New York Comic Con / Anime Festival 2011
The exhibition hall at NYCC.
Location: The Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan
Dates Attended: October 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th, 2011
Another New York Comic Con / Anime Festival has come and gone! Once again Jessica Jolt and I attended together, along with several of our friends. Unlike last year, however, Jessica and I received Press badges for 2011. This was the first con I have ever received a Press badge for, so I was curious to see how the change in badge might change my con-going experience. Over the course of the weekend I found that the answer to that question was “not much”.
For this year’s New York Comic Con, attendees could buy a special, limited four-day badge that included Thursday evening along with Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. When passes for 2011 first went on sale, I actually did buy myself a four-day badge. I think I can safely say that being able to attend on Thursday is completely worth the extra money it costs to upgrade from a three-day badge to a four-day. The badge I originally ordered came in the mail a couple of weeks before the convention, just like last year. Upon arriving at the Javits Center we found that there were bins filled with lanyards all around the badge pick-up area, as well as people handing the lanyards out along the lines waiting to get into the building; plus you could pick up guide books from several locations. As I stated last year, I really do love the method of mailing the badges out beforehand; it is a huge time-saver. But I wouldn’t be using that badge! No, a friend took that one, and Jessica and I went to find where we could pick up our Press badges. Once we found the Press area, we got our badges very quickly. We observed that the regular badge pick-up line also seemed to move very quickly and efficiently.
Stepping into the Exhibition Hall with almost zero crowding was wonderful. We actually got to really look at things and take pictures freely without blocking traffic or getting pushed. Having the opportunity to play the The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword pre-release game sample after only a twenty minute wait rather than a two hour one, then getting a Skyward Sword t-shirt in my size for playing? To me, that alone was worth the extra $20 to add Thursday to a badge. Then again, I am a huge Zelda fan. Still, on Thursday we were really able to look closely and enjoy the displays, as opposed to seeing what we could while getting moved along in a sea of people. If there is anything I regret, it's not making sure I saw more on Thursday. Alas, we were all hungry and figured we would see more throughout the rest of the weekend, so we left a little early to find dinner. I am actually more than fairly certain that over the course of the convention I only saw two thirds of the Exhibition Hall and Artist's Alley area. Did I mention that it was positively massive? That might actually be an understatement.
On Friday our party arrived around 10:30 and headed straight for the Exhibitor Hall. Jessica and I had RSVP’d as press to the unveiling of Romeo and Juliet: The War featuring the writer, Stan Lee. The event was set to happen at noon at the 1821 booth, and we wanted to get there early to find out what exactly was going on. By 11:15, we’d made our way over, but still weren’t met with many answers. Figuring it would be best to stay put, we planted ourselves and got our cameras ready. Around 11:30 Stan Lee appeared and was seated behind the table to wait. The area turned into a mob scene very quickly; people pushing, blocking the aisle- the police actually showed up and demanded to see someone in charge. Stan Lee was to do a signing as well, and there wasn’t even an organized line for that. Someone manning the booth referred to things as a “clusterf***” and that was, unfortunately, an apt description. From what I understand, there was supposed to be security sent up to help with the event, but they never turned up at the booth, hence things got completely out of hand. I was very excited for information on the book (I have been waiting eagerly for news since I first heard about it a year ago) and could hardly hear what was being said, though I was right at the front of the crowd. I tried to get in a question to Stan Lee after the unveiling (“Are there any other Shakespeare works you would be interested in working with?”) but had no luck. Everything was chaotic, so Jessica and I escaped the scene and went on our way.
If you can’t get the four-day badge, Friday is probably the best day to see things in the Exhibitor Hall. While there were crowds, they were manageable and we were able to stop and take pictures of cosplayers as well as have pictures of our own cosplays taken without guilt over blocking pathways. We were also able to go get some comic books signed in the Artist’s Alley, look at the works on display there, and even find a corner to sit and rest our feet in for a little while. The day did hit a bit of a snag for me when I went to have a Firefly book signed by Jewel Staite and was told to come back Saturday because she was not there. The program and mobile application had both said she would be signing on Friday, so I was disappointed. I couldn’t bring the book back on Saturday because I was in full body paint and had no way to carry it.
