The Greenpoint Gazette Guide to Attending New York Comic Con

New York City Comic Con, the second largest comic convention is rapidly approaching and, if you are attending the convention, October 8th-10th at the Javits Center (655 West 34th St, Manhattan), your should be prepared to manage your way through the masses and chaos of the con. As a life-long nerd and seasoned veteran to a variety of geeky congregations (San Diego Comic Con, alternative press expos, Star Trek science expos and generally smaller cons across the West Coast) I shall bequeath onto you a variety of tips and tricks, like a Jedi to the padawan, that are guaranteed to give you the best NYCC experience. During this three day extravaganza of pure and unadulterated nerdiness, there is a series of factors that can affect your stay in the mecca of all that is awesome – so here is how to avoid the suck:

First and foremost, you need to meticulously and realistically construct a schedule for your stay: Whether you are going for one day or all three, going to walk the floor and collect the schwag or planning to attend the panels to find the coolest inside scoops and updates, you need to be prepared. One should begin the process by researching the con’s event schedule (this is everything from panels to floor signings). But, as I mentioned earlier, you need to be realistic. Unrealistic example: You plan/hope to see Joss Whedon in a panel from 2:30-3:30 and then flock to get the inside scoop on DC’s up-and-coming story arcs at 4. A big part of planning for panels is negotiating between how interested you actually are in the content of the discussion and the reputation of those speaking on it—lines can be a big pain, and the bigger the name, the longer the line. So during the planning, you need to be ready to sacrifice one for the other. Furthermore, if you are planning for panels, bring something, if not a friend, to keep you occupied. Personally, I am a sociable gent and appreciate conversing with those around me as we discuss our mutual excitement for that which we are waiting. But, if you are feeling a little shy, I would recommend picking up a couple comics from the floor on the way to the line—or you could just bring along your Gameboy. Picking and planning appropriately will play the biggest part in making this run smoothly and keeping feelings of disappointment at bay.

Secondly, while preparing for any event in the city, consider travel time. While I’ve not personally done a trial run of the train ride from Bushwick to The Jarvis Center, expect that the closer you get to the event the more the trains will be impacted and you might have to watch one or two go buy. Regardless, each day is offering a sleuth of events that you don’t want to miss. Similar to this factor of preparedness, you need to be fiscally ready to spend money on a great deal of limited edition collectibles on the main floor and at the post-con parties. Which is exactly the reason I am not writing a bar review this week—I’m trading one vice for another.
In terms of tapping into the coolest post-con parties, keep your ear to the ground and look for fliers: They usually involve free (or cheap) drinks, awesome appearances and more free schwag. Some of my best con memories come from the after parties (ex: hanging out with Seth Green all night or partying with a cast member of The Mighty Boosh at a True Blood party – rad!).

Lastly, remember that it is easy to get overwhelmed at these conventions so bring your camera because you are guaranteed to see some cool costumes and crazy booth build-ins, and while I dislike perpetuating the stereotypes—there will very some very bad B.O.