Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Alejandra Bodden, Amanda Gurall, comic con, Comics, Daniel Celko, Hannah Menzies, jackie, Jackie Sunderland, Jeremy Konrad, jesse james, Joe Davies, Madeline E Ricchiuto, Marq Romero, Michael Mcdermott, Mike Hogan, new york, Nikolai Fomich, NYCC, patrick willems, Peter Sailer, Richard Johnston, Roman Gebuza, Sofia Annunziata

Over Two Hundred Things We Learned At New York Comic Con

Published Tue, 15 Oct 2013 12:00:39 -0500

by Rich Johnston

Last updated Tue, 15 Oct 2013 13:52:45 -0500

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Sofia Annunziata, Madeline E Ricchiuto, Roman Gebuza, Jesse James, Patrick Willems, Hannah Means Shannon Richard Johnston, Mike Hogan, Joe Davies, Roman Gebuza, Daniel Celko, Alejandra Bodden, Peter Sailer, Amanda Gurall, Marq Romero, Jackie, Nikolai Fomich, Michael Mcdermott, Jeremy Konrad, Elizabeth Heyman and Jackie Sunderland are some of the people who went to New York Comic Con for Bleeding Cool.

This is the sum total of their acquired knowledge. Feel free to work out who is who…

New York Comic Con. It's a magical place.
Some of the magic takes the form of dirt under the fingernails and black snot.
It's a place where Marvel announces loads new comics projects. But not films.
It's a place where DC announces a few new projects. But saves most of them for the solicitations later in the week.
IDW surprises everyone with their Artists Editions line time after time.
The Bleeding Cool panel on Friday afternoon was sparsely attended. The evening one was packed out with a massive crowd and had to turn people away. Guess which one had "Sex Drugs And Rock'N'Roll Of Comics" in the title?
Image Comics save their best stuff for their own convention.
VIP attendees swarm like zombies around the Walking Dead booth.
No matter what they say, DC Comics did not have a booth.
When Marvel didn't have a booth at San Diego once, DC's Bob Wayne mocked the publisher to creators and retailers. Not so much this time.
Indeed, kept underlining to people that they had a booth – but it wasn't exactly a San Diedo stage. The line for Rocket Raccoons did wrap around the convention, however.
Mind you, Marvel should learn to sort out which size T-shirts are in which unlabelled boxes before the show starts.
And maybe not have Publisher of Marvel Comics, Dan Buckley, seen skipping to the front of the line to pick up two Rocket Raccoons for himself, just after an announcement of "one per customer" has been announced.
DC putting a table in Artists Alley for DC signings made the publisher look smaller than Zenescope.
Madefire has recently switched to a moody black background for creators using their tools. And they like it.
ComiXology Submit is adapting pretty quickly to new demands and wants to hear more from creators.
The Women of Marvel panel is as much a social change rally as an info session on upcoming works by female creators. And they wouldn't have it any other way.
Captain Marvel is the new favorite for female cosplay.
But Loki now seems to be a female choice of cosplay rather than a male choice.
Putting comics on cars makes driving seem sexy.
New York Comic con is "a magical place" but Valhalla ain't got no wifi. Why, Odin, why?
A lot more toy booths had toy design artists showing up this year—with free posters signed.
Dark Horse's Mike Richardson keeps all his height in his legs. WHen he sat down with Nick Barrucci in his booth they looked compratively sized.
Titan keeps stepping up with the Walking Dead Magazine exclusives.
If you hang around the Dark Horse booth you'll probably see enough cool creators and have enough fun conversations for a whole con.
Opportunity knocks quietly at NYCC—pay attention to sudden depletion in lines at Marvel to get that WOW Loki t-shirt easily.
The guys who put together vendor and publisher booths and break them down again are some of the nicest people on earth and my God they work so hard.
Sonic and MegaMan comics fans are some savage, passionate folks.
Shelly Bond has enough enthusiasm and determination to win a major national election.
You won't regret looking up in the morning or the evening at all that glass in the Javits center—it really is beautiful in the right light.
Artists Alley has still not become a "ghetto" for artists—it was a total party zone this year and the place to be.
Don't ever let Rich Johnston run around with a Rocket Raccoon. Just don't. And if he does, keep him away from Ben Templesmith.
