Celebrating New York Comic

Comic-Con returns to New York for the twentieth time, featuring countless creators, panels, and events for a weekend of endless fun. Conventions like Comic-Con create a space where geek culture is the norm, allowing all of us, despite our differences, to unite and celebrate our shared interests.

What are conventions? How did they start?

Conventions date back to 375 BC in Ancient Greece, when philosophers like Socrates and Plato would form large crowds for debates and questions. However, the term “convention” wasn’t officially created until the mid-19th century. Around 1831, conventions shifted from industrial fairs to political meetings. In the United States, political parties held conventions to nominate presidential candidates and gain more votes against opposing sides. 

American conventions progressed into pop culture when Philadelphia held a small science-fiction gathering in 1936 called Philcon. From then on, other small science-fiction/fantasy gatherings took place, like Worldcon (1939) and Luncacon (1957).

Pop culture conventions really blossomed in the late 70s-early 80s when geek culture emerged from comic books, movies, games, and technology. Popular media in geek culture included the Star Trek and Star Wars films, role-playing fantasy games like Dungeons & Dragons, and comic book heroes like Superman and Spider-Man.

As more people joined geek culture, more conventions followed. By the early 2000s, conventions became more diverse and specific, allowing people with varying interests and hobbies to meet and enjoy each other’s company. Some of the most popular today are Dragon Con in Atlanta, MEGACON in Florida, and Comic-Con in New York and San Diego.

Comic-Con San Diego and New York

The first Comic-Con took place in San Diego in 1972, first called San Diego’s West Coast Comic-Con until officially becoming Comic-Con International: San Diego (CCI) in 1995. CCI originally consisted of comic books, science fiction/fantasy literature, and films.

As CCI garnered popularity, many people from the East Coast traveled to San Diego for the convention. ReedPop, an organization that produces major pop culture and gaming conventions, including Comic-Con, launched its East Coast counterpart in New York, naming it New York Comic-Con (NYCC). NYCC held its first meeting in 2006 at the Jacob K. Javits Center and has been held there ever since.

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CCI is run by a non-profit organization, while NYCC is run by ReedPop, meaning the two are not associated. CCI generally happens in late, warm July while NYCC is in early, chilly October, immediately creating two different vibes.

While CCI is held at the San Diego Convention Center, the whole city participates in it. Restaurants, hotels, stores, and other pop-ups hold events so that anyone in the area can feel like they’re attending. The entirety of NYCC is held within the Javits Center. Annually, CCI averages 135,000 attendees, and NYCC averages 250,000. 

Both conventions are similar in organization. ComicCon has countless activities and interests for almost every subculture, ranging from mainstream to niche: anime and manga, video games, cosplaying, sports, toys and collectibles, music, and more fandoms.

The conventions have countless activities such as attending panels and exhibits where you can meet celebrities and hear upcoming announcements about your favorite movies or video games, walk around Artists’ Alley and meet independent creators growing their businesses, participate in games and treasure hunts, win freebies and pop-ups, take pictures with cosplayers, and meet others with the same interests as you. 

This year I attended NYCC for the first time. I attended and cosplayed for two days: Thursday as Coraline from Coraline (2009) and Friday as Ellie from The Last of Us Part II. Though I didn’t meet any other Coraline cosplayers, I happened to run into two other cosplayers dressed as the Other Mother and Other Father.

Artists’ Alley

I spent the majority of my time on the first and second floors, where Artists’ Alley and other exhibitors are. Artists’ Alley is considered the “creative melting pot” of Comic-Con, where creators showcase their unique and original work. I had the opportunity to talk to two of these artists, Xian Tong, who goes by the artist name @velinxi, and Demi, who goes by the artist name @demaymayart.  

Xian Tong is a visual artist and illustrator who created webcomics Countdown to Countdown, DPS Only!, and Daughter of a Thousand Faces. Xian Tong started working on her business in her third year of high school, doing commissions until she got her first gig. For her, social media played a large role in the growth of her business and company. As much as she loves illustrating, she really enjoys making pieces that tell a story.