Later on in the day we went to the Marvel area of the Exhibit Hall (an incredible Avengers themed stage) to get in on some of the giveaways. During the first we saw we were towards the back, so obviously we did not get anything. We joked that “Marvel hates short people” and came back early for the next round of giveaways where we wondered if Marvel does in fact hate short people! We were right at the front and kept having stuff handed to the taller folks behind us! Fortunately, we didn’t walk away totally empty handed; I got a few comic books and a friend of mine got a Thor and Loki: Blood Brothers DVD. We had a good time, and it was actually really exciting to be there at the front of the crowd. By the time the giveaway ended, the Exhibition Hall was closing up so we headed out to get dinner up on 44th street at John’s Pizza.
Saturday is a big day at New York Comic Con, and this year was no exception. When Jessica and I arrived, we could hardly move in the Exhibition Hall and got out quickly. We found some free space near the Cartoon Network Lounge area and pretty much camped out there to take pictures and have pictures taken. While we planned to go to the "Marvel Presents: The Avengers" panel, we were informed that the IGN Theater had filled up as soon as the doors had opened that morning, and people were pretty much just camping out in there all day until the Avengers panel, so we would not be able to get in. There was also no press area or special admittance into any of the IGN Theater panels, so the Press badge was not particularly helpful. I found myself making comparisons to Dragon*Con when it came to these big events: Dragon*Con does not allow people to line up more than an hour before each panel, and they clear out the room after every panel. While this may cause you to have to choose between two panels, in the long run I think that this is a better practice and gives everyone a better opportunity to see the panels they really want to and see the rest of the convention. Another option could be a ticket lottery, or having tickets in general (or names, to counteract people scalping panel tickets). With how things went this year, I would imagine people were shut out of panels they had serious interest in because chairs were taken by people camped out for The Avengers, and that doesn’t seem fair.
After a little while, Jessica and I headed outside with some friends to have a cosplay photo shoot. This is really not the best con for photo shoots, but we were able to find a place that worked for our costumes, and was out of the way enough to not worry about crowding or people photo-bombing. We took our pictures, then walked over to a nearby McDonalds to get lunch. The McDonalds, however, was so packed with people that we couldn’t even get into the building let alone get food, so we went to the next closest McDonalds, which turned out to be a little farther away than we thought. When we made it back to the convention we decided to line up for the Masquerade. Again, there was no special Press access, so we got into the normal line.
The Masquerade line was scary. I do not say that as an exaggeration. I was anxious for my own safety as well as the safety of the people around me (including a small boy who could not have been older than six or seven). What happened on the Masquerade line was not ok, and it is something that the staff of New York Comic Con must work to prevent in the future. We started in one room, which was not so bad. The line aisles were wide, but not overly so. We got a little frustrated that we weren’t allowed to sit down even though we were packed in very tightly, but let it pass. When the line began to move into the second holding area in another room, however, things got frightening. People started to run, trying to get past each other, to get farther ahead in line. The line aisles were also much wider which somehow made for more of a crush of people. We stood like this for two hours (we were in line a total of three hours). They did not start letting in until an hour after the Masquerade was set to begin. I and several other people in my group were having panic and anxiety attacks in the crush of people that seemed to keep pushing and trying to rush forward, and no staff member did anything to try and stop things. It was a fire hazard, and if someone had fallen, they could have easily been trampled. It was not safe. When the door finally did open, people rushed forward and again, I got crushed into my friend's backpack and had people shoving behind me. As we went into the theater, staff members apologized to us, but did not try to stop the chaos that was erupting, even when informed of specific people who were trying to shove their way ahead. We took seats near the middle of the theater, where we thought we would be able to take decent pictures without heads in the way, and quickly realized that the theater was only half full. After all of that pandemonium and three hours of waiting, the theater was not even close to filled. That was incredibly frustrating, especially considering we were already in poor spirits from the line. Frustrations did not cease then, either. After three hours of waiting, and the Masquerade already being an hour late to begin, we had to sit through a half-hour short film from Japan. While under normal circumstances, I do not think people would have minded watching the short film, the crowd started booing and got very agitated. My group was agitated too; we did not come to see the film, were not informed that there would be a film in the first place, and the Masquerade seemed to just be getting further delayed.