Don't sign in to activate your NYCC pass using Twitter. Some bad things will happen. Very bad things.
Saying you're from Bleeding Cool will get you either anything you want or turned away completely. There is no middle ground.
Short girls (like me) need to be very wary of certain writers, especially at the after parties.
Karaoke bars have better wifi and more outlets than the Javits Center.
If you're a 19 year old reporter worried that your age will prevent you from being taken seriously, wear a blazer. The general consensus is usually "This bitch has a blazer so she must have her life together!"
Kieron Gillen is passionate about his karaoke.
Neal Adams is the best at introducing panels.
Shoulder blisters are a completely normal side effect of Con, especially when you have been lugging 80 pounds of blogging equipment and comic swag for four days.
The 5-2-1 Rule (Five hours of sleep, two meals, one shower a day) is more a myth than a rule.
It's not a party until the giant cactus starts dancing.
Long lines don't necessarily mean you won't get into a panel. Give it a try.
People really have no idea where they're going on the con floor. They don't. Someone should tell them or there should be fast walk lanes.
Archie Comics panels give out TONS of swag.
Plan carefully in your luggage to bring home your tons of swag.
It's probably better not to try to have in-depth conversations with anyone on the show floor on a Saturday. Or learn some very specific pantomime techniques to get your message across.
Plan at least 30 minutes for a bathroom break. Unfortunately. Lines.
Loki is the new black.
Everyone has seen the finale of Breaking Bad.
People who have never written about a comic con before, or never even been to one either can turn out to be the best reporters—and the most fun.
Girls burst into tears when reading Young Avengers #11 on stage at the Women of Marvel panel, which is kind of amazing.
There are enough Young Avengers cosplayers to pull off this.
Sanya Anwar is the next Jamie McKelvie waiting to happen.
When your hotel room looks out onto the Empire State Building, it's like having the Eye Of Mordor staring down at you.
Too many after events spread out across a city is too much like hard work.
There needs to be a subway station nearer to the Javits
Katie Cook really needs to increase the prices on her sketches if she's going to cover other artists a chance.
Robert Kirkman gets mobbed at the Image booth but walks anonymously through Artists Alley.
Artists Alley could be a convention in and of itself and is possibly bigger than SPX.
The Avatar booth gets Javits wifi perfectly. Everywhere else, not so much.
Marvel's security guards are pretending to be Agents Of SHIELD.
And they are wise to Google Glass.
Frank Cho sold everything on Saturday and spent the rest of his time just talking to pretty women.
Not enough people actually know who/what Miracleman is.
Dan Slott preempting questions with "He's Dead" should work in ER. He'd save a lot of time.
Rocket Raccoon is crack for geeks. When I had mine, everyone (even in Artists Alley) asked where they could get one.
Plan all bathroom and snack breaks.
If you pass a food vendor without a line, pay the $16 for 2 cokes and a small popcorn
Fantasize about buying the awesome, authentic Star Trek dress, show up at the booth at 4:45 pm on Sunday and shrink away dejectedly after learning it cost $350 (but still plan on buying it one day).
Most cosplayers are very friendly
Most people in the crowds are very friendly and say "excuse me" and "sorry" even if you accidentally bump into them. A lot.
Don't stare at hot guy cosplayers. This will freak them out.
Wearing face paint is a pain in the ass.
Always seal your face paint.
Andy Diggle hates the first half of conventions. And then loves the latter half. And then doesn't want to leave.
Have an awesome time no matter what and get lots of cool swag !
Protect your taco bell or crazy people will try taking it straight from your mouth. GIVE IT TO ME!!!!!!
Dan Slott draws a big crowd of fans. Even if the internet says they don't exist.
Your body will ask for less sleep during the convention then demand it all back the second its over.
The best panels aren't the ones with the most exciting news but the most excited fans.
Free Wi-Fi works better than paid Wi-Fi.
Dean Haspiel is apparently strongly opposed to wearing a shirt
I am happy with the people that the legacy of Serenity was trusted to.
There needs to be more Comic Con parties Sunday night.
New York is doomed to fall to zombies due to poor quarantine procedures.
Velcro is always a poor choice, especially for a spandex costume.
Dan DiDio is baffled by artists.
You will run into the same five people over and over, but can go days without finding your friends.
Editors can be scary.
There is never enough coffee for the entire convention.
