Recaps by Mike Newnam and Vanessa Szajnberg.
Mike Newman’s recap:
NYCC – the con that never sleeps
New York City is known worldwide as a place where there is never ending entertainment and excitement which was reflected during its Comic Convention. While there is an overwhelming amount of stimulation outside the Javits Center, inside is full of nerdy magic. Whether one is looking for merchandise, breaking news, celebrity interactions, or parties there is no shortage of exciting events to attend.
Comic Books were some of the hottest and most sought after items at New York Comic Convention (NYCC). Marvel debuted their new partnership with Magic: the Gathering through panels and giveaways. The comic book juggernaut distributed two new covers each graced by X-Men, Wolverine and Storm, for a story combining the two entertainment companies. In addition to the comic, Marvel also revealed a new playable Magic card featuring Doctor Strange on it that had people lining up early and in huge numbers for a chance at this highly desirable collectible. These three items could be acquired at the Marvel booth or in a panel where the news of this partnership was discussed in detail. Marvel had another surprise book for members of Marvel Unlimited. At their booth, members could present their proof of membership to receive an exclusive Daredevil book with the cover by legendary and immensely popular artist Peach Momoko. Marvel was able to create excitement and buzz with these crowd pleasing promotions.
Todd McFarlane was also in attendance drawing large crowds hungry to meet and get their hands on his newest creations. Todd was on hand for multiple signings throughout the week and also in panels discussing the future of his well known character Spawn. He began the week on Wednesday speaking to retailers and professionals at a special preview event not available to the public. At which, he distributed a special retailer variant that he signed. He also partnered with comic book retailer Spectral Comics for the most desirable book at the convention. Just like the Daredevil exclusive from Marvel, Peach Momoko graced the cover of this exclusive variant of Spawn #357. This book was in such demand that the line stretched nearly all the way through the convention floor. Pushing and shoving quickly ensued and rumors of fist fighting disseminated through the halls of the Javits Center. Comics were not the only collectibles in high demand at NYCC.
Apparel company RSVLTS brought their usual convention exclusives, but also brought a few surprises for their fans. RSVLTS went hard for Halloween season this year and NYCC was no different. Their exclusives included a orange and blue New York floral that local sports fans called a must have, but also three spooky shirts one for each day. On Thursday, the company surprised attendees with a surprise spooky orange and black spooky floral that included spiders and spiderwebs embedded in the design. This shirt was extremely limited to 100 and to acquire people had to pull a special card from a pile that was printed with the word treat. Even if one was unlucky and pulled a trick card they were rewarded with a 20% discount code, making a winner out of everyone. Then on the weekend RSVLTS dropped another surprise when they released an unannounced shirt from the popular Netflix show Stranger Things. This shirt was an instant hit and served as a preview of their upcoming partnership with the streamer on a new line of apparel.
In true NYC fashion, the convention extended well into the evenings with off-site parties held by multiple hosts. The 20th anniversary party for Fandom previewed the new Universal theme park Epic Universe with photo opps and games including a scavenger hunt. New toy company Thrilljoy, from former Funko CEO Brian Mariotti, threw a launch party for its new product. Amazon Audible also hosted a western themed event for the release of the new audio story for fan favorite Wynonna Earp. Not to be outdone, RSVLTS held a meet and greet for its fans at a tasting room where fans could meet and interact with the owner and many of the employees from the Hoboken based apparel brand.
New York Comic Convention provided a diverse offering to its fans and attendees living up to its city’s reputation. Just like the city itself it offered something for everyone as an unending compilation of all that pop culture has to offer.
Vanessa Szajnberg’s recap:
New York Comic Con 2024 the most wonderful time of the year!
New York Comic Con 2024 has come to a close, and what an incredible year it was! With its star-studded guest list from the media and comic industries, fans couldn’t have asked for a better four days. The amazing weather also contributed to the experience, much to the appreciation of the cosplayers in attendance!
You could feel the presence of roughly 200,000 attendees over the four days, but it didn’t feel overly crowded—except on Saturday on the exhibitor floor. Artist Alley as well as the Photos & Signing areas were extremely busy with fans as well. The new extension of the Jacob Javits Convention Center has significantly improved the flow of traffic during NYCC. The event activations were very engaging, offering chances to win free merchandise, subscriptions, trips, and even food! Fortunately, many of these activations provided their own devices to gather the necessary information they wanted to collect, which helped mitigate the ongoing issues with cellphone service and WIFI that often plague NYCC.
There were so many wonderful panels that it’s hard to cover them all, so I’ll highlight a few of the most notable ones.
On Thursday, Apple TV+ held the Shrinking panel, featuring co-creator and executive producer Brett Goldstein, co-creator, executive producer, and star Jason Segel, as well as Emmy nominees Christa Miller and Jessica Williams, and cast member Luke Tennie. They introduced the audience to Season 2, which premiered on Wednesday, October 16, 2024.
On Friday morning, Warner Bros. Pictures’ panel on The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim took over the main stage, moderated by Stephen Colbert, with filmmakers Arty Papageorgiou, Joseph Chou, Jason DeMarco, Kenji Kamiyama, Phoebe Gittins, and Oscar-winner Philippa Boyens. The panel included cast members Emmy-Award winner Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and Luke Pasqualino. This beautifully animated feature film is set to release on December 13, 2024.
Later that evening, Sony Pictures hosted a special panel showcasing new footage from Venom: The Last Dance, Karate Kid: Legends, and Kraven the Hunter. The panel featured several notable guests, including BAFTA Award-winner Tom Hardy, Emmy nominee Juno Temple (known for her role in Ted Lasso), and BAFTA Award-winner Chiwetel Ejiofor.
On Saturday morning, The Simpsons made its debut at NYCC, and the audience loved every moment! The panel featured creator and executive producer Matt Groening, showrunner and executive producer Matt Selman, Emmy-winner Hank Azaria, co-executive producer Carolyn Omine, and co-executive producer Tim Long.
Later that afternoon, the Exploring Faerun: Behind the Scenes of Baldur’s Gate III panel happened, which included notable voice actors Neil Newbon (Astarion), Jennifer English (Shadowheart), and Devora Wilde (Lae’zel), alongside performance director Aliona Baranova. The panel was moderated by Maggie Lovitt of Collider. They took the audience behind the scenes, reminiscing about their time working on BG3 and engaging in a lively discussion.
On Sunday, the event wrapped up with The Hannibal Panel, featuring the remarkable Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy, who delved deeper into the horror world of Hannibal. While I’m not typically a horror fan, I was eager to see Mads Mikkelsen in person, as his appearances in the U.S. are quite rare.
Here’s to more adventures in fandom, and an even bigger and better New York Comic Con in 2025!
Also check out our own Senior Editor Dan Berry’s live coverage from the artist alley at NYCC 2024 (starting at the 39:33 mark or so)
Were you at New York Comic Con 2024? What were your highlights? Feel free to leave a comment below or chat with us on Twitter/X at @TheConCollectve, Threads at @theconventioncollective, or Bluesky at @theconcollective.bsky.social
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