I started my reporting from New York Comic Con with good intentions and, yet, sadly, only managed a day one overall NYCC 2022 article. I did write up two panels for Multiversity Comics: the George Perez Tribute and “Criminal Compulsions: The Appeal of Crime Fiction.”
But neither of those conveyed the overall feeling of being at NYCC 2022.
The good news for those who love conventions: the crowds are back. The bad news for those who love conventions: the crowds are back.
The crowd of the four days of NYCC multiplied until, by Saturday, it became an obstacle course to navigate the exhibition floor and Artists Alley. There was even a physical altercation in Artists Alley on Sunday. That was due to the increasing prominence of the second-hand collector business, also evidenced by the huge WhatNot and eBay booths on the exhibition floor.
However, it’s still a great con, especially with pre-planning.
General Impressions of NYCC 2022
I’ve been attending NYCC on and off for a decade now. The biggest change by far is how the focus has shifted from the big American comic companies to those focused on anime and manga. The biggest exhibits in 2022 were for One Piece, Dragonball Z, and a few others. Marvel had a booth for live events but it didn’t compare to the anime/manga publishers.
While DC Comics had a bunch of announcements and panels, and Marvel had a few, it seems like superhero comics have lost the generational war. Or, at least, anime, manga, and video games have pulled even.
The beautiful new north wing of the Javits center added much to the NYCC experience The panel rooms are spacious with comfortable seating, the bathrooms are enormous and can almost handle the large crowds without a line, and the windows on each floor offer great views overlooking the Hudson River. (Yes, I put lack of bathroom lines ahead of great views.)
No longer did I feel trapped in the bowels of the Javits center basement. Unfortunately, some panels, Artist Alley, the autograph lines, and the lines for the Main Stage are still down in that aesthetically unpleasing space.
The addition of food trucks outdoors one floor below the street-level entrances also improved the con experience, as it’s a choice between that and the claustrophobic experience of eating inside as people sprawl everywhere. The variety of food is better too.
Unfortunately, as the crowds increased, the food truck level turned into an outdoor echo chamber with nowhere to sit and eat. I found seating on the sidewalks in another area but that became problematic because smoking was permitted in that space. (I’m allergic to cigarette smoke. I don’t begrudge the smokers a chance to inhale, I only wish for outdoor seating where I can eat without joining them.)
I wish there were better options at a reasonable distance from the con.
The Panel Pre-Registration
This was my first experience pre-registering for panels on the Main Stage and Empire Stage, located in the new north wing. It worked wonderfully with one caveat: there is still some waiting in line.
I lined up for Ghosts on the Main Stage an hour early and managed to snag a seat in the third row which allowed me to catch the moment in the photo below at the end of the panel. I arrived about 45 minutes early to Wheel of Time/Rings of Power, Good Omens, Star Trek, and Keeping it Weird. I didn’t get front-row seating during those times but I sat close enough to see the actors rather than watching the giant screens located on either side. I have never attended so many big-name panels because the last thing I wanted to do with my day was to wait hours in line, especially without knowing whether I’d make it inside.
However, perhaps it’s my age–57–but for the first time, sitting down while waiting in line bothered me. It was particularly bad sitting on the concrete floor outside the Main Stage. The north wing panel waiting areas at least featured carpet. Conventions need to think more carefully about allowing more accessibility, somehow. My back (I have some medical issues with it) was not happy with me.
A few attendees thought ahead and brought portable travel chairs. I googled and you can find them at Amazon for under $50. A folding one without back support weighed about 2 pounds, while the one with back support is about 4 pounds. Not a terrific solution to haul around one’s own chair but I might try it next year.
However, once inside the room for these big-name panels, a crowd-warner kept the audience entertained, usually by asking for volunteers for trivia or karaoke, or dancing. These warm-ups ranged from embarrassing to fun. At one point, the entire audience joined in for a rendition of “Don’t Stop Believing.”
I’ll definitely use pre-registration next year.
NYCC 2022 Vendors
To my mind, there are still too many figurine/toy vendors and too few clothing and craft vendors. However, I’m not a figurine collector. so that’s my personal preference. There were two tea vendors, which thrilled me, and a couple of good jewelry vendors. I wish the clothing vendors had more than jackets and t-shirts. However, I spotted a new-to-me clothing vendor I loved: The Leggings Lass.
My Marvel sherpa hoodie/robe from the Leggings Lass is my new favorite piece of clothing and I will be wearing it all through the New England winter. I will also be purchasing more leggings, like the ones at the top of this article. They are super-comfy and THEY HAVE POCKETS.
On the geeky food side, there was my old favorite, Tea & Absinthe, but I had purchased a big sampler from them at ConnectiCon this summer. Instead, I picked up my tea from D&Tea, a new-to-me nerd tea company. I picked up Tavern Brawl, a tea with chocolate and subtle coconut flavors, and Volcano Inferno, a smoky Lapsang Souchong-based tea. Like the fandom blends at Tea & Absinthe, I highly recommend D&Tea. It holds its flavor well and it’s good for two servings.
Finally, in Artists Alley, I purchased the trade paperback of Forgotten Home by Erica Schultz, Marika Cresta, and Matt Emmons. This is the story of a mother and daughter in exile on Earth from a fantasy world who are pulled back into that world’s neverending war by Grandma, who is a truly terrifying villain. It’s a terrific story. I reviewed one of the digital issues when I was writing for GeekMom. I was delighted when I set down to read and discovered a quote from me on the back of the paperback.
Lodging for NYCC 2022
I have a horror story about the DoubleTree on 40th Street where we stayed during NYCC. I expected the crowded, noisy New York City experience because we were right across from the Port Authority. However, inside the hotel, it was one problem after another until the breaking point was soured milk purchased from their service area that my son had to spit out in the sink. We will not be staying there again and I recommend against anyone else ever staying there.
I choose the hotel because the location was ten minutes from the con and the pricing was okay-ish for New York City. Plus, they were one of the NYCC-affiliated hotels. I know better now.
Since I’m going back next year, and since New York City hotels can be hard to find at that time of year, I already booked a Family Suite at the New Yorker on 35th Street. It’s convenient to the con, it has two rooms, a mini-fridge, and I’ll get a balcony. It will cost more than this year but no sour milk, no fighting to get the mini-fridge that was promised, and it’s a larger room.
Because if it’s one thing I learned from NYCC 2022, it’s that having a comfortable place to decompress is a must.