by Merrill Barr:
It’s fall in New York City, and if you walk west you’ll find the Jacob Javits Center. If you walk inside the Jacob Javits Center you’ll find the latest edition in the era of New York Comic-Con. While it may have began as an east coast rip-off of the famed San Diego convention, it’s since morphed into a phenomenon all its own. With attendance reaching over 100,000 in the last couple years, New York Comic-Con has become the largest convention held on the East Coast every year.
But while the coasts may vary, the people and atmosphere remain the same. The lines are long, the drinks are cold, the cosplay is hot, and everyone’s happier than an army of Daleks in a populated city (of course, Daleks don’t feel emotion so…).
This year’s convention floor has offerings ranging everywhere from Legendary’s Pacific Rim, Saban’s Power Rangers, Image’s Walking Dead, Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Marvel’s anything and DC’s anything. It doesn’t take long to walk the floor if all you want to see are the major offerings from the larger companies. But what makes any comic-con special is of course the niche section of the convention floor.
NYCC 2012 has much to offer from too many smaller entities to list. Want an exclusive poster? There’s a booth for that. Need to round out that comic-book collection with a signed copy of Scott Pilgrim? There’s a booth for that. Need a wig? There’s a booth for that. In the mood for a crazy T-shirt that will draw in the onlookers? There’s a booth for that. Need a samurai sword? Guess what…there’s a booth for that too.
But perhaps my personal favorite thing about the convention floor is the swag. Nothing beats free, right? Plush dolls, tote bags, t-shirts, cups, nothing beats some free swag. Will it go out of style in 6 months? Maybe. But for a brief moment I get to have just as much fun with a toy as the guy that just dropped $200 on the Iron Man 3 exclusive figure with laser eyes.
This is only my second outing with the convention but I know that it’s one of my most anticipated events every year. It’s a place I can go to and (no matter how silly) appreciate things openly with common folk. In my case that thing being Saban’s Power Rangers which, unlike last year, has a fully stocked booth of classic toys in a glass case. Oh, and I got to pose with the Power Rangers. No, I don’t care that they’re paid dudes in costumes. They’re the Power Rangers as far as I’m concerned.
But things like that, the love for fandom is what makes comic-con, whether New York, San Diego, Boston, or anywhere else, an awesome place to be for a few days out of the year.
Stay tuned to DarkMedia for more coverage from the NYCC throughout the weekend.
DarkMedia contributor Merrill Barr can also be found on his podcast, OSNAP, and on Twitter @sonic43.
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