By Merry Wu
What time is it!? It’s Adven- No wait! It’s NYCC/NYAF Time! Or is “Fans Assemble!” better?
Over the past weekend, thousands of attendants filled up the space of the Jacob Javits Center for the yearly anticipated New York Comic Con and Anime Festival.
As someone who has been going to such conventions since 2007, it never gets old. With each year that passes by, you get hyped up for the new guests that are always coming. Whether they would be popular actors like Chris Evans and Mark Hamill to even award winning directors like Makoto Shinkai, who greets each of his eagerly awaited fans with a smile.
Even if you’re not there to see these wonderful guests, there’s other activities you can attend that fits your taste bud! Like visiting and supporting uprising artists in the Artist Alley, exploring great deals in the Show Floor, or even attending panels. The panels are most exciting to a lot of fans because they’re able to get latest sneak peeks at what’s going on in the industry. Much like the Marvel Studio: Marvel’s The Avengers Panel which was so packed that fans like Yoon and Judy (last names withheld) who waited on line for 4 hours waiting were turned away! Although dismayed, they were able to visit panels hosted by feature guests Mario Bueno and Uncle Yo as they entertain their audience. Not to mention going to screenings of anime shows that they like.
It’s not only for certain people too! People of all ages and all hobbies come and have a blast! Even if you’re a parent just taking your little kid to go see Eric Jacobson, the street performer of Sesame Street’s Grover and Bert.
When I asked Kita, head of the Apple Kissa Maid Café in the Anime Festival section, how much work goes into making this convention enjoyable for everyone? She replied “Months and months of prep goes into the making of Apple Kissa each year, typically starting in March and ending sometime in late October,. There’s budgeting, hiring, applications, dance prep…” Not to mention her work as area manger in which she tries to move the crowds along and make space accessible to everyone! Good thing their hard work paid off too! Fans like Arielle said they really enjoyed this year’s compared to last year’s and felt it was crowded but they definitely had space to move and like how the staff took charge of making sure things went smoothly. Kita’s last words to me were “I loved the area we were put in. It allowed for NYAF to have its own space in a convention so dedicated to comics.I love NYAF/CC! Hopefully with more help, it can become even greater.”
Compared to last year’s convention, I’d definitely say that this year was great! More room, more help and more fun equals my wish to relive the whole weekend over and over again.
In the whole convention atmosphere, you really have fun as you meet new friends, take pictures of people that cosplay (costume role play), waiting on the long lines with friends just to meet your favorite guest and so much more! You share your love of all things nerdy and geeky with everyone around you and you’re not alone!
It really is a safe and happy environment to be in, to share your fandoms with other people and gush over finding a silver age issue of Spider-man. Plus all the free gifts you can receive. Seriously, who wouldn’t be a happy little trooper by the end of it!? So whether you’re a comic fan, sci-fi geek, or anime lover, New York Comic Con/Anime Festival is where the home base is!
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Merry Wu
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