It was a pretty last minute decision to attend New York Comic-Con last weekend. I mainly attended to see friends and to see the “Psych: The Movie” panel. Once I saw that panel was announced I knew I had to make it work. I only went Saturday and Sunday. It’s just a “short” three hour drive and it’s a pretty easy drive as well. I hopped in the car around 5:30AM and took off up the road. I think I got to NYCC around 8:30, maybe 9AM. I stayed in Jersey to save some money and took the ferry across. My badge had to be picked up at Will Call and it was painless. Granted, I’m sure most people by Saturday already had their badges. But I was in and out, and the same goes for security as well. The lines moved pretty swiftly and bag check was smooth. I didn’t cosplay though so I have no insights on weapons or any cosplay related issues. The first thing I did was head down to the Queue Hall to make sure I was good to go for seeing Psych. There was a decent line but once 10AM rolled around and the convention opened, it didn’t take long to get my badge tapped and to “reserve” my seat. After that I just wandered around! I attended solo which meant I could do whatever I wanted!
One of the first places I stopped was the Sideshow Collectibles booth. I’ve been friends with Susan who works there for awhile now but we never had the chance to meet before! It was really nice to finally catch up with her and talk about Hot Toys and football. Plus the booth had some amazing items on display. I finally saw the Yondu Sixth Scale Figure in person and man, it has to be the best that Hot Toys has put out. I think once I have a few more Reward Points saved up, I’m going to order him. They had a few of the new Ragnarok figures on display too including Hela and Gladiator Hulk. I’m beyond thrilled to see more female figures coming from Hot Toys. Speaking of Sideshow, don’t forget that Spooktacular is just around the corner! Only 11 days to go! If you’re not familiar, Spook features contests, reward points, discounts, and horror related figure announcements! Be sure to follow Sideshow on every form of social media for your chance to win!
The next thing I did was drop off my sketchbook to Brian Level in Artist Alley. I love AA but man, they need to figure something out. I know that the Javits is under construction and space is even more limited than normal, but it was way too small and hot. I normally love just taking my time in AA and checking everything out but it was pretty impossible with the crowds this time around. I really hope that a fire alarm never goes off during NYCC because it’ll end in disaster, no question about it. Anyway, Brian was the only sketch I had done during the weekend and I requested my boi, Pennywise.
Guys, how amazing is this?! If Brian is ever at a convention near you, I highly recommend getting something by him. He really puts his all into every commission he does and is 100% worth the cost. This is my third piece and they just keep getting better. I know he normally does C2E2 but he’s all over the place. Be sure to follow him on Twitter to see where his next show is, or if he’s taking non-con commissions! That was honestly it for Artist Alley. I didn’t even buy any prints, but remember my goal was to spend as little money as possible. The only other things I bought was a little Zero figure from Nightmare Before Christmas and these adorable Baby Groot earrings from RockLove Jewelry.
I mean, RIGHT?! They were super affordable too which is even better. I think in all (not counting food/parking), I only spent maybe $70? That’s very impressive for someone like me who normally makes it rain cash during a convention! So this is me tooting my own horn. Of course, like I mentioned before, the main thing I was there to see was the “Psych: The Movie” panel. I ended up with really great seats and we saw the first twenty minutes of the movie! It was like the show never ended. The fans were singing the theme song, the cast were great. I mean, it was just really special and I’m glad I was able to attend. If you missed the date, the movie will air on USA Network December 7th!
And that really sums it up. I was able to catch dinner with friends, hangout with others during the show. But man, I need that expansion to hurry up and finish. The crowds at NYCC are just out of control. The Javits just can’t handle the amount of people coming and going there. I spent most of the time sitting on the floor against the wall because there’s just not enough seats in areas like the food court. Sunday I tried to use the bathroom three times but each line was just beyond long. I ended up just waiting and using a bathroom at the ferry terminal. I’ve said it before, but I have such a love/hate with this convention. I enjoy the show but I hate the convention center with a fiery passion. I really hope that when the expansion is finished, it helps alleviate some of the crowd issues, and means more room for Artist Alley.
Oh and one more thing, I randomly ran into this guy!
Patrick Warburton is one of those actors where you don’t see them enough in the wild, so you’re not 100% sure it’s him. But then he speaks and you’re like ah, yup! It’s him! He just has that voice. He was super nice and took photos with a good amount of people. Just goes to show, you never know who or where you’ll run into a celeb during a convention! And this photo op cost me nothing!
