[dropcap size=small]N[/dropcap]ew York Comic Con has always been considered the little brother of the famous San Diego Comic Con. However, this year, NYCC attracted a total of 151,000 visitors – surpassing San Diego’s show this past July. You mad, SDCC? There has been a steady, and rapid, increase in attendance since NYCC 2006, coming in at 33,000 attendees. Ticket sales have increased a total of 40% since last year’s show. Impressive as f—.
What do these numbers mean, though? Well, it means sh– is getting pretty crowded at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. I’ve been a steady attendee since 2008 and, lately, I’ve come to find that I’m less enthusiastic when it rolls around. It’s not that I’ve lost interest in what Comic Con represents, but with 151,000 attendees, it feels like it’s beginning to lose its magic. I’m thrilled that the culture is continuing to grow and thrive, but there’s something vexing about having to order a ticket within the first hour of sales for something that I was able to walk into a few years back. I have mixed feelings on the matter, but it’s just an opinion. Take it with a grain of salt.
One thing is fact: I am always more impressed by the cosplay than the previous year. A friend of mine, Julian Keller, took second place at the NYCC Eastern Championships of Cosplay with his incredibly detailed General Zod. Cosplay is one of the few reasons that keeps me coming back, creativity seems to be scaling in an upward direction and the effort put into some costumes is astounding.
They had Manu Bennett tucked away in the corner, looking incredibly smug and charging $50 for an autograph while his “bodyguard” was shooing away bystanders, likely fans. It’s sad to say that if you wanted to meet someone, you had to pay upward of $30-$50. There’s always hopes of catching someone after a panel, but some celebrities were exclusive to the signing area. However, with the recent growth spurts of New York Comic Con, much bigger names are beginning to make appearances. We’re no longer the little, weaker brother — NYCC has been hitting the gym. Unfortunately, I was only able to snag a Sunday pass this year.
Here are my final thoughts on what New York Comic Con has become, and is becoming:
- The Good: Cosplay, bigger celebrities, increased cultural awareness
- The Bad: Extremely crowded, deodorant isn’t a thing for some people, tickets are harder to come by at face value.
- The Fugly: Celebrities charging $50 for an autograph. I’m looking at you, Manu.
Will I go next year? Yes.