When the Masquerade did at last begin, spirits lightened and we all settled in and enjoyed ourselves. Uncle Yo hosted again and had the room laughing. There seemed to be fewer acts this year than last year, but considering how tired we were, I did not really mind a shorter show. The Half-Time Show was a direct sequel to the Half-Time Show from last year’s Masquerade, and was well done and funny. After the Masquerade had ended, we headed to a diner to get some food, then headed home to get some sleep.
On Sunday we got a late start, and didn’t get to the convention until after noon. It was surprisingly crowded for a Sunday; the crowds in the Exhibition Hall seemed to be left over from Saturday, so we went up to the Anime Festival Artist’s Alley and spent most of the day looking around there. While it was crowded, it was maneuverable, and we were able to take pictures and have pictures taken. The quality of fan artists present seemed pretty high as well, so we enjoyed scoping out what people had brought.
Overall, I had a great time with my friends at New York Comic Con / Anime Festival 2011, but from an objective standpoint it was definitely too crowded, and there were definitely problems when it came to events. While the free Press badge was greatly appreciated and nice to have, it did not seem to offer much else, unless we were simply out of the loop. I would definitely go back next year; in fact I am already making plans to, but I sincerely hope that the staff will take a look at things like this year’s Masquerade line and the overcrowding, and make some changes. This con can be truly great, it just needs a little more care. Trust me, the fans would appreciate it. I know I would.
Dates Attended: October 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th, 2011
Another New York Comic Con / Anime Festival has come and gone! Once again Jessica Jolt and I attended together, along with several of our friends. Unlike last year, however, Jessica and I received Press badges for 2011. This was the first con I have ever received a Press badge for, so I was curious to see how the change in badge might change my con-going experience. Over the course of the weekend I found that the answer to that question was “not much”.
For this year’s New York Comic Con, attendees could buy a special, limited four-day badge that included Thursday evening along with Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. When passes for 2011 first went on sale, I actually did buy myself a four-day badge. I think I can safely say that being able to attend on Thursday is completely worth the extra money it costs to upgrade from a three-day badge to a four-day. The badge I originally ordered came in the mail a couple of weeks before the convention, just like last year. Upon arriving at the Javits Center we found that there were bins filled with lanyards all around the badge pick-up area, as well as people handing the lanyards out along the lines waiting to get into the building; plus you could pick up guide books from several locations. As I stated last year, I really do love the method of mailing the badges out beforehand; it is a huge time-saver. But I wouldn’t be using that badge! No, a friend took that one, and Jessica and I went to find where we could pick up our Press badges. Once we found the Press area, we got our badges very quickly. We observed that the regular badge pick-up line also seemed to move very quickly and efficiently.
Stepping into the Exhibition Hall with almost zero crowding was wonderful. We actually got to really look at things and take pictures freely without blocking traffic or getting pushed. Having the opportunity to play the The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword pre-release game sample after only a twenty minute wait rather than a two hour one, then getting a Skyward Sword t-shirt in my size for playing? To me, that alone was worth the extra $20 to add Thursday to a badge. Then again, I am a huge Zelda fan. Still, on Thursday we were really able to look closely and enjoy the displays, as opposed to seeing what we could while getting moved along in a sea of people. If there is anything I regret, it's not making sure I saw more on Thursday. Alas, we were all hungry and figured we would see more throughout the rest of the weekend, so we left a little early to find dinner. I am actually more than fairly certain that over the course of the convention I only saw two thirds of the Exhibition Hall and Artist's Alley area. Did I mention that it was positively massive? That might actually be an understatement.
