Another year, another instance where our annual NYCC wrap up wasn't supposed to be. You'll hopefully recall that HD in Effect only got into last year's Con because a great friend had our backs.
Well, this year, not only was he unable to have our dorsums- by Friday morning, we didn't have a single ticket. However, our EIC HD wasn't deterred, and he went to the Javits and worked magic. What magic, you ask? Find out in our Comic Con 2015: Journal Wrap-Up!
FRIDAY:
I wanted to kiss this man with something straight outta Brokeback Mountain (wait). There it was. The plastic, Walking Dead Friday pass, my hero gripping the top with his grubby fingers.
Moments prior:
"I have an extra Friday pass if any of you are interested." The guy next to me was seconds from my Muramasa blade to his throat if he'd dared said, "Yes." Which would've been appropriate at such a venue, anyways.
So, of course, I snagged it with the quickness. Because, spending all of NYCC Friday playing actual Frogger on a bike for my delivery job was not how I envisioned things going. I didn't go to Special Edition; I didn't have the scratch to cop tickets online; and the NYCC email alerts didn't bother telling me about the date for the Midtown Comics sale.
Arriving at the Center around 1, I looked for any possible way to get in, short of taking a Koopa shell to the knee and needing medical assistance from Princess Peach inside. After prancing back and forth outside (and snapping this great Thing costume)
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for an entry, my chance came from this guy offering DragonBall Z T-shirts and a Dragonball as trivia prizes. Of course, as I consider myself somewhat of a DBZ aficionado, I won easily and earned the schwag.
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Side Note: What was the original race of people on Planet Vegeta before the Saiyans? I'll forgive you in advance for having Googled the answer before coming back.
As fortune had it, my savior was also nearby and became Mr. Awesome in a Flash.
So in I proceeded at 3 pm.
After a brief jaunt through Artists' Alley, where i marked out for Archie Sonic and Finn Balor cosplay, I remembered I was strapped for time, since I wanted to go to the Geeks Of Color and "Headlocked" panels at 6:30 and 8, respectively. This velociraptor stalled me for a bit though.
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Nonetheless, I beelined to The Block art and design section, which had this sweet Hulkbuster Iron-Man...
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...and some glossy looking Wii U controllers. Which strangely enough looked like Gamecube controllers. And almost made me become a Nintendo guy again. Almost.
![]()
Any NYCC veteran knows this show is prime real estate for dangerous weapons purchases. And this year surely didn't disappoint.
![]()
Well, unless you note that nobody got their skull cut out by a sword cane. But even if such a heinous attack happened, we're sure the Powerpuff Girls on testosterone would've saved the day.
![]()
At the "Geeks Of Color" panel, I learned how not to be racist in pop culture (hint: not every Asian comic book character needs to have chopsticks in their hair).
But the real fun came at the "Headlocked: Wrestling And Comics Collide" panel, a discussion about a wrestling comic book that featured creator Mike Kingston and contributors Shane "Hurricane" Helms and Jerry "The King" Lawler.
Hurricane and Kingston I could care less about, but any occasion to hear and see Lawler in person is one I wouldn't miss.
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He got a bit emotional when mentioning how the biggest check his father ever brought home-with overtime from his assembly plant job-was for $99 (something, something, employees stealing surplus value from workers). But it turns out, he's not only one of the best wrestlers of all time, but a damn talented drawer and Neal Adams fan to boot.
Later, I met up with some once-a-year friends in the Javits' catacombs before we split around 10.
SATURDAY:
I'm starting with this girl's picture because it perfectly captured my struggle for today. We both needed Saturday tickets, and didn't want to mess with the chain-smoking scalpers hawking passes for $150 a pop. The only difference is that, unlike me, she actually bartered her talent for a ticket.
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Much respect, to Whoever-The-Hell-You-Are Girl. You inspired me to keep badgering patrons for any extra Saturday passes when things looked bleak. I hope you made it inside. As for yours truly, my begging continued until 2:45, when my second Comic Con savior emerged.
I knew he was instant prey. The flawless removal of the Saturday pass from around the neck; the soft, purple T-shirt revealing his sensitive heart; the plastic sunglasses surely hiding a face worn down from endless cosplays, catchphrase chants and mock battles. And I struck.
"Hey sir, are you leaving for the day?"
"Yeah."
"Awesome. I wanted to see if I could possibly have your pass."
He looked at me.
Damn. No way in Hell he's gonna sell me a Saturday ticket for a Con in the world's most famous city for under $100.
"Do you have $20?"
Ga-whauutt?