Scott Snyder is worried about being overheard by "Bleeding Coolers". Hmm, he's probably got a point.
Don't buy any comics before Sunday, when they will be heavily discounted.
No one actually checks for exhibitor badges when they start clearing out the show, so if you want to witness the madness of teardown – go for it.
The Javits Center will always be the one place where your phone just doesn't work. Ever.
Taking the ferry from Jersey when almost all of the passengers are cosplayers is a bizarre experience that hurts your brain.
One simply cannot have enough comics…it's impossible!!!
Spandex isn't for everybody
If your looking for Dan Slott just look for the trail of dead comic book characters…
Thursday was the best day for getting swag!!! (Walking Dead#1 B&W NYCC 2013 variant sold out midway through Friday)
An un-microwaved Jokers daughter 3d cover was actually pretty easy to find and at a reasonable price ($15-$20 at the midtown comics booth.)
Some of the people in Times Square looked scarier than some of the cosplayers at the con.
Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, David Finch, and Dan DiDio rock !!!
Rich and Hannah make panel coverage look easy…. When it's really not!!!
I saw so many young LGBT kids hanging out in cosplay, talking comics and games, etc.. The old-timer in me was a little jealous, but also really happy about it. All these kids are coming out and proud about their gayness AND their geekness. Pretty cool.
My favorite panel (CBLDF: Raising a Reader) was the one I had the least interest in walking through the door. My least favorite was the one I was looking forward to the most (Editors on Editing). If you're attending panels, go to a variety.
From a noncosplayer to cosplayers, maybe be careful about using body paint on your hands and arms? I got so much random blue & green on me from touching subway poles recently used by cosplayers. At least I hope that's where it came from.
Speaking of hands and arms, I learned to walk though Javits with my arms in front. I accidentally hit so many kids in the face!
Taking Jell-O shots from a drag queen at Geeks OUT was a rookie mistake. Don't do that.
I heard some great audience questions at panels, but occasionally someone would go on a ramble about their personal history or about something they hate. That doesn't seem like the right time & place to me. Personal stories are fine, but keep it short. Form your question ahead of time.
Ramón Pérez is the best-dressed non-cosplayer at the con.
According to Kieron Gillen, getting into the Marvel party doesn't count if you arrive after the free drinks stop.
Those horrible "Bazinga" shirts might be on their way out. There are still too many, but they're not nearly as pervasive as at SDCC.
James Tynion IV is especially fond of drawing Batman with robot claws.
Scott Adsit (from 30 Rock) apparently never moved from Adam Hughes' table between Friday and Sunday.
The real tragedy of NYCC is that no one cosplayed as MODOK or The Spot.
Of all the booths on the show floor, Dark Horse had the most comfortable carpet. Really.
DC Comics employees have very cool business cards.
Kevin Smith's entourage is a bit excessive.
Rob Liefeld has seen the trailer for Aquaman: The Teen Drama and thinks it looks "really funny."
There is no better con fuel than McDonald's in the morning.
Nothing makes your stomach hurt more during the con than McDonald's from the morning.
McDonald's 4 days in row couldn't have been good for any of us!!
Bringing your own personal power strip is not a bad idea.
A smile gets you farther than anything else.
Do not insult Rob Liefeld in front of Robert Kirkman.
There are no other gods, only Norman Reedus.
It seems the independents are starting to have a much bigger presence than the big two (especially DC).
Rich did not oversell Letter 44. It is one of my favorite books so far this year.
There is no better person to cover a panel with than Hannah Means-Shannon. What a pro!
I made lifelong friends, countless memories, and found numerous new things to enjoy. What more can you ask for ?
Whoopie Pie crew for life. GIVE IT TO ME!!!!!!!!
The best wi-fi is "JAVITS FREE-WIFI" in the food court.
The password to Nickelodeon's wifi is "slimetime"
Never put Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket) on a panel with other people. He will steal the show.
Make up a list of great pro-DC questions before hand. With a few disguises, you could walk away with thousands of dollars of Google Nexus 7s and Kindle Fires from Cunningham.
It's not a party until Rich takes off his shirt.
The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
How the hell do people liveblog so fast?
Troy Baker is simultaneously a really great guy and a really terrifying psychopathic clown.
Buying candy for $7 from "Willie G: The Poet of New York Comic-Con" is cheaper than most vendor's. You also get three poems!
