New York Comic Con 2023
New York Comic Con returned to the Javits Center on October 12-15, 2023. This year’s headliners and guests included Chris Evans, Ewan McGregor, Tom Hiddleston, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, David Tennant, Ashley Johnson, Cassandra Clare, and many more.
This was my second year attending NYCC and I saw many changes to the convention this year. Now that I knew what I was walking into I came prepared; comfortable shoes, a stool for those long lines, and a water bottle. This year was interesting though, with the SAG strike in full force there was some uncertainty around which actors would be in attendance. Despite this, the convention was still able to draw a large crowd of eager fans.
NYCC is set to return to the Javits Center October 17-20, 2024.
Cosplay
Just like last year NYCC didn’t disappoint me in all the different cosplays. And with Tom Hiddleston being at the con I saw Loki Variants mixed with different fandoms. I saw cosplays from shows, movies, and a few comics. Including a few from Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe; as she was at NYCC for the first-time stamping books. The cosplays I saw an abundance of, besides Loki, were the characters from Five Nights at Freddy’s. Which the movie comes out later this month. I even saw some original costumes, like a group wearing greyed-out outfits saying that it’s struck work. This year’s cosplays have inspired that I want to dress up for NYCC next year and be a part of the fun.
Vendors and Booths
New York Comic Con always goes big when it comes to their wide range of vendors. You’ll be able to find everything you need for your shopping and fandom needs. This is the first year where I actually spent a lot of time on the show floor, where I also did some shopping. I was honestly impressed with it’s range of vendors that the convention had. From the large booths like Funko and Ebay to Crocs to your small businesses. I even came across a booth that I had seen at one of my local cons a few years back where you can get some of the best handmade ears and horns. I made sure to get myself a pair of Loki horns so I could become a Loki Variant.
NYCC also has a wide range of booths full of great replicas from movies and shows. Also set backdrops where you can a photo in front of. This year we got to see the Good Burger mobile at the Paramount booth, while at the Marvel booth, you can up close with Loki’s costumes from the series. This year I saw a larger amount of booths with replicas or items from their series. It’s a great way for fans can connect to all of their favorite series.
Overall Thoughts
NYCC has definitely learned from its mistakes and drastically improved in a lot of areas as they were a sold-out show. They moved the main headliner’s photo ops and autos; such as Ewan McGregor, Chris Evans, Tom Hiddleston, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead; to another hall so that they could control the line better. Then they added whiteboards with all the information listed for the headliners and they had more communication between staff and attendees.
One negative thing I did witness was that some of the headline actors had groups and time slots for their photos and autographs while some of the other headliner actors didn’t. For consistency and to keep crowds at a minimum they really should have it for all of the headliners.
Have you ever attended Comic Con in the rain? I have, and I definitely don’t recommend it. Throughout a normal day; people often pop in and out for the food trucks, fresh air, or for smoke breaks; but with it raining everyone is now stuck inside. So, with Saturday being a sold-out day, you can only imagine how busy and crowded it was. I don’t blame the con just it was a busy day. Despite being up close and personal, it’s great to see it post-Covid. It was an exciting experience overall and I am looking forward to next year’s convention. I can’t wait to see the excitement for 2024.
