New York Comic Con, October 2023
I have attend New York Comic Con for the past ten years and so much has changed since 2014. Back then, I was able to get badges a few weeks prior to the event whereas now, it’s as popular as many other conventions where you have to get into a queue and hope you clicked just in time. It’s still a convention where I hope to get a badge so I can see the latest cosplays and will usually spend at least one day inside the merchandise area. I even spent my Friday afternoon helping out at Sleepy Boi apparel. As I do spend more of my time looking for photo opportunities, I generally will not attend panels or shows. This year was a bit of a change as some friends convinced me to attend the cosplay contest after dinner. I was glad to be convinced; the performances of the talent show and the cosplay contest was worth standing in line for the show to officially to start.
In terms of cosplay, I along with other photographers have noticed that the amount of cosplay has diminished over the years as NYCC is becoming more of a pop icon convention, similar to San Diego Comic Con. What that means is that more and more non cosplayers are getting badges. It’s definitely great to see a huge rise in our society of geeks and nerds, but it’s definitely different than years ago, when the bus tunnel would be packed with cosplayers. Even the early rush to fight for one of the tunnel spots by photographers is no longer the competition that it used to be.
The cosplays that I did see were still great and it’s always good to see familiar faces. Many new faces as well, as new generations of cosplayers join the geek cultures. You’ll definitely see more self video for Instagram Reels or Tik Toks and less reliance on photography. Especially as some cosplayers do better with reach taking selfies than posting a photographer’s work. While it’s a known fact, I still enjoy taking photos. I’ve been trying to find more opportunities to change my style to be more cinematic, but it’s still a long journey to get there.
Travel wise, since I’m based out of Delaware, it’s not too long of a car drive taking I-95. I will lodge typically in Secaucus NJ and take the ferry in from Weehawken. The ferry to Midtown drops passengers off right behind the back corner of the Javitz, so it’s much more convenient that taking the train to Penn Station and walking around a mile to the Javitz. Hotels are usually 1/3 the price of hotels in NYC. It’s definitely not convenient if you are into late night after parties, especially as the last ferry back to NJ for the day is usually a bit after midnight. As I’m not much to attend after parties, it’s a great way for your budget to stay in NJ and still make it the convention early, as the ferry runs around every 30 minutes .
