Comic Con 2023 Rocks New York City

Feature Photo: by Brian Kachejian

On Oct 12, 2023, comic book, movie, and television fans flocked to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City to welcome the return of Comic Con. Since 2006, ReedPop has been presenting the show at the Javits Convention Center in New York City, with the only expectation being 2020 when it was canceled due to Covid. Nonetheless, Comic Con has been back for the past couple of years, bringing great joy to fans of the world of fantasy brought to life in person at Comic Con. As a longtime fan of all that Comic Con represents, I look forward to attending the show every year. Once again, Comic Con rocked the borough of Manhhattn for four straight days of superhero fun. And, of course, we can’t forget the villains, who can be a lot more interesting than the superheroes at times. Just watch my video with Darth Vadar.

How To Attend

We have some important advice for you if you have never been to ReedPop’s Comic Con in NYC. Your visit to Comic Con will start out a lot smoother for you if you make sure to buy tickets early when they first go on sale. There are two reasons for this. The first is simple: the event sells out quickly, especially the Friday and Saturday shows. Most people have the weekends off, and some of the biggest stars usually attend the Friday and Saturday shows, which are always the most crowded. The Thursday tickets typically last the longest, but the Sunday tickets go fast because that’s more of a family day at Comic Con. If you order your tickets when they first go on sale in the spring before the fall show, you are assured of getting your passes in the mail before the event.

As any event organizer will tell you in their emails, getting those passes before you get to the show is essential. It will save you a lot of time. If you do not have your passes beforehand, you will have to wait on the will-call line. In the past, I have had to wait on the will call line. Let me tell you as a friend, when you arrive at Comic Con and see that will call line; you’re going to be very happy that you already have your tickets. Of course, waiting on that will-call line can be, at times, very entertaining. I have had great conversations with many people while staying on that line because we all have very common interests and of course, many stories to share.

Photo by Brian Kachejian

Where To Begin

There is so much to do and see at Comic Con; it can become quickly overwhelming if you don’t have a plan for what you want to do. The Javits Convention Center in New York City is massive. It’s important to have a game plan because a lot of people attending these shows do. It all depends on what is most important to you. Suppose you are a collector looking for a specific item; it’s essential to get in early and go straight to the section that is selling what you are looking for. Comic Con hosts so many fantastic dealers selling rare items in limited quantities. Those items go fast and early. However, if you’re looking to browse and find fun stuff, there are millions of things for sale at Comic Con. Many of them are Comic Con exclusives. It is a paradise for collectors and those who just want to buy something cool.

Photo by Brian Kachejian

Photo Ops

Comic Con Photo Ops presents wonderful opportunities for fans to meet the stars up close. Comic Con 2023 was no exception. Big time movie stars like Captain America himself, Chris Evans, the legendary Ewan McGregor, Tom Hiddleston, Michale Rooker, John Carpenter, Susan Sarandon, and so many more all appeared taking photos with fans. Prices vary depending on the star. It is best to buy the photo op ahead of time and get a scheduled time for the picture. Many of the big stars sell out pretty fast. Scheduling a time also helps with planning your time at Comic Con. You can either book a Photo Op, shot by a professional photographer, or a table autograph, in which you get an autograph and usually a selfie. Prices are generally the same; it’s just a trade-off between wanting a really nice professional posed photograph or a selfie with an autograph. I took one with William Shatner in 2018, and it was worth every penny getting to meet one of my all-time heroes of the silver screen. The framed photograph is a treasure hanging on my wall.

ARTIST ALLEY

Many people will argue that the true meaning of Comic Con is defined by the title of the show itself…comics. However, it’s not only about comics but the artists that create them. These are the men and women who fill up Artist Alley.

Feature Photo: by Brian Kachejian

Artist Alley is a highlight of the conventions. Hundreds of comic book artists are lined up behind their private tables, signing autographs and engaging in conversation with their fans. Many offer exclusive items they sell, and some will even do sketches of their fans, of course, for a price. However, who wouldn’t want to be sketched by a legendary comic book artist? You could easily send an entire day just in the Artist Alley section. It’s why you may want to consider buying multiple-day tickets for the convention. It’s like going to Disney Land minus the rides.

Cos Play

As much as I love meeting the movie stars, comic book artists and buying merchandise, my favorite part of Comic Con is the cosplay. Comic Con is the one place where fans who wish to dress up in costumes are celebrated by everyone attending the conventions. It’s a place where one’s fantasy of being a celebrity can come true for a day or weekend. It is fun to watch all the journalists and fans taking pictures of those who dress up in some of the most spectacular customs you will ever see outside of the silver screen. My goal this year was to interview some of the cosplayers. It was interesting to see how some of them would not break charters while others did. Since this is classicrockhistory.com, I wanted to learn a little about their musical tastes besides the standard convention questions. Below is a sampling of how that went.

Darth Vader living up to his reputation

I love these two. They were so cool.

It’s important to know the rock bands Stormtroopers listen to when going into battle.

Empire Guild is doing great things, teaching kids how to train as Jedi and supporting great charities like Make A Wish. I stumped her on the rock band question. She wasn’t expecting that one. She was so cool!

Krang would not break character.

Toad was cool!

Until next year……

If you have never been to a comic con and are a pop culture fan, I highly recommend giving this a shot. It doesn’t matter how old you are, who you are, or where you are from. Comic-Con is a place where everyone is accepted and celebrated. It defines the connection between the arts and humanity. It’s all about bringing people together and having a blast while doing so….

Keep checking back as we will keep uploading more videos and photos from our time at Comic Con 2023

Photo by Brian Kachejian

Below is the link to the website where you can get tickets for next year’s Comic Con in NYC

https://www.reedpop.com/new-york-comic-con

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