*AUTHORS NOTE: THIS WAS WRITTEN FOR A WEBSITE IN OCTOBER AND NEVER PUBLISHED BUT HAS BEEN POSTED NOW BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY 2 PEOPLE IN THE PAST MONTH THAT I NEED TO UPDATE THIS WEBSITE *
It's 2 pm on Friday at the Jacob Javits Center, and nobody's noticed my blogger Cosplay. Although I had been to last year’s convention, I’m still overwhelmed by the sea of comic, film, and video game characters. Already projected to have grown past the previous year’s record number of participants, this convention would be the largest gathering in its 10 year history. While walking the floor of an event like this is best experienced in person, I can describe it as cross between flipping through every Saturday morning cartoon ever made, while Black Friday shopping, on the moon.
Taking to the exhibitor section, I stop for a few to watch folks compete for bottles of Pepsi Perfect being passed in front of a Delorean. In the booth put together by Peter Jackson’s post-house, WETA Digital, I snap some photos of the Dwarves recreated from “The Hobbit” franchise. I also get a peek at the models used in this year's “Chappie” and some of the props from the upcoming horror film “Krampus”.
Snaking through the labyrinth of weapons, and figures, I come across a stand surrounded by rows of Legos from every set imaginable. Remembering this from last year, I go right for the “Simpsons”. I snag Bart and Moleman figures to join Ralph Wiggum on my desk. It should be noted I purchased the ‘sarcastic’ Bart, eyes half closed, and it was 7 extra dollars. Worth it though, because, Comic-Con.
Perusing the comics, I cross off a list of monthly issues. Luckily this being the mecca of funny papers, I find them all. Before I know it though I’m almost out of money. Spending my last few dollars on the independent comic “Hafrocentric”, I have a conversation with the Author, who is nice enough to sign it for me.
All the free swag makes it feel like I got bang for my buck. By showing up at the right & time place, I’m gifted with a few exclusives. I’m lucky enough to score a Pretty Little Liars poster for my girlfriend, and portable charger from my new friends at “LexCorp”.
The solution to stop my bleeding wallet the next morning is waiting in line all day. Line-waiting of course, is a timeless and celebrated tradition at Comic-Con. Since I’m not on the press-release duties that come with covering panels, I check out video game demos. However this turns out to become a trying experience
After the wait for “Star Wars: Battle Pod”, I line up for “Street Fighter V”, slated to roll out in 2016. While there, I get to see the Executive Producer of the franchise Yoshinori Ono come out to greet fans. This is is the one of those moments that can only really be experienced at a show like Comic-Con; the chance to meet a creator while enjoying the art they’ve produced. While I didn’t know the guy before, it was still memorable to play his game next to him, even though I was having my ass handed to me.
To kill more time I wait again, now for Bandai toys. I swore that I wouldn’t spend any more, but I’ve seen several DBZ power readers floating around and I’ve wanted one since age ten. After copping I head back for another game demo, but its barely worth the time wasted. Patience wearing a bit thin, I end up taking some more photos before I’m ready to ditch the show floor for the evening. I’ve previously RSVP’d for Adult Swim’s official after-party, luckily, I’m able to get in after waiting in yet another line.
Moral of the story: it’s worth it. The 2nd “Maiden” voyage of the Tyrannic after-party is one of the best nights I’ve had all year. A free event for anyone regardless of a convention badge, all aboard ate free food, drank, and made faces into a photo booth for hours as our ship sailed around lower Manhattan. The music, curated by one of the most savvy outlets today, was also on point. The evening reaches a fever pitch when we’re treated to a surprise performance by Rae Sremmurd. When the duo is inevitably joined onstage by a Master Shake cosplayer, I lose my mind.