Posted in: Comics | Tagged: comic con, entertainment, new york, new york comic con, NYCC

150 Things We Learned At New York Comic Con 2014

Published Mon, 13 Oct 2014 15:00:55 -0500

From Rich Johnston, Jake Barlow, Ray Flook, Ra'Chaun Rogers, Richard Epstein, Anthony Hammock, Arno Bogaerts, Christine Marie Vinciquarra, Ale Bodden, Liz Hey, Daniel Löf, Derek Trum, Hannah Means-Shannon…

Mike Costa has the softest hands in comics and it is like shaking hands with a marshmallow.
Charles Soule's Artist Alley signage (left) by Ryan Browne is awesome.
The Women In Marvel panel is such an inspiring place to be, it makes me want to be a woman.
The proximity of McDonalds to the show makes me overcome and niggling issues about the company and makes me order two sausage and egg mcmuffins for $4 every morning without fail.
Valiant's big boss Dinesh is the biggest fanboy you could hope to meet.
The smell of buttered popcorn emanates your soul after a day on the show floor.
They fixed the wi-fi and made it cheaper.
DC Comics didn't even try.
Though Wonder Woman '77 was very cool.
Marvel makes for a mosh pit when they are giving stuff away.
Even the New York Comic Con volunteers (Well a small handful of them) are on the make, as is befitting the Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood of which the Javits Center is a part.
Javits should be spelt with a 'Z', not an 'S'.
Gary Erskine's Stan Lee (also left) should be a thing of legend.
You can only eat a finite amount of cheeseburgers in a single day.
Don't run up 14 flights of stairs just because the lifts are slow. Your heart will thank you for your patience.
The guys checking your bags wish they weren't checking your bags.
Artists Alley is full of people who make Wednesday's one of the best days of the week. Go see them and increase the value of your treasured #1s with a signature and if you're lucky, a sketch!
Bring $1 million because you will need it (and that's just the food court, let alone the awesome stuff you want to buy)
If you like freedom of movement, don't go to NYCC on a Saturday.
Let the on-duty cops know their cosplay is awesome. Watch out for blank stares of disdain!
If you go to the toilets you might acquire a lifelong anecdote about the time you took a leak in-between Chewbacca and Jon Snow while Martian Manhunter washed his hands.
Kevin Smith is absolutely awesome. Seriously.
Brian K Vaughan promises not to kill your favourite SAGA characters if you're really nice to him. Seriously though if Hazel dies I'll cry my eyes out.
You can trick the limited free Javits wifi into giving you unlimited access by just making up random email addresses.
Jason Latour has the coolest voice ever.
In The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, the Cyclops dies…so "fuck you!" (In honor of Jon Schnepp)
If I controlled time, I would arrange it so that Dr. Fredric Wertham and Dr. Carol Tilley were in the same room together just so I could watch Dr. Tilley slowly and methodically rip him to shreds intellectually.
When you put too many comic book executives in a room together, the session becomes less about the topic and more about plugging product.
Dan Slott really dislikes Bleeding Cool, and yet I still love his work on Amazing Spider-Man…demonstrating the importance of separating the artist from his/her art.
Robin Lord Taylor ("Oswald Cobblepot") will be the major breakout star from Gotham.
Fans will never let Sean Pertwee forget how much they love his late father's (Jon Pertwee) work as The Doctor.
Round-table interviews are the best way to figure out which people you may never want to be stranded on a life raft with.
Dr. Who fans are getting really tired of the lack of "star presence" at the panels.
A pizza should never cost $9027.33…even at the Javits Center.
Trying to find an artist who's designed a print of The Shadow for signing/purchase is tougher than finding The Holy Grail blindfolded in the middle of a blackout.
Bring food
Wear comfy shoes
Scott Snyder is possibly the busiest man in comics
Charles Soule knows a lotttt about NY
Frank J. Barbarie is super nice
Dan Slott has a lot of great NY stories
Artist Alley is the best place to be for interviews
Sunday is the best day to buy comics
Bacon pancakes are a real thing
There is a Deadpool Army?!