On Friday our party arrived around 10:30 and headed straight for the Exhibitor Hall. Jessica and I had RSVP’d as press to the unveiling of Romeo and Juliet: The War featuring the writer, Stan Lee. The event was set to happen at noon at the 1821 booth, and we wanted to get there early to find out what exactly was going on. By 11:15, we’d made our way over, but still weren’t met with many answers. Figuring it would be best to stay put, we planted ourselves and got our cameras ready. Around 11:30 Stan Lee appeared and was seated behind the table to wait. The area turned into a mob scene very quickly; people pushing, blocking the aisle- the police actually showed up and demanded to see someone in charge. Stan Lee was to do a signing as well, and there wasn’t even an organized line for that. Someone manning the booth referred to things as a “clusterf***” and that was, unfortunately, an apt description. From what I understand, there was supposed to be security sent up to help with the event, but they never turned up at the booth, hence things got completely out of hand. I was very excited for information on the book (I have been waiting eagerly for news since I first heard about it a year ago) and could hardly hear what was being said, though I was right at the front of the crowd. I tried to get in a question to Stan Lee after the unveiling (“Are there any other Shakespeare works you would be interested in working with?”) but had no luck. Everything was chaotic, so Jessica and I escaped the scene and went on our way.
If you can’t get the four-day badge, Friday is probably the best day to see things in the Exhibitor Hall. While there were crowds, they were manageable and we were able to stop and take pictures of cosplayers as well as have pictures of our own cosplays taken without guilt over blocking pathways. We were also able to go get some comic books signed in the Artist’s Alley, look at the works on display there, and even find a corner to sit and rest our feet in for a little while. The day did hit a bit of a snag for me when I went to have a Firefly book signed by Jewel Staite and was told to come back Saturday because she was not there. The program and mobile application had both said she would be signing on Friday, so I was disappointed. I couldn’t bring the book back on Saturday because I was in full body paint and had no way to carry it.
Later on in the day we went to the Marvel area of the Exhibit Hall (an incredible Avengers themed stage) to get in on some of the giveaways. During the first we saw we were towards the back, so obviously we did not get anything. We joked that “Marvel hates short people” and came back early for the next round of giveaways where we wondered if Marvel does in fact hate short people! We were right at the front and kept having stuff handed to the taller folks behind us! Fortunately, we didn’t walk away totally empty handed; I got a few comic books and a friend of mine got a Thor and Loki: Blood Brothers DVD. We had a good time, and it was actually really exciting to be there at the front of the crowd. By the time the giveaway ended, the Exhibition Hall was closing up so we headed out to get dinner up on 44th street at John’s Pizza.
Saturday is a big day at New York Comic Con, and this year was no exception. When Jessica and I arrived, we could hardly move in the Exhibition Hall and got out quickly. We found some free space near the Cartoon Network Lounge area and pretty much camped out there to take pictures and have pictures taken. While we planned to go to the "Marvel Presents: The Avengers" panel, we were informed that the IGN Theater had filled up as soon as the doors had opened that morning, and people were pretty much just camping out in there all day until the Avengers panel, so we would not be able to get in. There was also no press area or special admittance into any of the IGN Theater panels, so the Press badge was not particularly helpful. I found myself making comparisons to Dragon*Con when it came to these big events: Dragon*Con does not allow people to line up more than an hour before each panel, and they clear out the room after every panel. While this may cause you to have to choose between two panels, in the long run I think that this is a better practice and gives everyone a better opportunity to see the panels they really want to and see the rest of the convention. Another option could be a ticket lottery, or having tickets in general (or names, to counteract people scalping panel tickets). With how things went this year, I would imagine people were shut out of panels they had serious interest in because chairs were taken by people camped out for The Avengers, and that doesn’t seem fair.