Scott Snyder is the humblest man in comics.
Best secret power outlet is down stairs by Fed Ex behind coke machine.
Don't get off the Subway unless the sign says JFK
127 variants for one show is way to much…
Joe Benitez has Lady Mechanika #4 coming out SOON?
Image sold a lot of Walking Dead at the show… Really someone actually had to report that
DC wasn't interested in talking about Lenticulars at all
Fifteen pretzels at a show is way too many. But sixteen is just right.
I shouldn't be afraid of web comics. Comixology is doing an amazing job and convinced me to try.
Don't count on electronics at the con- they seldom work.
Get to panels 2 hours before or you won't make it in. If they involve films or TV shows. Comics, you can just walk in.
Cute geeky dresses are incredibly expensive, just dream about them.
Charles Soule did not recognize me. We had worked together years ago through a notorious Avatar Bendis Board antho that went nowhere. We've chatted generally since about a possible FUBAR short and his mega star ascending awesomeness. Walked up to get my Letter 44 Variant signed (after purchasing it in AA and getting it signed by Alberto) assuming he'd know my face… awkward me after. *blushy*.
Get a lot of rest before the convention starts and always keep at hand energy drinks.
Publishers are the best sections to be at. Books are the best part of the con!
Don't ask many questions on the last day: everyone's patience has burned out.
Buy stuff on the last day: it's cheaper. And make sure you walk the floor before buying, most of the time you can find the item(s) you want cheaper at some other booth.
Be prepared for things to move slow… seriously: it will avoid headaches and crankiness!
Ladies. If you are wearing tights (looking at you a particular Harley Quinn) make sure they are actually opaque. All the way around. We do not want to see your ass. Well, ok some might but in general unless you're trying to be really slutty please check the tights before wearing.
Busted up, homemade Chewbacca you rock anyway. Because you really really thought you were awesome, I should too.
David Duchovney and Gillian Anderson are hilarious. Also note to self: if the person next to you proposes try harder to not to look like a complete dork in their video.
Wait this is comic con, nevermind. Unavoidable
Whatever you do, do not buy the churros.
I am super happy there are SO many woman there. However, STOP doing that annoying "aaaaw" when a hot actor mentions his wife, his kids, or a love scene. So obnoxious and not going to make him leave aforementioned wife for you, I promise.
Archer is really freaking funny and I can't believe I haven't watched it before.
You can bring dogs into the main stage If you wear a sequined hat. Still trying to figure out where it went to the bathroom.
If you are bringing kids use the family room! It was a great break and an artist drew both of my kids as superheroes, they were thrilled.
Don't talk to sketchy coked out "journalists" it will not end well
Bathrooms in artists alley have the shortest lines
Even with the bigger crowds this year I still love NYCC :)
Rocket Raccoon moves more merchandise than Thor.
If you want show exclusives, go on Thursday and stay away from the showfloor on Saturday. Some show exclusives are even sold by the case apparently.
If you want to attend The Walking Dead panel, get into the Main Stage at least 5 panels before. Don't go 5 minutes before.
You can pretty much do a mashup cosplay of anything + Deadpool and it'll look good.
Arrive 30 minutes or so after the doors open if you want to avoid the morning line.
Bring comic bags and boards.
Gather 8 or more Deadpools in the same area on the show floor and watch the mayhem ensue. (and cause even more traffic)
If your cosplay requires a bow and arrow it's funny how people will duck when you draw your bow for a photo.
Artist Alley > Showfloor
Greg Rucka is a passionate man. Don't get him started on the subject of the U.S. government shutdown. Or the way DC and Marvel treat their fans. (Hint: He's not too keen on either.)
Charles Soule is the hardest working man in… Well, the world, really. He writes a ton of books, he has a full-time day job as a lawyer, which I'm sure isn't exactly 9-5. And his band, which I saw Thursday night in the East Village, is damned good!
DC comics panels are a yawn fest. John Cunningham is entertaining (and I'm not just saying that to get a kindle) but otherwise I saw nothing that a pre-release preview wouldn't show me.
