Ridley Raids: New York Comic Con 2021
Ah, New York Comic Con; the East Coast’s biggest celebration of pop culture and all things nerdy. It’s been two years since I’ve walked the hallowed halls of the Javits Center or even stepped foot in Hell’s Kitchen, one of the ugliest and most soulless neighborhoods in all of Manhattan (there, I said it). But, after hosting the previous event entirely virtually in 2020 due to the pandemic, pop culture fans and Funko fanatics were back this year with a vengeance. Convention-goers were all set to stunt in their costumes and shop both the showroom floor and Artist Alley. Fans quick to snag an online reservation or willing to take their chances in standby could catch all the panels and showings that New York Comic Con had to offer, such as the World premiere of the Chucky TV series or a surprise showing of the highly anticipated Ghostbusters: Afterlife before it hits theaters.
I only cosplayed on Saturday this year because I knew I couldn’t handle a weekend of walking in heels all day and night
From Thursday, October 7th to Sunday, October 10th, fans were treated to smaller crowds, wider aisles, absurdly short to no bathroom lines, and plenty of floor space to take pictures of cosplayers without causing a massive traffic jam behind them. You love to see it!
From what I understand, the event capacity was reduced from 250,000 attendees down to 150,000 instead. Covid restrictions meant that masks were mandatory to wear inside the Javits Center at all times with proof of vaccination to attend, but that didn’t stop staff members, artists, exhibitors, fans, collectors, and cosplayers alike from having fun with their face coverings. I incorporated a black silk mask into my cosplay when I was indoors. Still, I noticed many people wearing costumes where masks were already involved, like dressing as a Big Daddy from Bioshock or Annihilus from the Fantastic Four. Both of these costumes were EPIC AF, and I’m so sad I wasn’t close enough to take a picture when I saw them on stage for the Cosplay Central Crown Championships!
Meet-and-greets were a little different this time around as fans had to stand on the opposite side of a clear panel to take their photos with their favorite entertainers and creators. I saw a few pictures after, and you could barely notice the thin plastic sliver standing in between the people in their photos. To the many attendees who purchased these pictures I spoke with, it was still a bummer for some of them to have the plastic guard there, but to be honest, it wasn’t as much of an eyesore as I was expecting, and it could easily be photoshopped out of the photo-op if someone wanted it enough. Safety first!
Probably the longest line at Comic Con 2021 was for the official merch store. I waited for 45 minutes around noon
The Cosplay Repair Smith doing the good work
A women’s room at NYCC without a line that wraps around the corner is UNHEARD OF
Normally, empty spaces on the floor to sit are hard to come by, but not this year
The Dragonball Z installations were the biggest and best of NYCC
I cosplayed as Melfina from Outlaw Star, a character from one of my favorite anime shows of all time. I remember watching this series, along with Dragon Ball Z, Cowboy Bebop, YuYu Hakusho, Tenchi Universe, Inuyasha, and Gundamn Wing on Toonami back in the day and getting so excited to sit at home and find out what happens next in their stories. There was no greater joy to me at that time than to watch cartoons, search the internet for fan-made music videos, and write my own original stories based on all the titles I loved the most. Yes, I went heavy on the DBZ and X-Men fanfiction back in the day, and no, I’m not sorry!
These series were very formative for me in how I write my characters, worlds, and stories today. Anime was my first entry point into Eastern storytelling. It opened my mind to an entirely new style of storytelling that didn’t solely revolve around the Hero’s Journey narrative archetype. Although it's not always the perfect depiction of characters from groups targeted for oppression, Outlaw Star was a significant influence for me coming up in the world of writing. It featured so many important and strong women leads who were just as capable, if not more, than the men who led the show.
For those of you not in the know, Outlaw Star follows the adventures of Gene Starwind and a group of outlaws as they reluctantly enter into a conflict with space pirates determined to steal the most technologically advanced grappler ship ever to exist. The vessel was designed to locate the Galactic Leyline, a data repository created by a long-extinct advanced alien race that contains all of the knowledge in the entire universe. Understandably, many parties are interested in reaching the Leyline, but I’ll stop there. It reminds me so much of Mass Effect and Firefly in the best way possible, or rather, they remind me of Outlaw Star, considering that both titles came about after the show aired. Basically, it’s a great series and I can’t wait until Netflix or some streaming service gives it a live-action adaption.
Special thanks to Grace and Shine Photography, who took the above photos of me! Suppose you’re interested in cosplay photography or just want some professional photos taken. In that case, they’re a great, affordable option that you can book during New York Comic Con or after to have some quality pictures taken of you in or out of costume!
