simpleek

Every October is the one month New York City becomes geek mecca when Comic Con comes rolling into town. It’s the social event of the year for all geeks to unite and show their passion for their favorite TV show, comics, or video games. This is also the best place for people watching, as hard core cosplayers come out from all over to either show off their creations or just dress up for fun. And just like previous years, I have been fortunate enough to attend New York Comic Con this past weekend at the Jacob Javits Center once again.

I came really close to not attending NYCC this year. For the last two years, I have been able to attend the convention with a 3-day pass. Due to a mess in sales with tickets and a horrendous site crash during the buying process on the official NYCC website this year, I wasn’t so lucky to score 3-day passes for me and my friend. I was so frustrated and disgusted by the handling of ticket sales this time around that I just didn’t feel like waiting on the virtual queue to see if I can get single-day passes.

I, along with the usual friend I go to the convention with, have accepted the idea of not going to the convention this time. However, it seems like the heavens were smiling down on me that day and said, “No, you are going to this convention.” My other friend became my knight in shining armor when he texted me the same day and said he happened to have purchased two extra Saturday passes too many after finding out I didn’t have any luck with purchasing my passes. He said the passes were mine if I wanted them. Two extra passes he happened to accidentally purchase when he was buying a bulk of passes on behalf of his coworkers and family members? Hell yeah, I wanted them! They weren’t 3-day passes, but having at least a single-day pass was better than nothing. I also wouldn’t have taken him up on his offer if he only had one extra Saturday pass. I mean, I always go with this other friend of mine. It wouldn’t be right if I went to Comic Con without her this year. I’m a devoted friend through and through, and if she couldn’t go, I wouldn’t go too. Luckily, there were two extra Saturday passes with our names on them. The tradition of NYCC attendance lives on!

Our time at the convention was spent entirely on the showroom floor. We didn’t attend any panels this year, mainly because there weren’t too many we were interested in seeing that Saturday. It also didn’t help that my friend had to leave the convention early too. One day at the convention meant my friend and I had to make the most of the day we had. Anything we wanted to see, do, or buy had to be done that Saturday. It was perfectly fine by me because I personally love walking the showroom floor and being immersed in the energy and chaos of seeing so many convention goers dressed up in their best cosplay outfits.

Among the most popular cosplay I saw this year were Elsa from Frozen, Doctor Who, and Sailor Moon along with her Sailor Scouts. I also saw the usual cosplays I see every year, like a bunch of Narutos, Lara Crofts, Chun-Lis, Batmans, Jokers, and Harley Quinns. I don’t think any convention is ever complete without at least seeing one of those characters floating around the convention floor. No matter what someone cosplays as, it’s always a fun time to spot and name the character from a TV show, video game, anime, or comic book. You also know you’re a geek when you can easily name almost every character you come into contact with. We geeks are truly among our people at these conventions.

Thanks to a renewed interest in Sailor Moon and the release of the newest anime, Sailor Moon Crystal, there has been way more Sailor Moon merchandise being sold at the convention this year. There were a ton of figurines and key chains on display of the pretty sailor suited guardians of love and justice and I wanted it ALL! The only thing holding me back from buying them was the money.

Viz Media had a booth at the convention and were taking pre-orders for the Sailor Moon DVD and Blu-ray to be released later this year. Being the biggest Sailor Moon super fan ever, it was really tempting to slap down my credit card at the counter and yell, “TAKE MY MONEY!” I didn’t. I exercised restraint, but it pained me to do it. I already pre-ordered Dragon Age: Inquisition for next month. I doubt my wallet can take any more additional expenses at this time. That shiny DVD/Blu-ray will have to wait to be bought at another time. But seeing all the Sailor Moon merchandise did make my heart skip a beat and it made me super giddy to see my favorite series get another life for a newer generation of fans.

After my friend left the convention, I joined up with other friends who were in attendance that day and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening with them. We walked the showroom floor some more, oggled figurines we can’t even begin to afford, and closed out the evening at Artist Alley where all the artists had tables set up to sell their merchandise, autograph stuff, or take requests to sketch personalized drawings for convention goers––for a price of course. I always love walking through there, examining each table with the artist’s work on full display. It’s just as tempting to want to purchase prints or artbooks from these talented artists, but it never really makes sense for me to put down the money for it. With the lack of space in my apartment and the current living situation being what it is at the moment, I have no where to proudly hang these artworks at home. Maybe when I move into a newer place with more space sometime in the future, I’ll definitely be hitting up Artist Alley again and make purchases on the prints I’ll want to decorate my new home with. A girl can dream, can’t she?

My time at New York Comic Con is a little quieter this year, but being there is always a great experience for me, especially when I’m geeking it out with my friends. Scroll down further for more photos I took from the convention. See you next year, New York Comic Con…I hope?