I have fans. Saw a bunch of honest to God FUBAR fanatics at the show. Best moment for me: this kid, Matt Macnab, comes up to the guys (I'm standing on the outside of the booth) and says how he's such a huge fan… he gives the weekend's Kickstarter pledger's secret pass code to get a copy of the FCBD book. He says he already has it and one of his favorite stories is from a dude who he thinks lives in his hometown. McComsey asks him where and viola! It was The Buzzard short I wrote with Christine Larsen set in Seaside. The man was an passionate and legitimate fan of my work! I've met people who've enjoyed my work before and the experience is always a bit surreal and AWESOME on the inside, but Matt really made my Friday and set the tone off properly. Thanks Matt.
Afterlife with Archie is AWESOME. How I nearly left the con without picking up this book is beyond me. Everyone should read this!
Kieron Gillen signs more than anyone sane should.
$70 is a totally reasonable price for Javits center wi-fi that doesn't work. (Nope. Kidding. It's not. This being my first con, I had exactly one newsworthy panel I felt brave enough to cover, which was The New 52 on Stage 1-E. I got down there and nothing was working; not my iPhone, not the Javits wifi. My pulse was pounding, but live blog I did!)
Do not venture onto the main floor on Saturdays. I had to work my big girl job from 9-6 on Thursday and Friday, so I mainly handled night panels until Saturday morning. Once I hit the floor, I was overwhelmed, deaf, and sandwiched between what I think Whedon & co. would call, 'sweaty cosplay girls.'
Don't visit artist alley without preparing to be star-struck. Everywhere I looked was another artist I admired with a new piece of beautiful work. And seeing them draw in person was out of this world!
The most interesting comics have nothing to do with superheroes. I am very excited to check out, "The Fifth Beatle," by Vivek J. Tiwary and Andrew Robinson and also "12 Reasons to Die," written by Matthew Rosenberg in conjunction with the release of Ghostface Killah's new album of the same name. I saw Vivek 'off-con' on Thursday night and I was blown away by his passion for the project. And I got to have a few drinks with Matt on Friday. He's a smart guy and I am excited to see what he brings to the table as a writer.
For those of us not in the white male, 18-34 demographic, it does seem like change is gonna come. From female-led comics like, "Lazarus" to all-ages comics like Jamal Igle's, "Molly Danger," to the wonderful, "Young Avengers," to the triumphant return of Stephanie Brown to the DCU, the angry voices of the proletariat are finally being recognized. Keep shouting!
If I had an eleven, it would be that I would do this all again in a heart beat, and I would try to write much more. A lovely experience all around.
Brain Posehn does not like Times Square. In fact, he fucking hates it.
Jimmy Palmiotti is known as the Mayor of Comics. And he lives up to the name.
The Molly Danger audio book has great villain voices.
Controversy after controversy may lead a publisher – even a major one – to forgoing a booth.
Joe Illidge is a really snazzy dresser – and great to have on a panel.
Some parts of Brooklyn are WAAAYYY too far from the Javits Center.
Leftover exclusives often make their way from SDCC to NYCC.
There need to be more food trucks at cons.
Image is the new Vertigo. Except better for creators.
Christopher Miskiewicz is the #222 most influential person in comics.
Chris Claremont still draws a line.
There was no SAGA, kinda literally and definitely metaphorically. SAGA was the hottest butter on toast last year and the clear darling of the show. This year the love seemed to be distributed around a bit more equally. All the top ten publisher's booths stayed relatively lively.
There were great deals and dealers throughout the show. If you love comics and the collecting/bin diving aspect of the industry this was the show for you. Whitman variants for $5, Hunger Dogs for $10, I bought great copies of the last 13 issues of the Mirage Turtles run for $20… they're selling on Mile High for about $2,000 in NM. And they came from someone displaying with my LCS, Conquest Comics.
C.B. Cebulski may be the most gracious, patient human being in New York City. After the Marvel panel, he was swarmed by those of us wanting to drop off some work, make an introduction and thank him for his time. He obviously had places to be but he stuck around til he personally met with the very last person in the pack of ravenous talent piranhas… me. Marvel couldn't ask for a better face for the company. Met him again on the way back from the pizza joint and to the car … we shared a moment… it was non-verbal, but it was there. The twinkle in his eye when we exchanged "What up"s on the street said "I hope you're awesome, I want to hire you." Didn't it?
You never bring enough money, especially for Artist's Alley. Ever. And the ATMs will run out by Friday lunchtime.
More people need to read more Rick Veitch.
Javits should be spelt with a Z.