TRIP REPORT – Some people see fall as summer packing up, winter clearing its throat, or the holidays sneaking closer. I mostly see one thing on the calendar, New York Comic Con. Each October, the Jacob K. Javits Center turns into a home base for pop culture fans, comic book devotees, cosplayers, and every flavor of proud geek. It celebrates creativity, fandom, and the stories that pull all of us together, and this year absolutely held up its end of the bargain.
Between the exclusive first-look panels, the wall-to-wall merchandise, and enough original art to endanger my wallet, NYCC 2024 came out swinging.
NYCC Videos
I spent days roaming the NYCC 2024 floor with my trusty video crew tagging along, because apparently I now travel with witnesses. Along the way, I found new vendors to interview, inventive cosplayers, and an artist making ridiculously cute commissions.
Intro
Inside the massive Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City, NYCC 2024 officially gets rolling.
The Black Flag
Scott from The Black Flag treated us to an exclusive tasting of their one-of-a-kind hot sauces and explained how they make products such as their delicious Korean Ginger Dragon BBQ Sauce. They came in from Seattle for their first NYCC, and the response had them seriously excited. Find them at https://www.theblackflagbbq.com.
Gallery Panda
Adrian from Gallery Panda showed us the design details and features behind their new Lightbox Frame. The clever frame connects to its own app, letting you adjust the colors that illuminate your artwork from behind. Their collections also showcase loads of impressive artists working in just about any style you can imagine. Visit their online store at https://gallerypanda.com.
Harebrained Designs
When we needed something a little more wonderfully odd, Amanda from Harebrained Designs delivered. The Chicago-based company makes funny “period panties” with designs such as Shark Week and Redrum undies. This was their third NYCC, and they remain a vendor people seek out. Browse their goods at https://www.harebraineddesign.com.
Nerds and Nomads
Nerds and Nomads completely floored us with their handcrafted art. Jennifer explained how they make everything by hand and actually bake their designs onto various Yeti items, turning everyday drinkware into high-end art you can sip from without looking lonely. They travel the country as an RV family selling their work, and you can always find them online at https://www.nerdsandnomads.com.
K. Lynn Smith
This year marked our first NYCC interview with an artist in the famous Artist Alley. K. Lynn Smith, an award-winning artist and writer from Michigan, is also the creator of the western comic Plume, the fantasy adventure For Goodness’ Sake, plus the 1940s supernatural The House of Lowther. During NYCC, K. Lynn was also creating some of the cutest pet portrait commissions I have ever seen. They were so good that my pup Addy needed one, because her personal brand is stronger than mine. See more from K. Lynn and her art at https://www.klynnsmith.net.
Panels
I eventually quit wandering long enough to sit in on a few excellent NYCC panels. Both What We Do in the Shadows and Star Trek: Lower Decks are shows I love, and unfortunately, both are heading through their final seasons. Getting to watch the casts and writers look back on earlier years while teasing what comes next was a genuine thrill.
The cast of What We Do in the Shadows lived up to expectations, with the cast proving every bit as funny and unpredictable as their vampire counterparts. Even better, we got to see the first two episodes of the final season, and they were exactly as hysterical as hoped.
Watching the actors who voice the characters on Star Trek: Lower Decks bounce off one another much like their wonderfully strange Starfleet alter egos was a treat for a fan like me. This panel also included a look at upcoming episodes, which reminded me how much I will miss the crew of the USS Cerritos when they finally fly off into the sunset.
Until next year NYCC!
Random NYCC Pics
After four days of walking through NYCC and shooting photos and video of anything that caught my eye, I gathered it all here in no particular order. It is a colorful pile of convention goodness, which feels about right.
