by Nicole
Image courtesy of Staff Writer Nicole M.
You’re walking down 35th Street of NYC, filled with excitement. So many people are heading the same way, some dressed in costumes, others with nerdy t-shirts. Soon the tall glass windows of the Javits Center come into view, as you follow the groups of people to the security entrance lines. You’re surrounded by fellow fans, some who share your passions and some who don’t; but you’re all here for the con. You finally walk into the building, badge around your neck, and pause to take it all in…You’re Home!
New York Comic Con (NYCC) is the largest pop culture convention on the East Coast. With over 250,000 attendees last year in 2018, it’s no wonder this four-day con is a favorite for so many! From movies, television, and books to comics, art, anime, and cosplay, NYCC always has something for every fan; this year was no different!
When you first walk in to the Javits Center, there are a few different paths you can take:
- Panel rooms
- The Show Floor with over 500 exhibitors and activations
- Autographs and Photo Ops
- Artist Alley with hundreds of comic book writers and artists
No matter what you choose to do, whether that be to just peruse the show floor or to do it all, you are bound to have an amazing experience! Nonetheless, with the vast amount of things to do at NYCC, there are some obstacles. It can be difficult juggling panels when certain ones are off-site at other locations — Hammerstein Ballroom, New York Public Library, Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, and more — especially when they are overlapping on the schedule. However, as long as you go in with a plan (and maybe some comfy walking shoes!) you should be able to see everything, or almost everything, you want.
Nerds and Beyond had an amazing four days at NYCC! We will continue to post our interviews, so be sure to keep checking back! Our con experience was jammed pack with other awesome events and experiences as well!
One of the highlights was all of the SpongeBob SquarePants activities throughout the convention. On day two of the con, we attended the SpongeBob Appreciation Day Panel! It was hosted by SYFY WIRE’s Senior Producer Tara Bennett, at the Hammerstein Ballroom. She was joined by Vincent Waller (Co-Executive Producer), Marc Ceccarelli (Co-Executive Producer), Clancy Brown (Voice of Mr. Krabs), Carolyn Lawrence (Voice of Sandy Cheeks), Bill Fagerbakke (Voice of Patrick Star), and of course, the voice of SpongeBob himself, Tom Kenny. The panel consisted of a trivia game to celebrate the show’s 20 years, a Q&A, and even a live reading of the fan-favorite episode “Suds.” Back at the Javits Center, there was a SpongeBob SquarePants activation, with a life-size version of the most popular undersea dining establishment of Bikini Bottom, The Krusty Krab! Inside, fans were able to compete head-to-head in a race against the clock to complete Krabby Patty orders. While waiting to play, you were able to sit down on the famous barrel chairs at the yellow and red ship steering wheel table. There was also Nickelodeon swag and even costumed-character SpongeBob and Patrick appearances!
Another highlight of any convention, especially NYCC, is the amazing cosplay! There were Marvel and DC superheroes and villains, Stranger Things, cult-classic movie characters, anime, and more. Fans dressed up as every and any character cosplay you can imagine! Below are a few favorites we saw. Thank you to Mike (Captain America, @thenorthjerseynerd), the Good Omens cosplayers (@hleejarvis and @morgan_makes_things), @Myschief_Managed (Jon Snowpool), and the walking video game (@chawancut)!
Photo ops and autographs are another fun part of NYCC, and there are a variety of types! From professionally taken photo ops to vendor booth selfies and autographs, there are so many ways to meet your favorite NYCC guest and capture the moment. We were excited to meet Impractical Jokers‘ Joe Gatto at his booth, and purchase a ‘Be Kind’ shirt and selfie with 100% of the proceeds going to @SuperheroIRL’s program to end bullying in schools! Felicia Day was also there signing her new book, Embrace Your Weird, and taking selfies with fans!
Last but not least, no NYCC experience is complete without heading to Artist Alley to visit one of our favorite television and comic book writers, Robbie Thompson! We were lucky enough to interview Thompson at the con, so make sure to check back soon for the video! In the meantime, you can find more NYCC interviews on our website.
Nerds and Beyond had such an amazing time at New York Comic Con this year, and we hope you enjoyed following along! We cannot wait to go again next year, October 8-11, 2020!