After a little while, Jessica and I headed outside with some friends to have a cosplay photo shoot. This is really not the best con for photo shoots, but we were able to find a place that worked for our costumes, and was out of the way enough to not worry about crowding or people photo-bombing. We took our pictures, then walked over to a nearby McDonalds to get lunch. The McDonalds, however, was so packed with people that we couldn’t even get into the building let alone get food, so we went to the next closest McDonalds, which turned out to be a little farther away than we thought. When we made it back to the convention we decided to line up for the Masquerade. Again, there was no special Press access, so we got into the normal line.
The Masquerade line was scary. I do not say that as an exaggeration. I was anxious for my own safety as well as the safety of the people around me (including a small boy who could not have been older than six or seven). What happened on the Masquerade line was not ok, and it is something that the staff of New York Comic Con must work to prevent in the future. We started in one room, which was not so bad. The line aisles were wide, but not overly so. We got a little frustrated that we weren’t allowed to sit down even though we were packed in very tightly, but let it pass. When the line began to move into the second holding area in another room, however, things got frightening. People started to run, trying to get past each other, to get farther ahead in line. The line aisles were also much wider which somehow made for more of a crush of people. We stood like this for two hours (we were in line a total of three hours). They did not start letting in until an hour after the Masquerade was set to begin. I and several other people in my group were having panic and anxiety attacks in the crush of people that seemed to keep pushing and trying to rush forward, and no staff member did anything to try and stop things. It was a fire hazard, and if someone had fallen, they could have easily been trampled. It was not safe. When the door finally did open, people rushed forward and again, I got crushed into my friend's backpack and had people shoving behind me. As we went into the theater, staff members apologized to us, but did not try to stop the chaos that was erupting, even when informed of specific people who were trying to shove their way ahead. We took seats near the middle of the theater, where we thought we would be able to take decent pictures without heads in the way, and quickly realized that the theater was only half full. After all of that pandemonium and three hours of waiting, the theater was not even close to filled. That was incredibly frustrating, especially considering we were already in poor spirits from the line. Frustrations did not cease then, either. After three hours of waiting, and the Masquerade already being an hour late to begin, we had to sit through a half-hour short film from Japan. While under normal circumstances, I do not think people would have minded watching the short film, the crowd started booing and got very agitated. My group was agitated too; we did not come to see the film, were not informed that there would be a film in the first place, and the Masquerade seemed to just be getting further delayed.
When the Masquerade did at last begin, spirits lightened and we all settled in and enjoyed ourselves. Uncle Yo hosted again and had the room laughing. There seemed to be fewer acts this year than last year, but considering how tired we were, I did not really mind a shorter show. The Half-Time Show was a direct sequel to the Half-Time Show from last year’s Masquerade, and was well done and funny. After the Masquerade had ended, we headed to a diner to get some food, then headed home to get some sleep.
On Sunday we got a late start, and didn’t get to the convention until after noon. It was surprisingly crowded for a Sunday; the crowds in the Exhibition Hall seemed to be left over from Saturday, so we went up to the Anime Festival Artist’s Alley and spent most of the day looking around there. While it was crowded, it was maneuverable, and we were able to take pictures and have pictures taken. The quality of fan artists present seemed pretty high as well, so we enjoyed scoping out what people had brought.
Overall, I had a great time with my friends at New York Comic Con / Anime Festival 2011, but from an objective standpoint it was definitely too crowded, and there were definitely problems when it came to events. While the free Press badge was greatly appreciated and nice to have, it did not seem to offer much else, unless we were simply out of the loop. I would definitely go back next year; in fact I am already making plans to, but I sincerely hope that the staff will take a look at things like this year’s Masquerade line and the overcrowding, and make some changes. This con can be truly great, it just needs a little more care. Trust me, the fans would appreciate it. I know I would.
This review was written for Jolt Photography. Do not repost without written permission.