Slightly smaller than the fabled San Diego Comic Con, the East Coast counterpart took over the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on the west side of Manhattan this past weekend, although surprisingly not via flying saucers from above or giant drill-nosed tanks from below. Go figure. Instead, publishers large and small, movie studios, TV networks and well-behaved celebrities of every description calmly assembled for three days of revelry at the fifth annual New York Comic Con.
DC and Marvel Comics both had huge booths as you might expect, along with scads of smaller, independent publishers as well as studios involved in the creation of all manner of graphic novel-inspired entertainment. Actors from film and television plus scores of beloved comic book artists and writers were on hand to provide autographs, possibly even a hand-drawn sketch, usually for a flat fee. Lou Ferrigno was one of the first to arrive (don't worry, I didn't make him angry) and many others followed, to the general delight of the crowd. I believe I even heard one grown fan, older than I, confide to a friend that getting Stan Lee's signature on his "POW!" sign was the greatest moment of his life.
Plenty of dealers were on the show floor as well, hawking both new and hard-to-find collectibles. There were also dozens of expert-led panel discussions on topics near and dear to fans' hearts, as well as a very special preview of Starz Media's much-anticipated documentary, Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible.
(More, including a hot new Blu-ray announcement, after the photos.)
Undoubtedly one of the major players at New York Comic Con 2010 was Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, bringing with them replica sets, props and more than a few familiar characters from film franchises new and old. Not coincidentally, many of them are expected to arrive on Blu-ray in the weeks ahead. Photo opportunities abounded, with comely young Na'vi, shiny young RoboCop, menacing young Predators, as well as the hypersleep chamber from the Nostromo, straight out of the original Alien film.
Also timed for the eve of NYCC was the announcement of Futurama Volume 5 debuting on Blu-ray this December 21st ($49.99). The two-disc set collects the 13 new episodes recently premiered on Comedy Central, plus bonus features. Appropriately enough, one episode even showcases a visit to the San Diego Comic Con, 3010.
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