Photographs, and other components that make up compiling parts of a convention report is conducted, especially this convention. Time must be taken for regaining feeling of normalcy, after a very very VERY intense weekend. Words can’t sufficiently convey my feelings, as a professional, fan, and press. I can say that this is something that convention goers would probably not forget for a while to come, if they came to this event with an agenda or if it was to hang out with friends, view screenings, meet exceptional guests or sample new products, along with a mountain of other things to have done at the convention.
In prior years to 2010, New York Comic Con, and New York Anime Festival were run at different times that the Journal of Lincoln Heights had the chance to participate as press. Announced from last year, there was a merger of the two conventions that has several notable consequences. So for the regular fans, it was like paying for two conventions for the price of one. In effect, this convention was pushed from six days into three days, splitting the two convention’s placements, and definitely overtaking the Jacob Javits Center even up to the very last day.
Figures and statistics are still being compiled. The press release was out on Friday, that there was already a cap for no more Saturday or Weekend passes being sold. With the exception of going to approved ticketed resellers, ie. Borders, Kinokuniya, Forbidden Planet, or Midtown Comics to name a couple, then anymore interested people would either have to rely on a friend’s pass or be out of luck for panels that they want to go to. Now waiting for panels was another story, that sadly I wasn’t able to make to enough big name panels, to need more than a one to two hour wait.
Sunday passes, though were still available at the convention center, and definitely observed as still being sold around 1pm even when the convention was to close at 5pm. There is no official count yet of how many people were in attendance, but speculation is that it is close to 100,000. People were speculating as to whether this would match up to San Diego’s Comic Con.
It was a challenge to get through the exhibition room, on nearly all three days that the floor space was open. On Friday when there were professional hours, I heard and know of how some professionals were quite grateful for getting exclusive store hours, when after all, New York Comic Con is an industry convention of sort. For fans and sellers though, when the exhibition room was opened, navigation turned into a intense struggle and frustration for many.
On the website of New York Comic Con (NYCC) and New York Anime Festival (NYAF) there are various fans either praising or complaining about the situation on combining the two conventions. So next year what will end up with the convention then? I actually actively avoided the exhibition space on Saturday so I can only imagine the intense activity that was happening.
To break it down, NYCC and NYAF were sold as two conventions with one price, there was one exhibition space for both, two artist alleys and two panel areas, selected ticketed autograph rooms or non-ticketed autograph arena and one IGN theater. I spoke with anime artist alley artists on Sunday, and they were in agreement that Friday was a slower, beginning day, Saturday was a complete madhosue rush, and Sunday was, well still steady activity.
Even Funimation Booth had the same feelings, when I casually spoke with one person there. I was with a friend on a quest to search for purchasing a surprise bag, now usually those bags are filled with products that the company definitely want to get rid of, so I was very surprised that they were sold out even Sunday happen. There was a $30 offering for whole DVD series or $10 for OVAs/Movies.. so Saturday sold out on the $30 ones, and $10 was sold complete out around 2pm.
October 14 to 16, 2011 will be next year’s New York Anime Festival. There is no confirmed date for New York Comic Con, and there is no word if this is the continuing trend, but fans are having plenty of mixed feelings on this, either supporting or not supporting this continued scenario.
Previous years of JLHLS coverage.
New York Comic Convention 2009
New York Anime Festival 2009: Part 1, Part 2 (There are also links to previous years of coverage within those links.)