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here I am, and in this city
New York Groove by Ace Frehly
(Oooh, ooh-ooh-ooh) with a fistful of dollars, and baby, you’d better believe I’m back, back in the New York groove
Con season is coming to close and another New York Comic Con 2023 has come and gone. This years NYCC was particularly special because I was there…sorry, I couldn’t resist. Honestly it was my first New York Comic Con experience so the Con as a whole was a very special one for me and it did not disappoint! I’ve been to cons, large ones such as C2E2, but NYCC just had a different vibe. New York brings a certain energy to these types of events that you can’t find anywhere else. It’s big. It’s flashy. It’s where everyone wants to be. The FOMO is real!
Just seeing the massive amount of people outside when I first arrived at the Javits Center was a bit intimidating and yet I couldn’t help to be excited about what was inside! If there are this many people waiting to get in it’s gotta be good, right?
It was. After entering the doors there are groups of professional cosplayers, huge content creators, and fans gathering outside of the exhibition floor entrance. Everyone is excited and buzzing about, happy to be in a safe space among a like minded community. As I made my way through these crowds of enthusiastic fans I can see displays of Orange Piccolo and Cell Max towering over visitors at a massive Dragon Ball booth. As a fan it was a great way to kick off my one of many tours of the Con floor. There were displays of various action figures, video game demos, card game demonstrations, and free promotional merchandise!
NYCC 2023 IS ANIME CENTRAL
As I continue to explore this area and the make may way beyond Dragon Ball it quickly dawned on me that Bandai and Toei had a huge footprint on this Con. Another giant display of Goku and Luffy in gear 5 took over the view. Below these massive and awesome displays were more booths, dedicated to various properties like One Piece, Naruto, Demon Slayer, Pokemon, Gundam, Bleach, and so many more. You can call it a anime takeover if you like, though I think that’s been the case for a few years now.
The merchandise was out of this world. Anime themed Tamagotchis were a fan favorite. Atsuko was a booth with some of the most stylish and highest quality anime apparel I’ve seen. Foot Locker stole the show with Demon Slayer themed Crocs. Tamashi Nations featured some breath taking NYCC exclusive action figures and statues. There was something for every type of collector.
Comic Books and Artist Alley
You can’t have a comic con with comic books can you?! Of course not. New York Comic Con 2023 doesn’t disappoint when it comes to it’s collection of writers, artists, and publishers in Artist Alley. Everyone was represented from huge Marvel and DC creators all the way down to small indie publishers. It was also a place where old school fans could meet up with the likes of Rob Liefield, Jim Lee, Chris Clairemont, and Frank Miller. When it comes to current comic book fans you can get a word in with some big names like Jock, Chip Zdarsky, Dan Slott, Scott Snyder, Peach Momoko, and Ryan Stegman. I also can’t stress enough the importance of checking out some of the smaller creators like Sean Chen and Dave Watcher. There’s such a wealth of talent, creativity, and wisdom all in one place.
When you’re done getting your books signed and catching up with your favorite comics creators you can head up to the con floor to check the massive amount of comic book vendors! Long boxes, short boxes, slabs, and grails are spread throughout. It’s one of the best cons I’ve been to for finding the back issues you need to complete your collections or maybe even start a new one!
Maybe my favorite part of any con is the comic book art. You can find a fantastic print of your favorite characters or if you’re feeling up to it you can commission a piece from one of your favorite artists. One of the more amazing booths on the floor featured the legendary Alex Ross. Beautiful artwork and prints available for purchase and it helped that he was there to put his name on it in person!
Gaming Zone
When the show floor gets to be too overwhelming, Artists Alley is getting just a little too crowded, and you have a free chunk of time I find that one of the more relaxing areas of NYCC is the Gaming Zone. The Gaming Zone features a more open and carefree environment. You can take a seat and play some video games or perhaps a tabletop game. There’s also miniatures painting and game demos available. One of the more interesting game demos was the new Marvel Roleplaying game. There were 3 to 4 tables available to sit down with an experienced game master ready to instruct you in character development, game rules, and run a quick one shot session.
Con Pros and Con Cons
Pros
- Great location in a beautifully lit building. Plenty of space.
- Very diverse collection of fandoms. There’s something for everyone!
- Lots of food options. Snacks, diverse menus, food truck area.
- So many various creators, celebrities, name brand companies.
- Soft, Carpeted exhibit floor means it’s easier on your feet!
- Lots of cool, free promotional merchandise!
- Maps were easy to read and signage made things easy to find.
Cons
- Smaller panels are hard to find and regulated to a dark basement like area.
- Very long lines and waits on exhibit floor.
- Long lines often disrupted traffic flow.
- Food and snacks are expensive (This is normal for cons though)
- Artist Alley is located on the lower levels with very little room for foot traffic.
- Places to sit are few and far in-between. Often, the floor is your only option.
- Cell service is poor with no WiFi alternative for basic attendees.
END OF THE LINE
So that’s a wrap my first visit to New York Comic Con 2023! These were some basic first impressions. I didn’t really get to experience any panels, except of course the Nerd Initiative presents John Caglione Jr. panel! I highly suggest checking out the footage because it was a blast! To sum up NYCC in a short manor, I would say this: It’s everything your nerdy heart desires. If you ever have have the chance to check this one off of your bucket list, I highly suggest doing so!