If you can think of it, someone has cosplayed it.
Some people will take anything if it's marked "free".
If a panel is really important to you, go to the panel before, if not the one before that.
I really want to hang out with Breckin Meyer. He is funny as heck, willing to say anything, and seems like he would be a ton of fun to be around.
The Javits Center really, really needs another Starbucks. I think it was easier to get into Walking Dead than to grab a coffee. Ok, maybe not.
If you see a booth you want to go back to later, remember what aisle its in. It is seriously easy to get turned around, and a ton of booths look alike. Walking the floor six times trying to find that booth you saw yesterday can get really old really quick.
There are a ton of comic book shows on tv now or coming soon. And most of them look really, really good. And it feels cool as heck to catch clips or even whole episodes weeks or months before anyone else will see them.
By mid-way through the fourth day of Comic Con you are exhausted and completely sick of people and are seriously considering going home. But the second those booths start closing down you want nothing more than one more day of Con.
I really, really want a life-size remote control R2D2.
As a general rule, people are nice and courteous at the Con. There are exceptions, but most people are happy to pose for a picture, offer help or have a conversation with a total stranger on line next to them.
Any person who brings a multi plug power strip will be treated like a king in the press room and con floor.
Parking and tolls are a killer. Stay in the city.
Marvel doesn't take kindly to people videoing skirmishes in front of their booths
Matt Fraction did lose his virginity to Morrissey, but not on purpose.
Chip Zdarsky may have an armor fetish.
The Sex Criminals diaphragm bit was based on a true Kelly Sue Deconnick story.
Roc Upchurch draws people he hates into Rat Queens as villains.
Pace yourself on a four day convention, you can burn out the first day.
If your article is published on Bleeding Cool, stay out of the comment section as every amateur English teacher will be there to point out your mistakes.
Stephen Amell prefers fistbumps to handshakes
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers star Jason David Frank knows his X-Men
Sweaty cosplayers and rave afterparties go very well together
Getting a good WiFi signal at the con is more difficult than scoring a copy of Action Comics #1
Deathstroke and Green Arrow seem to be the new power couple when it comes to cosplay. Beating out Batman/Catwoman and Gambit/Rogue
Rob Liefeld has feet!
Namedropping Batman The Animated Series at any panel equals instant applause
Every attendee seemed to have a Power Rangers ringtone
Babs Tarr is very, very sweet
Brooklyn Defender, the official beer of the con, was nowhere to be found
Scott Snyder always has permanent markers and will sign your laptop case if you ask nicely.
Gail Simone and her husband, are a pleasure to meet, very funny and friendly.
Brian K. Vaughan is extremely humble and will happily take selfies with you.
It is possible to survive on soft pretzels for four days.
The Press Room is a pleasant escape from the madness of crowds
Gallons of hand sanitizer are necessary
Stay hydrated! Bring your own water if you don't want to pay $5 for a bottle.
R.L. Stine is a charming old man, with an interesting sense of humor
It is possible to win six tickets to Medieval Times if you just believe!
Photographing your favorite POP! Vinyl in front of things throughout the con is completely appropriate.
If by any chance you get to enter early, give artists a chance to set up before fangirling like crazy… especially when barely any words come out at all.
Apparently you need to camp through three panels before making it to the one you want—make it four if you plan on lining up for something Doctor Who related.
Never trust the description of a panel… EVER! It can be misleading and that leads to a bit of disappointment.
Arthur Darvill is charming.
"Special Guest" doesn't seem to have the same meaning anymore… In the immortal words of Admiral Ackbar: "It's a TRAP!"
Being healthy during NYCC is impossible: there is no time to eat!
I'm sure the prices have been addressed many times, but it seems that a $9-$10 Vegetarian rice only includes: 3 noodles on the bottom, rice, lettuce, and pickles… pickles!
Artist Alley is the happiest place on earth.
Never stray far from your goal—if you wander a couple of feet away from the place you need to be at, if only for seconds, a magical never-ending line will appear out of thin air.
Geek Girl HQ is infinitely better than the press room as there has never been a press room with both speedy wifi AND a craft corner.
