On October 10-13, thousands of people flooded the Javits Center for New York Comic Con, the largest pop culture convention on the East Coast. It featured star-studded panels promoting the latest and greatest in books, television, comics and more, as well as exhibitors showcasing new video games and gadgets. Many attendees choose to dress in costume for the sold-out event, so it was no surprise to see a colorful array of characters wandering about.
On the show floor, exhibitors from a variety of fields competed for attention. Many gave away free samples or promotional items, like temporary tattoos, buttons, T-shirts, and food. Mattel had one of the largest booths, featuring some of their newest toys and a superhero-themed carnival game. DC Comics, though lacking a traditional booth, displayed a set of Superman’s costumes to commemorate the character’s 75th anniversary. Video games were not absent either, with Nintendo and UBISOFT setting up booths to promote their upcoming titles.
Although many forms of pop culture were showcased at NYCC, the largest crowds turned out for the television panels. At a panel promoting MTV’s Teen Wolf, series creator Jeff Davis was joined by cast members Dylan O’Brien and Linden Ashby to discuss the third season of the show. Davis explained that the second half of Season Three will be a darker psychological thriller, and will introduce new supernatural characters. He also announced the show has been renewed for a fourth season.
At another panel, Nickelodeon screened a new episode of their hit animated show, Avatar: The Legend of Korra. The episode revealed, for the first time, the identity of the first avatar. The panel was so popular that crowds of people stood and crouched outside the already packed theater.
At another panel, NBC screened the pilot of their new mini-series, Dracula, which stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the titular character. Meyers, best known for his portrayal of Henry VIII in Showtime’s The Tudors is well cast as Dracula. The show will officially premiere on October 25.
The highlight of this year’s Comic-Con was The Walking Dead panel. Fans camped out all day Saturday for a seat at the much-anticipated event. The panel, moderated by Community actress Yvette Nicole Brown, teased at what was ahead for Season Four with two clips from the show. Actor Andrew Lincoln discussed his feelings about an upcoming episode, telling the crowd he was “shell-shocked” after he read the script. “I was trying to call everybody because I needed to speak to a human voice. We are going to get into so much trouble with that episode,” he quipped. During the Q&A portion of the panel Michael Cudlitz, disguised as an angry fan, surprised the crowd by announcing he would join the cast as Sgt. Abraham Ford.
Comic-Con’s namesake draw – comic books – were not forgotten at the event. Popular publishers like Dark Horse, Marvel and DC all boasted an impressive set of programming and promoted their newest comics. Individual artists were present in Artist Alley and on the show floor, displaying and selling their original creations.
NYCC started out small, with roughly 30,000 attendees when it first began. Now, it boasts an attendance of more than 130,000. The show has grown exponentially, now commandeering the entire Jacob Javits Center.
As soon as NYCC ended Sunday, dates for next year’s con were announced.
