In recent years the New York Comic Con has been built around hype. What was once the playing field of comic book geeks became a mainstream event. The television and film industry hitched their collective wagons to the Comic Con phenomenon choosing to premiere big budget movie trailers and trotting out movie stars to meet their adoring fans. The media flocked to the events further escalating expectations and prompting ticket sales to Comic Cons, specifically in San Diego and New York City. For true fans, Comic Cons became lost in the excess. Yet despite it all, 2015 will be known as the year Cosplayers took back New York Comic Con.
Oddly enough, even though the 2015 New York Comic Con sold out way in advance of opening day, the main show floor lacked any elaborate sets from the Television and Film industry. For example, just a few years ago Marvel unleashed a lavish marketing blitz for The Avengers which included a major presence at both the San Diego and New York Comic Con in the form of a colossul recreation of the S.H.E.I.L.D. Helicarrier. Also noteworthy was an authentic looking set including actors in full zombie makeup from the television show The Walking Dead. In 2015, the show floor resembled a humongous flea market for comic book geek culture. Still, there were cosplayers in force which gave life to the convention.
The level of camaraderie among cosplayers is genuine. Some plan for months to perfect their costumes for the show. They not only wear the costumes but attempt to embody the characters. The collective level of commitment by participants inspires some to take their cosplay to new heights as seen by the Hulkbuster cosplayer who graced the 2015 New York Comic Con. The final result took over 1600 man hours to build which undoubtedly included much trial and error.
In respect to show panels, scheduled mini-seminars about a variety of pop culture related subjects, the choices were relatively sparse. On the plus side, family oriented show panels noticeably increased offering kids an opportunity to engage in creative activities. With all the hype attributed to New York Comic Con, the main appeal of the show has circled back to the basics, namely comic books and cosplay. In essence, the show is a homecoming bridging generations of geeks. From the smiles I witnessed throughout my time spent at the convention, I can tell you firsthand it’s good to be home.
2015 New York Comic Con Cosplayer Gallery
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