After I came back to (in seconds), I enthusiastically handed him a $20 I was gonna use for my phone bill, grabbed my pass and headed for the scan-in. Sorry to the guy who tried buying my new pass off me literally seconds later. Everyone knows Saturday is the day to be here.
And with that, I returned to The Block and bumped into these awesome chairs.
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They're called Yogibos, and they automatically conform to any relaxation techniques you exercise on them. Like bean bags that mold to your shape. I loved how it it instantly turned into a chair when I sat down. Wouldn't bother paying the $230.00 price tag though. Especially considering how I could replicate the same results with a very rotund friend of mine-whenever I feel like-for free.
On a random, but kinda related note, anyone have $11,000 I can borrow for this awesome. Toy Tokyo Mario statue?
![]()
I can't promise I'll ever pay you back, but we can work something out where you can borrow it for one hour out the entire year. Fair?
The event manual noted a Regular Show panel at the Hammerstein Ballroom at 4:15. So knowing I couldn't miss that either, I got ready for the short walk over, but not before discovering this appalling sight.
![]()
Is this how the upcoming Batman V. Superman movie ends? Kal-El falling to Mr. Wayne's fistful of Kryptonite? Assist to Alfred, we assume?
But onward to the Regular Show panel, which started 20 minutes late and featured creator J.G Quintel and Co. (Quintel's regular speaking voice is Mordecai's BTW). The crew treated us to a small clip of an upcoming episode where the blue jay and Rigby have to take care of Benson's pig. That's gonna end well.
![]()
I tried getting a free Regular Show Movie DVD by trying to ask a great question in the Q and A section, but man, being way in the back made it impossible to beat the lines before Quintel ended it. But at least we got to see another small clip of the flick.
Once returning to the Javits, I hit up the "Logic And Steve Blum" panel, discussing Hip-Hop and anime. But since that was boring as shit I bounced and continued jaunting through the outer floor, since the main show floor had already closed.
And again, I met up with my annual friends for the post-show yuks and adventures (which spawned this beautiful nonsense).
SUNDAY:
Given my luck, just chilling outside the Center and snapping pics of Sailor Moon Maids and this sweet, Back To The Future-ish car was good enough for today.
![]()
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What a Con. The first and probably only one where I got in free one day and paid $20 for the busiest day. Essentially, I paid under $30 for two days. Take that, scalper who was mocking me and my blue Panasonic bike!
But lesson learned. For next year,I'll justwait until after someone purchases NYCC 2016 tickets from Special Edition, thenuse the velociraptor to steal from themmake sureI get them soon as they go online.
More event pics below:
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Well, this year, not only was he unable to have our dorsums- by Friday morning, we didn't have a single ticket. However, our EIC HD wasn't deterred, and he went to the Javits and worked magic. What magic, you ask? Find out in our Comic Con 2015: Journal Wrap-Up!
FRIDAY:
I wanted to kiss this man with something straight outta Brokeback Mountain (wait). There it was. The plastic, Walking Dead Friday pass, my hero gripping the top with his grubby fingers.
Moments prior:
"I have an extra Friday pass if any of you are interested." The guy next to me was seconds from my Muramasa blade to his throat if he'd dared said, "Yes." Which would've been appropriate at such a venue, anyways.
So, of course, I snagged it with the quickness. Because, spending all of NYCC Friday playing actual Frogger on a bike for my delivery job was not how I envisioned things going. I didn't go to Special Edition; I didn't have the scratch to cop tickets online; and the NYCC email alerts didn't bother telling me about the date for the Midtown Comics sale.
Arriving at the Center around 1, I looked for any possible way to get in, short of taking a Koopa shell to the knee and needing medical assistance from Princess Peach inside. After prancing back and forth outside (and snapping this great Thing costume)
for an entry, my chance came from this guy offering DragonBall Z T-shirts and a Dragonball as trivia prizes. Of course, as I consider myself somewhat of a DBZ aficionado, I won easily and earned the schwag.
Side Note: What was the original race of people on Planet Vegeta before the Saiyans? I'll forgive you in advance for having Googled the answer before coming back.
As fortune had it, my savior was also nearby and became Mr. Awesome in a Flash.
So in I proceeded at 3 pm.
After a brief jaunt through Artists' Alley, where i marked out for Archie Sonic and Finn Balor cosplay, I remembered I was strapped for time, since I wanted to go to the Geeks Of Color and "Headlocked" panels at 6:30 and 8, respectively. This velociraptor stalled me for a bit though.
Nonetheless, I beelined to The Block art and design section, which had this sweet Hulkbuster Iron-Man...
...and some glossy looking Wii U controllers. Which strangely enough looked like Gamecube controllers. And almost made me become a Nintendo guy again. Almost.
