NYCC 2018 Roundup & Thursday Gallery By Adam Etheridge
New York Comic Con returned to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City on October 4-7 this year, for its thirteenth annual show. NYCC was brought to us once again by ReedPOP, the same group which runs other popular events including C2E2 and the PAX shows. In terms of attendance, this was their biggest show to date, which drew in a reported total of more than 250,000 fans across the convention and its separately ticketed events.
Speaking of separately ticketed events, NYCC joined forces with Anime Expo for an event they dubbed “Anime Fest @ NYCC X Anime Expo.” The event was held at Pier 94, and was run concurrently with NYCC during all four days of the convention. Anime Fest featured content focused on anime, J-pop, manga, and other Japanese culture. Neither myself, nor any other members of Nerd Caliber were able to make time to travel to Pier 94 for Anime Fest, so unfortunately we won’t have any firsthand accounts of event.
Getting back to the convention proper, one of this biggest draws of New York Comic Con is the lineup of celebrities that are brought in each year. Stars in attendance this year included Jason Momoa, Mark Ruffalo, Danai Gurira, Ben Savage, Teri Hatcher, Matt Smith, Michelle Rodriguez, and the cast of the Twitch.tv series Critical Role, just to name a few. Although the consensus of fans seemed to be that the celebrity lineup this year was a bit weaker overall in comparison to previous years, NYCC is still one of the only conventions that brings in so many renown entertainment stars.
As always, panels and programming are a big part of the New York Comic Con experience. NYCC featured hundreds of panels throughout its four day event, which were held in several locations at the Javits, as well as others held off-site at the Hammerstein Ballroom and the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. These panels covered a wide variety of topics and genres including movies, television, comics, anime, gaming and much more.
The show floor at NYCC is essentially one massive dealer’s room. Although there are a few other odds and ends throughout the show floor, it’s mainly the place attendees come to browse and buy wares from the hundreds of vendors on site. As is the case every year, many fans flock to popular vendors selling NYCC exclusive merchandise that can only be purchased at the show (or at a high price from a reseller later).
The location of Artist’s Alley changed yet again this year, moving from 1E to 1B. This was definitely an improvement, as 1B is a larger, more well-lit hall than 1E. Although 1B is not as spacious as the old North Pavilion location (which no longer exists), it should be a satisfactory location for Artist’s Alley until the expansion to the Javits Center is finally complete.
Focus on cosplay
For the first time ever, NYCC also featured a “Cosplay Central” area. Located in the River Pavilion on the fourth floor of the Javits, this space included a changing room for cosplayers, as well as a spot for panels and programming related to cosplay. Additionally, featured cosplay guest Ivy Doomkitty had her booth set up in the Cosplay Central area, where she would meet and greet fans throughout the convention.
New York Comic Con is an absolutely massive convention, which has always been a double-edged sword. No matter what you’re into in the nerd and geek realm, NYCC almost certainly has plenty of things you’ll want to buy, do, and see. The biggest drawback is that there are thousands of other fans who all want to buy, do, and see those things as well, which means you’ll probably never get around to everything on your checklist, no matter how many days you attend the show. But there’s always next year, which perhaps is what keeps many of us coming back for more again and again.
Speaking of next year, the organizers have already set the dates for next year’s show. New York Comic Con will return on October 3-6, 2019.
Among the cosplayers in this gallery are Erica Nicole cosplay, Zombae, Lua Stardust, Harley Frances, Kristen Lanae, Jennifer Van Damsel, Collin Summers Cosplay, Cosplay by Mikette, AlliZ Cosplay, Gogo Incognito, MicroMerc Digital, Jacquistuffnthings, genovere, statuesque_yoki, and many more.
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