The 2014 edition of New York Comic Con has come and gone. Officially as of this posting, NYCC 2014 was attended by 151,000 people, surpassing San Diego. That is quite the accomplishment. Congratulations to all those involved. Anytime you have an event of this magnitude, there is bound to be some speed bumps along the way. The one speed bump in particular that can be frustrating is the lack of communication at times between the facility security (in this case Jacob Javits Center) and the Comic Con volunteers. Everyone should be on the same page as to where to go, where to line up based on badge type, etc. Failure to do so can and often does cause chaos. It also has a way to set a negative tone to one’s comic con experience. But once you get passed that, the overall experience will end up being one of great enjoyment. I know it was for me.
Let me break down and grade the different areas of the convention as well as the highlights and some lowlights as well.
We’ll start with:
The Main Stage (Clearing out and Wristbands)
This year for the first time ever, panels that took place in the Main Stage would require a wristband to get in. In the past there was no clearing out needed. One could get in at 11am and stay all day. This came to a head last year when people waited for as long as 4-5 hours to see The Walking Dead panel only to be turned away because of room capacity. Whether you agree with clearing out or not, the organizers at ReedPop took the complaints seriously and to their credit, tried to find a workable solution.
I think overall, the wristbands worked. The handing out the wristbands begin at 10am when the show floor opens for each of the panels, up to 4 in a given day. Depending on the amount of people in each panel queue, it could take upwards of 30-60 minutes to get your band. The good news is, once you get your band, you could conceivably go into another panel queue and get another band for that particular panel and so on. My recommendation, pick the one panel you desperately wish to see and get to the convention center as early as possible to not get shut out. This years Walking Dead panel was already closed before 9am.
Grade: B
Photo Ops
I think each year the photo ops experience has improved. The biggest complaint I’ve heard and have shared in was in the delay of getting your pictures. It use to take as little as 1 hour or as long as 2-3 hours. That would stink if you had a 6pm photo op. Also, the setup wasn’t always well thought out. Up until this year, it was one photo booth, one celebrity (with the exception of a team up photo) at a time. Thankfully the people over at Epic Photos rectified both. Not only could they accommodate up to 3 booths with the proper staggering of op times, you get your photos within a minute or two of taking it. The lining up process and communication between the Epic staff and the customers were first rate. I hope this is the beginning of a long relationship between ReedPop and Epic.
Grade: A
Show Exclusives
Traditionally, the first day of the con is a day dedicated to getting your hands on many of the shows exclusives that are on sale. The biggest drawback is when exhibitors move through the line so slowly and keep their customers from knowing whether or not they have sold out of their daily allotment.
One such exhibitor was Toy Tokyo. There is no reason why anyone should wait 2+ hours on line only to be turned away. I do understand it’s a choice by the individual to stay and wait but it’s also the proper responsibility of the exhibitor to make sure that no one is wasting time waiting for something they already know won’t be sold to them by the time they reach the front of the line.
Obviously Toy Tokyo does not represent every exhibitor. Graphitti Designs, Kotobukiya, Titan Entertainment and Convention Exclusive to name a few go above and beyond for their customers and should be applauded. Just know going forward that there is no need to wait longer than necessary. Your time is far more valuable than the exclusive you seek.
Grade: C
Artist Alley
You can never go wrong with Artist Alley. I encourage everyone at least once to visit and see all the wonderful artist that is responsible for your favorite characters. Not only do they have some cool artwork to sell, some offer commission work that you can sign up for. Imagine getting an original piece from some of your favorites. Also, some artists have their own show exclusives for the attendees and I guarantee that you won’t wait 2+ hours just to be told they have no more.
Grade: A
Autograph Alley
This year had over 20 signing booths located in autograph alley. This doesn’t include the ones located upstairs on the show floor. This year between Arrow’s Stephen Amell, Power Ranger Jason David Frank and Batman voice actor, Kevin Conroy, the wait could be quite long. Frank and Conroy in particular were very engaging with their fans which only added to the time spent on line. But that type of interaction is always welcomed and appreciated by the fans. In addition to the three previously mentioned, other guests included Alex Kingston, Arthur Darvill, Hulk Hogan, Karl Urban, William Shatner, Patrick Stewart and the cast of the Next Generation, Gillian Anderson, Ivy DoomKitty, Tom Kenny, Cary Elwes. Aisha Tyler, Ron Perlman, Vic Mignogna, Ralph Macchio, Billy Zabka and Martin Kove.
Always respect the wishes of the talent. If they say no photos allowed at the table, please honor that. It will make both yours and their experience that much better.
Grade: B+
So there’s the skinny on the five major areas of this years NYCC. It was four days of nerdgasm bliss that I already miss. Make sure to keep October 8 through 11, 2015 opened when NYCC returns.
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| The Dark Knight and The Dork Knight |
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