“It’s one thing to make beautiful illustrations which I do enjoy, but I like telling stories whether that be through webcomics or trying to fit a story inside a single picture, that’s what I really like the most.”

Xian Tong.

As a vendor at Comic-Con, she enjoys meeting other artists and creators. She thinks that other vendors have surreal and fun work, so she enjoys listening to others and having fun conversations about art. 

Velinxi (Xiao Tong) (@velinxi) • Instagram photos and videos

Demi is a comic and digital artist who is best known for her anime and Marvel fan art. Demi has worked on her business for a little over five years now. This was her first year having a booth at Artists’ Alley, so she was especially excited to show her art. When she was 12, she attended her first con ever: Supercon in Florida. She met the creator of Robin from Teen Titans, who heavily inspired her to start selling art at conventions.

“I went [to Supercon] and I felt so at home. I went toArtists’Alley and I was like, ‘I want to do this. This is what I want to do. I already knew I loved art at this point [in my life] and I knew I was getting better at it, but I wanted to get even better at it.”

Demi.

In Artists’ Alley, I also met many cosplayers. As someone who is familiar with cosplaying, I’m always blown away by the amount of time and dedication put into these costumes. Demi mentioned that other than Artists’ Alley, her favorite part of Comic-Con is the cosplayers. She finds that it’s a fun way to express yourself and “put on the shoes” of a character you love or look up to.

Demi (@demaymayart) • Instagram photos and videos

I believe Artists’ Alley truly is the heart of Comic-Con. Without it, Comic-Con wouldn’t have its originality and authenticity. It’s a space where creators can not only promote their work, but also creatively express themselves and connect with others.

As we enter an age where AI is slowly working itself into art and literature, it’s uplifting and reassuring to see so many passionate individuals working on their craft. Every piece of work I saw in Artists’ Alley was carefully crafted, radiating the sheer attention and devotion these creators put into their work. As I met creators like Xian Tong and Demi, I was inspired to push myself to work harder. 

Panels and exhibits

I also had the opportunity to attend a few panels, including The Fashion in Gaming Awards: An After-Hours Celebration of Gaming’s Most Iconic Looks Crowned Live, presented by Scorched Nebraska. The panel held a “best cosplay” award show where cosplayers walked across the stage and modeled.

Like the vendors at Artists’ Alley, I saw the hard work that went into their props, costumes, and character-specific makeup. Other panels I attended included DC’s “Absolute Universe” and 20th Century Studios and Imagine Entertainment present “Whalefall.”

Throughout Comic-Con, companies like Webtoon, Viz, Calico Critters, and Crunchyroll held pop-ups for guests to participate in games. Webtoon was promoting a webcomic called Fog Land. Whoever waited in line received a free bag and the chance to win a prize by twisting a life-sized vending machine. Workers from each company handed out gifts to passersby, like mini-comics, candy, merchandise, and keychains. 

As someone visiting Comic-Con for the first time, I was relieved knowing that the games I participated in were free of charge. This made the convention feel authentic; I wasn’t being pressured into buying something for the sake of buying. It made the experiences immersive and unforgettable. Even waiting in lines allowed me to meet more people wearing cosplays from video games or movies I like. 

The purpose of conventions

Demi and Xian Tong made two points I certainly agree with: the best part about Comic-Con is meeting others with the same interests and hobbies as you. Terms like geeks or nerds are traditionally used to insult others, associating them with outcasts or losers for simply enjoying something. Interests are often suppressed and minimized for the sake of “fitting in.” 

As of 2026, there are over 1,000 conventions held across America annually, varying from neighborhood events to weekend-long expos. We’ve entered an age where you no longer have to hide your interests, no matter how “geeky” or “uncool” they seem. Conventions give us a community, creating a comforting environment where shame doesn’t exist. As geek culture grows, so do the conventions.