NYCC 2024 Recap, Photo Ops, and Sandworms, Oh My!
After a whirlwind of activity, New York Comic Con 2024 is a wrap. This was the first convention I attended with a Pro badge. I am proud of that accomplishment and I wanted to use the attendance to network a bit and show off my first completed project, A Real Slobberknocker #1. Did I succeed? The future is uncertain.
My first impression on NYCC this year was that it was a little subdued. Outside of the massive Marvel Entertainment booth (not just comics, but everything including LEGO, games, movies, TV, and more), the only other traditional comics publishers that were there were Vault Comics and Mad Cave Studios. In years past, there were well over a dozen so it was a bummer that the comics presence felt a little light. I understand that this is an expensive show and it costs a bundle to ship an entire booth and tons of product across the country and then to staff it and take care of said staff.
This extended to the creator side as well. There were a number of folks I usually see at NYCC that didn’t attend this time around. I was still able to see a bunch of people like
, , Anthony Iannaccio, Zack Kaplan, and much more. It was great to have A Real Slobberknocker #1 as a calling card. I handed out about 15 copies over the course of Friday and Sunday.I took my first celebrity photo with none other than wrestler Joe Hendry. I have never been star struck before, but seeing him there stopped me in my tracks. My entire family loves him and we’re all regularly singing his theme song. It’s safe to say that we all believe in Joe Hendry. I texted my wife about it and she urged me to get a picture with him. I gave him a copy of A Real Slobberknocker #1 too. My only regret is not getting it in the picture.
I also bumped into Ming Chen from Comic Book Men on the show floor. Although I haven’t watched much of Comic Book Men, I have listened to every episode of Tell ‘Em Steve-Dave (both the free version and the Patreon shows). It is my favorite podcast. I didn’t see Ming at first. I heard him. In the past, I would have acknowledged that I saw him and continued on, too anxious to stop by. This time, I made sure to turn around and introduce myself. I gave him a comic too and he actually suggested we take a picture with it.
I attended some things as a fan like the Dune: Prophecy Experience, which was an immersive walk through the world of the upcoming HBO show. I’m a huge fan of the Dune books (all of them, including the sequels and prequels), so I was looking forward to this. It was a little short and after waiting for almost an hour to get in, even though I had an appointment, it wasn’t worth the wait. I also checked out a couple panels including some surrounding horror comics and the Spider-Man one.
All in all, the con was fun. This is the one convention I make sure to attend every year because it’s so close to home and there’s so much to check out. I picked up a bunch of comics, a single print, saw some cool people, and met others. I also took the time to just say hello to creators like K. Lynn Smith and Josh Trujillo, just to tell them that I admire their work. Give people their flowers while you can!
We are still marching forward towards the launch of A Real Slobberknocker #2 on Kickstarter on 11/30. Dan sent over some concept ideas and thumbnails for the cover. They were all cool and ranged from metaphorical to literal. We went back and forth on some feedback and he’s working on what will be the standard cover for the issue. Here are two cover images I sent to him for inspiration:
Next week I’ll share the backstory to the comic, chronicling how we got to this point. The origin of this book comes from failure. I’m so happy with how we’ve turned a disappointment into a great story and a thriving partnership. Is there anything else you’d like to hear about in terms of commentary and behind-the-scenes info about A Real Slobberknocker?
Last week I had a work trip and that’s the perfect time for me to catch up on some movies as I am completely uninterrupted. Nothing can take my attention away when I’m stuck thousands of feet in the air with no wifi or connection to the outside world. It was a short flight, so I watched Dune: Part Two over the course of the round trip. As mentioned above, I am a huge fan of this franchise so I was pumped to finally check this out as I didn’t get a chance to do so when it was in theaters.
One of the main things I love about Dune is how deep and rich it is. That lore aspect really shines through in the recent movies. You can turn down any hallway in any building and learn so many interesting things. It really feels like you’re just scratching the surface and you could follow any character into a fascinating story. This is a universe that has everything from gigantic sandworms to witches to pre-cognitive abilities, all wrapped in gorgeous and elaborate costumes like whatever the heck Florence Pugh was wearing.
I can’t wait to see the next installment of this series as well as the TV show. I haven’t checked out the comic book adaptations of the books yet. I feel like adaptations are always a mixed bag, but I’ll likely give them a shot next year through Hoopla.
My wife and I also binge watched the latest season of Love is Blind. This is the only reality show I watch. There’s something about it that is absolutely fascinating. It also makes us feel better about our relationship. We’ve been together for 20 years and married for 14. The people on this show all need therapy. It’s a real self esteem boost.