So, how was your New York Comic Con?
One of pop culture’s biggest conventions returned to the Javits Center this year after a COVID-19 induced hiatus last year. Acknowledging that there’s still a pandemic, this year’s show required vaccination for attendees 12 and up, masks, reduced capacity, increased sanitization, social distancing signage and all the other hallmarks of American life in 2021.
And while many of the major comics publishers scaled back or eliminated their presence in New York, there were still announcements to be made — most notably the return of Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ Saga after a three-year hiatus.
Attendees also were treated to an Artist Alley that included known quantities such as James Tynion IV, Chris Claremont, Donny Cates, Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo and Rob Liefeld.
But I wasn’t there. I had a wedding to go to. And there were plenty of others who didn’t go, either due to COVID concerns, or maybe it was announced too late for people to alter their vacation plans, or some other reason.
Fortunately for me and the rest of the FOMO crowd, I know people who were. So I asked them to share mini NYCC travelogues with us:
Stephanie Phillips, writer, Harley Quinn and Wonder Woman: Evolution:
I was pretty anxious headed to NYCC, but the experience was great. The proof of vaccination process was really smooth, and I hope that sets the precedent for other cons as we learn how to safely do this in the age of COVID. Everyone at the show was respectful, and the extra spacing in Artist Alley made things feel less crowded. I thought everything was very well managed and a good model for how we can begin to return to these spaces in ways that will be safe and conscientious to what’s happening in the world.
David Pepose, writer, Spencer & Locke, The O.Z. and Scout’s Honor:
As my second show since the pandemic (the first was Rose City Comic Con), NYCC was definitely a long-awaited benchmark for future cons. The crowds were certainly smaller than usual — and having signed in both locations, there was definitely a difference in foot traffic between the main show floor and Artist Alley downstairs.
But given the still-ongoing pandemic climate, I honestly didn’t mind everyone not being shoulder-to-shoulder like a typical year — and having so many readers come back to catch up on Spencer & Locke 2 or to gush about The O.Z. or Scout’s Honor was just such a welcome reminder that even if we’ve been socially distancing all this time, people still are connecting with our work out there.
But as a creator, I feel like many of us were looking to reconnect socially just as much as to make sales. It’s been an anxiety-inducing year and a half, and the comics industry has faced its own unique challenges in the face of COVID, so I think seeing old friends and meeting new peers and fans who have each shared in that particular experience felt really cathartic in a lot of ways.
For me, my favorite moment from the show was getting to hang out with my editors and colleagues, particularly the crew at AfterShock. Given that the vast majority of my book Scout’s Honor was produced during the pandemic, it was a really validating experience to feel like a valued member of their team.
I think there’s still a lot of evolving that we’re going to see in the comics business over the next few years, but interacting with so many talented publishers at NYCC makes me feel really hopeful, both in terms of my own work ahead and the industry as a whole!
Ben Kahn, writer, Renegade Rule, Immortals Fenyx Rising: From Great Beginnings
After a year away, it was great being back at NYCC. It was definitely different, for sure. A lot of the traditional big booths weren’t there, and limited capacity meant you could actually walk around instead of feeling like you’re in a sardine can. Everyone I saw was great about wearing masks. I love how many people incorporated masks into their costumes — lots of ninjas from Mortal Kombat walking around. I know for me personally, the best part was getting to see friends I hadn’t seen in a long while.
Adam Reck, artist, co-host of Battle of the Atom and occasional ComicsXF writer:
I got onto the elevator at the Port Authority and was quickly joined by another convention-goer already rolling his eyes about how “this one’s gonna be different!”
But really? NYCC 2021 wasn’t *that* different from the annual show, and the changes that were apparent were really welcome. Wider lanes on the showfloor and down in Artist Alley allowed for easier traffic. Reduced crowd size made the lanes navigable in ways they almost never are. The biggest difference was the absence of the major publishers and their schedule of talented writers and artists, but big names still filled the gap, with Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo doing a big launch with comiXology, Brian K. Vaughan announcing the return of Saga and … y’know, whatever it is Rob Liefeld does.
Conventions-goers wore their wristbands and their masks. There was fantastic and creative cosplay. I was able to longbox dig, grab some collectibles, AND watch John Romita Jr. draw Daredevil. Whatever anyone’s expectations, this weekend proved that big cons are not going anywhere, and that public safety measures can work.
Whether this can happen in cities without NYC’s stringent requirements (No beers were consumed in the city this weekend without presenting my vaccination card!) remains to be seen. I had a great time, and am a little less apprehensive about going to C2E2.
Dan Grote is the editor-in-chief of ComicsXF, having won the site by ritual combat. By day, he’s a newspaper editor, and by night, he’s … also an editor. He co-hosts WMQ&A: The ComicsXF Interview Podcast with Matt Lazorwitz. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, two kids and two miniature dachshunds, and his third, fictional son, Peter Winston Wisdom.