Guardians of the Galaxy might have single-handedly saved the red leather jacket industry.
And yet Starlord masks are inexplicably hard to find (or just sold out at the speed of light).
Everything Kelly Sue DeConnick says at a women's issues panel can (and should) be put on a pillow and sold on a feminist crafts etsy account.
Patrick Willems of Aquaman the Teen Drama fame literally knows every word to Wild Wild West by Will Smith. Every. Single. Word.
Cameron Stewart's karaoke genre of choice is metal.
In the age of 150,000 NYCC attendees, no panel is too small to have the line capped 15 minutes before the panel even starts.
Kids Day is no longer about the kids, it's about the adults who couldn't get Saturday passes.
It is possible to have a Zero Tolerance Harassment Policy and prove that you really mean it, even at a massive cosplay convention like Comic Con. Truly, thank you NYCC for stepping up!
If you did experience any sort of harassment in or outside Con and you weren't able to report it but would still like to call attention to the issue, the #YesAllGeeks hashtag is a great place to share and receive support!
NYCC has done a great thing with cosplay is not consent
The press lounge saved my sanity when overstimulated
The "How to Roll a Blunt for Dummies" guy was there again, HOW does he make money?
Clearing the main stage sounded like a good idea until I spent almost five hours sitting on concrete.
People are really hot to spin that Medieval Times prize wheel
WHERE was Nerdist? We missed their booth and podcasts, one panel is NOT enough
Vanessa Marshall (Star Wars Rebels) is so fanatic about the show they probably don't even have to pay her
Two words- TARDIS kilt.
You will stand in lines a lot.
If you're lucky you will stand in a line, to the line.
Get your most comfortable shoes.
The floor is a good place to sit when you are tired.
Planning out what panels you are going to and keep it 3-4 a day.
Spend at least one day just walking the floor find out where rooms are.
You will spend a lot of money, and still not got everything you wanted.
Some panels will be awesome, others a huge disappointment.
If you are reporting, have you devices ready to start writing.
The first two days are overwhelming
You will bump into people and say "Sorry" all day long.
Even after special emails, Marvel writers still talk in front of Bleeding Cool reporters.
Working for Bleeding Cool is like working for Hydra, in a good way.
No couches doesn't mean no sex.
Batman is a stamp collector.
Writing for Bleeding Cool does not have to end just because the Con is over.
Deadpool cosplayers can sense one another and form congalines.
Rob Liefeld feels his signature is worth $30 on X-Force #2.
Chris Claremont feels his signature is worth $5 on everything.
NYCC is now big enough for a Clooney appearance.
Being a volunteer at the Con can be profitable until you get caught selling those wristbands.
Giant Float-Titans can actually fit into New York City somehow
Garth Ennis really really likes Alan Moore
Aub Driver at Dark Horse is a total sweetheart
Unlike previous years, you will no longer be able to get into a comic panel if there is a big name film or TV panel afterwards in the same room
You can find Capaldi Who t-shirts if you know where to look
Really it's better if you can become transhuman and not have to use the restroom anymore to attend NYCC. 30 minutes' wait a normal thing.
You are probably much more dehydrated than you realize after a few days of con
First time reporters can absolutely knock your socks off with their new-found abilities
You will never see everyone you want to see and most conversations will be totally unpredictable at con
McDonald's will probably be part of your con in some way even if you never eat there otherwise. And you'll be glad for it.
Mike Costa is probably one of those mega-geniuses to whom humans seem like ants
Gregory Benton's superhero painter cards are so just adorable it hurts
Reilly Brown is really getting into drawing decapitated heads and he looks far too mild-mannered for that
Adi Granov is so, so serious about his art (which explains the greatness) but loves to have detailed little sculptures on his table to look at
The escalators will always break and there's nothing you can do about it
If you really want to get something done, work in a team at NYCC, whether swag hunting or reporting
Marvel really hasn't marketed Guardians of the Galaxy enough for its popularity. Where were the Groot and Star Lord products at NYCC?
Rich Johnston's most important goal at NYCC was to by Minecraft swords for his children