Fandoms, superheroes, cosplay, panels, costumes, and Funko Pop! vinyl figures from movies, TV, music, cartoons, and more. Let’s just say that these Pops! were everythere.
As always, New York Comic Con (NYCC) was a veritable smorgasbord of everyday people of every age group dressed up as their favorite superheroes, movie and TV characters, or whatever the heck they felt like wearing. It is pure escape. It is bona fide fun. It offers a massive shopping opportunity for those invested in pop culture collectibles and apparel. And, if you make the rounds (amid the masses), it is a sure way to lose a pound…or two, particularly if you have the stamina to attend for the full four days.
Full disclosure: This writer spent three days at NYCC and then boarded a bus on Sunday (ironically across the street from the home of NYCC, The Jacob Javits Center) for an overnight celebration in the Catskills courtesy of CBS for its sophomore breakout hit drama, Tracker.
Note to any Comic Con vendors or merchandise creators: I could see an action figure of Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw from Tracker selling out quickly!
By the Numbers
ReedPop, the producer of pop culture events globally, is reporting more than 200,000 attendees made their way through the Javits Center from October 17 through October 20. ReedPop currently features events in North America, Europe and Asia, including New York Comic Con, Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), PAX West, East, and Unplugged, Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC), Star Wars Celebration, MCM Comic Con, Eurogamer Expo (EGX), and MagicCon.
Additionally, some of the the top headliners and biggest panels from NYCC were live streamed through ReedPop’s partnership with the Paragon Creative Agency. Fans who did not make it in person were able to see select pop culture content via two concurrent on Popverse, ReedPop’s pop culture news site, as well as on their media partner’s Screenrant, Collider, CBR, The Illuminerdi and Nerdist’s social channels.
“The energy and sense of community that the fans brought to New York Comic Con this year was unparalleled. Their passion for all things pop culture is the driving force behind our goals to uplevel the event each year, and we are honored to have brought them another stellar weekend where they could further connect with the fandoms they love,” said Kristina Rogers, VP of ReedPop US Comics Portfolio and Star Wars Celebration in a statement.
Financially, NYCC is projected to have generated an estimated economic impact of $80 million for New York City, according to New York City Tourism + Conventions.
The Featured Guests and Panels
So, who were some of the prominent guests and panels at this year’s NYCC? Jason Segel and the cast of Shrinking (sans Harrison Ford) opened the conference in the main stage, proudly announcing a third season renewal for the AppleTV+ dramedy. Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven from Stranger Things) and Chris Pratt spoke at a panel for the upcoming Netflix science fiction adventure dramedy film The Electric State. And other names of note included David Schwimmer, Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Orlando Bloom, John Boyega, and cast members from House of the Dragon.
Other series represented included HBO’s The Penguin, Starz’ Outlander, The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim, The Walking Dead Universe, Disney+’s Goosebumps, FX’s What We Do in the Shadows, and HBO’s Dune: Prophecy. And there were never-before-seen clips from upcoming films including M3GAN 2.0, Venom: The Last Dance, and Karate Kid: Legend.
Floor Highlights
Once upon a time, Comic Con lived up to its title, focusing mainly on comic books, past and present. There was an aura for nostalgia, with merchanding on the stadium-sized floor chock full of TV shows and movies from yesteryear. Anime and manga, which now populates about half the floor, was once relegated to only a small area. And one current comic book franchise that stood out, in particular, were the titles Project Naosis, Omega 2090, and Crimson Payne from Paul Thayer of publisher Visual Vibration.
With the release schedule of at least three new books per year, Thayer’s latest issue, Project Naosis Episode 5, is returning to Kickstarter on November 22nd.
Thayer, additionally, has teamed with Eric Arndt (FKA Enzo Amore), a pro wrestler who now goes by the name Real1, for the 2025 comic book title Lethal Leopard. The book follows Brett Lyons, who transforms into the Lethal Leopard a hybrid Anubis, to take down the demons who rise from the underworld.
Since no NYCC is complete without some fashion statements, here are a few to tickle your fancy.
NYCC will return to the Jacobs Javits Center next year on October 9-12, 2025. See you there. And bring some extra cash to buy a few Funko Pops!
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