Comic Industry Social Hour Leads into ICv2 Insider Talks

NEWS
COMIC INDUSTRY SOCIAL HOUR LEADS INTO ICV2 INSIDER TALKS
At New York Comic Con
Posted by ICv2 on October 2, 2026 @ 1:24 am CT

An ICv2 Release. ICv2 will host the Comic Industry Social Hour leading into the ICv2 Insider Talks: The Future of Fandom, an industry event for business and creative professionals in association with New York Comic Con on Thursday, October 8, in the dramatic 4th Floor River Pavilion at the Javits Center. The Comic Industry Social Hour is a great opportunity to meet, mingle, and network with other leaders of the industry. The one-hour social event will run from 3:00-4:00 pm, followed by four Insider Talks sessions in a quick-moving two-hour program from 4:00-6:00 pm. 

ICv2 has hosted industry conferences, bringing together the leaders of the comics and graphic novel industry, in conjunction with New York Comic Con since the first show in 2006. This year’s event will be a special 20-year anniversary edition, looking ahead to the future in the three segments that have changed the industry during that history: American comics and graphic novels, manga, and digital, all major topics in the history of our NYCC conferences. 

Speakers at this year’s event are a curated mix of thought leaders who have unparalleled knowledge and vision to help with this process, including longtime Marvel executive Dan Buckley, Kadokawa Retail Ventures and Yen Press President Kurt Hassler, Manga Spot Director of Retail Operations Jim Killen, GlobalComix CEO Henrik Rydberg, and ICv2 President Milton Griepp, along with moderators Rob Salkowitz and Heidi MacDonald.

This is a free, ticketed event for industry pros only. 

Speakers and attendees include:

• Publishers, creators, IP owners
• Retailers and distributors
• Digital executives     
• Librarians and educators
• Licensing and marketing executives
• Press

If you are a business or creative professional, or press, and would like a free invitation to the event, email Conferences@ICv2.com.  You must also have a New York Comic Con badge in one of their pro categories to attend.

These companies make this event possible:

GlobalComix is built to grow the digital market for comics and manga. We help publishers reach new audiences and new markets, translating and distributing their catalogs and building fandom around their IP. True to our name, we connect comics cultures across borders, helping stories travel between East and West and reach readers they otherwise might not. With 300,000+ titles, day-and-date releases, and a rapidly growing roster of publishers, we’re building the category at global scale.

Sponsor: Mad Cave Studios
Mad Cave Studios, established in 2014, is an independent publisher of comic books, graphic novels, and more. Mad Cave’s catalog includes a mix of licensed, creator-owned, and original works, created by a diverse cast of storytellers. Mad Cave Studios is the parent company to imprints Maverick (young adult), Nakama Press (manga, manhua, manhwa, and other international voices), and Papercutz (middle grade/kids). Visit them online at madcavestudios.com.

About ICv2
ICv2 is where the business of fandom, including comics, graphic novels, manga, hobby games, and merch, comes together around breaking business news, executive interviews, reviews, opinion, and sales charts and trend reports on its website, ICv2.com, in its magazine, Internal Correspondence Annual, and at events like this. For the people on the front lines of the business of fandom, staying ahead of the trends isn’t something that can be left to chance – it’s a basic necessity for being successful. ICv2 is the #1 source of news and information for the thought leaders at the forefront of change.
MORE COMICS

‘Amazing Spider-Man’ #1000 Variants Allocated
Nine Covers Go Back to Press
October 1, 2026
Marvel Comics is going back to press with nine covers after they were unable to fill all orders for release day.

Marvel Partners with Kadokawa for Manga Publishing Program
Reveals Concept Art for Spider-Man, Spider-Gwen, Daredevil, Punisher
October 1, 2026
The new Marvel Comics | Kadokawa initiative released the concept art for the first two original manga, Spider-Man and Spider-Gwen,as well as character designs for Daredevil and Punisher.
MORE NEWS

Registration Opens for GAMA Expo
First Year in Baltimore
October 2, 2026
Registration has opened for GAMA Expo 2027, the organization’s first year in its new Baltimore venue.

Renegade, Hasbro Renew Games License
Plans for New 5.5-Compatible RPGs
October 1, 2026
Games to be released under the license in the future include new editions of Renegade Game Studios’ Hasbro-based RPGs with 5.5-compatible rules.