Any NYCC veteran knows this show is prime real estate for dangerous weapons purchases. And this year surely didn't disappoint.
Well, unless you note that nobody got their skull cut out by a sword cane. But even if such a heinous attack happened, we're sure the Powerpuff Girls on testosterone would've saved the day.
At the "Geeks Of Color" panel, I learned how not to be racist in pop culture (hint: not every Asian comic book character needs to have chopsticks in their hair).
But the real fun came at the "Headlocked: Wrestling And Comics Collide" panel, a discussion about a wrestling comic book that featured creator Mike Kingston and contributors Shane "Hurricane" Helms and Jerry "The King" Lawler.
Hurricane and Kingston I could care less about, but any occasion to hear and see Lawler in person is one I wouldn't miss.
He got a bit emotional when mentioning how the biggest check his father ever brought home-with overtime from his assembly plant job-was for $99 (something, something, employees stealing surplus value from workers). But it turns out, he's not only one of the best wrestlers of all time, but a damn talented drawer and Neal Adams fan to boot.
Later, I met up with some once-a-year friends in the Javits' catacombs before we split around 10.
SATURDAY:
I'm starting with this girl's picture because it perfectly captured my struggle for today. We both needed Saturday tickets, and didn't want to mess with the chain-smoking scalpers hawking passes for $150 a pop. The only difference is that, unlike me, she actually bartered her talent for a ticket.
Much respect, to Whoever-The-Hell-You-Are Girl. You inspired me to keep badgering patrons for any extra Saturday passes when things looked bleak. I hope you made it inside. As for yours truly, my begging continued until 2:45, when my second Comic Con savior emerged.
I knew he was instant prey. The flawless removal of the Saturday pass from around the neck; the soft, purple T-shirt revealing his sensitive heart; the plastic sunglasses surely hiding a face worn down from endless cosplays, catchphrase chants and mock battles. And I struck.
"Hey sir, are you leaving for the day?"
"Yeah."
"Awesome. I wanted to see if I could possibly have your pass."
He looked at me.
Damn. No way in Hell he's gonna sell me a Saturday ticket for a Con in the world's most famous city for under $100.
"Do you have $20?"
Ga-whauutt?
After I came back to (in seconds), I enthusiastically handed him a $20 I was gonna use for my phone bill, grabbed my pass and headed for the scan-in. Sorry to the guy who tried buying my new pass off me literally seconds later. Everyone knows Saturday is the day to be here.
And with that, I returned to The Block and bumped into these awesome chairs.
They're called Yogibos, and they automatically conform to any relaxation techniques you exercise on them. Like bean bags that mold to your shape. I loved how it it instantly turned into a chair when I sat down. Wouldn't bother paying the $230.00 price tag though. Especially considering how I could replicate the same results with a very rotund friend of mine-whenever I feel like-for free.
On a random, but kinda related note, anyone have $11,000 I can borrow for this awesome. Toy Tokyo Mario statue?
I can't promise I'll ever pay you back, but we can work something out where you can borrow it for one hour out the entire year. Fair?
The event manual noted a Regular Show panel at the Hammerstein Ballroom at 4:15. So knowing I couldn't miss that either, I got ready for the short walk over, but not before discovering this appalling sight.
Is this how the upcoming Batman V. Superman movie ends? Kal-El falling to Mr. Wayne's fistful of Kryptonite? Assist to Alfred, we assume?
But onward to the Regular Show panel, which started 20 minutes late and featured creator J.G Quintel and Co. (Quintel's regular speaking voice is Mordecai's BTW). The crew treated us to a small clip of an upcoming episode where the blue jay and Rigby have to take care of Benson's pig. That's gonna end well.
I tried getting a free Regular Show Movie DVD by trying to ask a great question in the Q and A section, but man, being way in the back made it impossible to beat the lines before Quintel ended it. But at least we got to see another small clip of the flick.
Once returning to the Javits, I hit up the "Logic And Steve Blum" panel, discussing Hip-Hop and anime. But since that was boring as shit I bounced and continued jaunting through the outer floor, since the main show floor had already closed.
And again, I met up with my annual friends for the post-show yuks and adventures (which spawned this beautiful nonsense).
SUNDAY:
Given my luck, just chilling outside the Center and snapping pics of Sailor Moon Maids and this sweet, Back To The Future-ish car was good enough for today.
What a Con. The first and probably only one where I got in free one day and paid $20 for the busiest day. Essentially, I paid under $30 for two days. Take that, scalper who was mocking me and my blue Panasonic bike!
But lesson learned. For next year,I'll just
More event pics below:
