days in October, is not just a place for people to lose up to hundreds of dollars, it is a display of what is to come in video games, anime, and comic books. The artists and writers of comics signing and drawing sketches for us is just icing on the cake.
To make this journey here, one must take the M31 bus to the convention center or take the uptown 1 train to Penn station and walk there.
From action figures from japan, to next quarter’s video games, there a various displays at Comic Con. Most displays there were for new shows or unseen art from artists. There was even a weapons stand! My friend was able to sell his $8 mask for $50!
Of course, Comic Con is not just comic books anymore. It has merged with Anime Fest to create one big cultural melding of east and west. Venders not only sell and display comic books and other American products, but also Japanese imported products such as stuffed plushies and candy. The showcase floor was a mix of video games, comics and japanese toys. Exclusive things only from Comic Con were given out every where you looked. The things given out varied from playing cards to buttons and comics.
One of the big display there was the wall of japanese action figures. Like in a regular museum, one cannot touch the displays, but they could by one. The prices were very high because of the import fees. The video game displays had demos and trailers of up and coming new games for the fans to play and watch. Some of the ones I was able to play were Megaman Universe and DC Universe Online.
Another big part of the convention, were the panels. The writers, artists, and developers of games and comics would show up in the panel hall, and talk about their newest works and whats to come in the future. They would then open it up to the floor, in a town hall style for fans to ask questions. These ranged from complements to asking for spoilers. The information given varied from just showing new releases the general public would not know for weeks, or meeting with the artists and writers and asking about the work.
And of course, we cannot forget the main thing that makes it Comic Con, not a flea market-the costumes. People take their time and such elaborate and detailed costumes. They could range from just a mask to costumes with gadgets and gizmos. The most odd ones was a guy dressed as the X-men Iceman- he was in a speedo and dyed himself blue from heard to toe, and some dude dressed as Mrs. Pacman. Then there were elaborate ones like the Ghostbuster, Chewbaca, and the characters from Avatar.
People flock from all over the world to participate in the three biggest days of nerdkind. Celebrities from Japan hold concerts, fans from Texas fly in, I even met a person from Argentina that came just to get an autograph. We all came together in the name of nerdom, but we left with the satisfaction of having new friends and stuff to put up on our walls.