Along with most of the other photographers from the event, G&S set up in the “tunnels” outside by the food trucks right next to the 35th street entrance. This area is where all of the next-level cosplayers go to be seen and have their pictures taken. I saw some of the best costumes of the event here, but I have to say, there were more than a few cosplayers who never left this area or saw the showroom floor. Nevermind panels or Artist Alley, their presence at the Javits Center was an exercise in vanity as they stood around in circles waiting to be seen and asked to be photographed. Why bother paying the $60 per badge if you’re not going to enjoy 95% of the event? It boggles my mind.
My childhood dream was to own every lightsaber in the Star Wars universe and now I can… for the price of thousands of dollars
Vader’s Vault let’s you customize your own lightsaber. Next year I’m bringing one of these home!
The Golden Gays over here with the best photo-ops of the weekend. For a small donation of $5, the Girls will wig you up and pose with you on their set
The Danny the Ambulance installation— everyone’s favorite sentient, teleporting, genderqueer rescue and transport vehicle!
Negative Man from Doom Patrol on deck!
Takoyaki from Jake’s Balls. One of the longest lines of NYCC this year!
Maria Akay showcasing the BBQ chicken “Black Panther” sandwich from STUF’D
Marj.jpg holding up a delicious A Diavolo from Neapolitan Express featuring fresh jalapenos, spicy soppressata, and Mike’s hot honey
Empanadas from Nuchas. Always a reliable choice
The food options at New York Comic Con keep getting better and better every year. Long gone are the days where your only options are lukewarm chicken fingers or crinkle-cut fries (the most inferior style of the fry family). Instead, there are now several eclectic and delicious options waiting for event-goers onsite, like sushi in Artist Alley and a diverse line of food trucks parked in the outdoor section of the convention center. Food options included Neapolitan Express, Korilla BBQ, Gorilla Cheese NYC, Nuchas, STUF’D, Phil's Steaks, Mac Truck, Big Gay Ice Cream, and Jake’s Balls, among others.
I’m a sucker for pizza, especially when it has hot honey on it, so my favorite bite from the event was obviously the A Diavolo from Neapolitan Express. All of the ingredients tasted fresh, were of excellent quality, and were authentic to the style. It wasn't cheap at $21 for a four-slice pie, but I very much enjoyed everything about the meal, and I would definitely eat there again next year when New York Comic Con returns.
Apparently, the Great Ape from DBZ weighs 16,000 tons. You learn something new every Comic Con!
Aaron checking out his Magic card haul
Yes, he danced to “Baby Shark”
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see any panels because everything got reserved so fast. There was also a system error while I was in the queue, and so they postponed the reservations to the following day at 10:00 am. However, like a dummy, I forgot to set my alarm and arrived ten minutes late to the virtual line, regrettably missing out on access to all of the panels I wanted to attend. I really wanted to catch The Boys panel, the Y: The Last Man panel, the Outlander panel, and the Ghostbusters: Afterlife panel, but alas, I dun f#$cked up.
This year, the only panel I caught was The Cosplay Central Crown Championships because you do not have to reserve a space to attend. As usual, the costumes were terrific and tremendously detailed. The scripted performances accompanying the cosplayers walking the stage were also entertaining, as was the dance competition. Nevertheless, it was not without uncomfortable hiccups, mainly due to the host’s clumsy commentary towards the contestants.
Just a few of the merch offerings from the official New York Comic Con store. A T-shirt, tattoo pin set, and a pizza rat plushie
Sonic Boombox after parties always have the best dancers!
Maria and myself pre-screaming lyrics into the ether
The New York Comic Con crew enjoying the Sonic Boombox after-party
The Sonic Boombox party was great this year, and you had to be vaxxed to attend. For the most part, everyone in attendance was super friendly and chill, with the exception of one dude dressed as The Riddler who kept creeping on women the entire night. With that unfortunate man aside, it was easy to strike up a conversation with a stranger or make new friends, and of course, incredible dancers were showing off their moves, which is typical for a Sonic Boombox party. My favorite part of the night was going WILD screaming the lyrics to “Chop Suey” by System of a Down on the dance floor. It was the closest I have come to an old-school concert experience since the pandemic began, so I was thrilled considering that they are one of my favorite bands of all time. I somehow managed not to lose my wig when I was moshing, and so I’m eternally grateful for the invention of bobby pins!
The DJ played a blend of hits from the 90s to today. It was mostly a fun, nostalgia-fueled mash-up of singles ranging from contemporary hip hop and old-school techno to line dancing tunes and theme songs from popular animes like Naruto or Pokemon. The only music party foul of the night was when the DJ played “Stand Up” by Ludacris for a whole ten seconds before switching to another track entirely. Needless to say, Marj, a big fan from back in the day, was disappointed, but she still had Panic at the Disco! so there’s that!
Next time I’m cosplaying as a character that wears sneakers
