Jeez, we’ve had a crazy couple of weeks over the last few months. We’re all over the map…literally! And it feels like we haven’t stopped to catch a breath! Right after coming back from a mind-blowing adventure in Japan (peep the photos), we were rushing to New York for the FAN-EXTRAVAGANZA…a.k.a., New York Comic-con.
For us, this is an annual escapade. We’re 5 years in and hoping to make it 5 years more — if we survive the ticket process. If you didn’t get to attend this year because you couldn’t snag tickets, here’s a word of advice: the early bird gets the worm (seriously, it does). Also, teamwork makes the dream work! (yep!) Ok. I’m done, lol. Read below for the tips…
NYCC Ticket Tips:
- Tickets usually get released in June. In recent years, they haven’t shared the actual release date beforehand, so like for Beyonce, BE READY. This usually means by June 1st. Don’t miss the ticket release date, otherwise, your chances will be slim.
- Follow NYCC on ALL their social media and sign-up for their email list. As annoying as it might be to get their communication blasts, when it’s time, you’ll be totally in the know. They go on communication overload, so just pay attention. They’ll be practically begging you to.
- Tell your friends. Having friends is VERY important. We snagged tickets because 6 of us logged into the queue at the same time. Only 1 of us got through. And it made all the difference.
- READ. THE. RULES. They change their ticket rules almost every year. If you don’t update yourself, it’s going to be extremely infuriating for you on ticket day when you can’t get your ticket and you see everyone else bragging about their’s on Twitter (us every year, so far, for SDCC. Hopefully 2017 will be our year! *insert teary eyes*).
Hope these tips help you out for next year! If you still don’t get in after doing all of the above, well, blame the con-gods. You just weren’t meant to go. Sorry.
Art, Panels, Screenings, Cosplay and Toys…oh, my!
Like every year, there is a plethora of stuff to see and do at the con. To be honest, you CAN’T fit it all into one day. We started going to NYCC on just Saturday and it was incredibly exhausting. Rushing from the Exhibit Hall to panel rooms, waiting in line to see screenings, and just when you thought you’ve seen everything, you forget about dropping by Artist Alley. ALSO, you hear on the following day, The Walking Dead cast stopped by to say hello and you WEREN’T EVEN IN THE BUILDING! Going for one day when you’re trying to see it all is a huge bummer. At some point you realize there is just waaay more to see, do, and experience. We recommend a 4-day pass. That way you don’t have to rush to see everything. You can actually eat a balanced lunch on time and the Exhibit Hall will be available to you EVERY DAY! You won’t miss a single booth…we promise.
This year…
We have plenty of pics to show you. Check out our RiceBall Gallery for all the cosplay, toys, art, etc., that we came across. It was an insane time! Here are a couple of our highlights:
- Virtual Reality – IS AMAZING!
NYCC had VR all over the place – an experience, is what I believe they called it. And what an experience it was! It was crazy. They had a West World experience, a John Wick experience, a Zombie experience and even a Final Fantasy experience. There were experiences everywhere! Basically, you would put on these metal goggles with headphones and the screen on the goggles was right in front of your face. There were 3D pictures all around. If you looked up, you saw the ceiling (or sky). If you looked down, you’d see a floor, or that your clothes were miraculously different. If you looked left or right, the room would change all around you as though you were present somewhere else. The sound from the headphones is what made it official. There was no outside noise, only the sound from “the experience”. It was waaay too real. I didn’t like it, but it was great to see where gaming is going. I’m sure within the next 5 years these will be a household item – just like how the unconventional Wii came to fame. When this drops, gamers, you better be ready. It’s no joke.
- New Gundam Movie Screening – Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt: December Sky
We participated in a Gundam screening titled, Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt: December Sky. It was special because we watched it at the same time that the movie was currently being released in Japan AND in the U.S. They’ve never done this before – release movies in both locations in their respective languages at the same damn time! Yep, we watched a dubbed version, which usually I don’t like to do, but the movie was incredible! The soundtrack was fire! The jazz music played was insane and helped move the film forward. Without giving anything away, it definitely had a different spin to it. I’ll just say it’s not like any other Gundam movie you’ve watched. If you’re a fan, you’ll WANT to see this one. The plot is great and there is a surprise twist at the end. Can’t wait for more movies like this.
- Front and Center at the Stan Lee Interview
The most amazing part of NYCC was the 15-minute interview with Stan Lee who chatted with interviewers from Twitch and Fandom. We were front and center for the experience. This was a very special moment – this was the last time Stan Lee will be visiting NYCC. He’s been there pretty much EVERY YEAR we’ve been there, and it’s going to be weird to be at NYCC without him. Nonetheless, it was very important for us to see him and record every moment. He spoke heavily about Marvel and its goal to accurately represent the world we currently live in, with realistic heroes that come from our hometowns. He also laughed about his cameos and how he has somewhat made a career out of them. He even discussed the racial tensions in the U.S., and stressed the importance of having peace and respect. To hear more of what Mr. Lee had to say, check out our video:
We can go on and on about the happenings at NYCC. SO MUCH happened over the fun-filled weekend that even we – with 2 team members in attendance – couldn’t cover it all! If you haven’t checked out our photos on Instagram, look now @feedmericeballs.com. You can even view a few of them in our RiceBall Gallery. From cosplay to artists, panels, celebrities and more, the nerd possibilities were endless! I even got a toy that I’ve been looking for all year (well, since May…heehee)!
Shout-out to Our Friends — Old and New!
The greatest part about comic-con, specifically the one in New York, is just how amazingly awesome the people are. As stressful and as overwhelming these cons can be, the people of New York Comic-con (surprisingly) are some of the nicest, most down to earth nerds I’ve ever met. Shout-out to our friends from Black Nerd Squad, who although we never actually linked up, they kept us up-to-date on current panels, celebrity sightings, and even indie comic book authors/creators we should connect with. Also, shout out to all the bloggers/writers/creators who were down to chat with us from Nerds of Color, Black Girl Nerds, Blerdgurl, FanBros, Black Heroes Matter, ComicBook.com, Tuskegee Heirs, and Lockett Down Productions — FOLLOW THEM! Great people, even better conversation.
Thank you, NYCC!
NYCC ended on a Sunday and we just weren’t ready to leave. We were holding on to the very LAST moment by dilly-dallying in the Exhibit Hall. Volunteer after volunteer thanked us for coming but pleaded for us to “get the hell out”. We watched exhibitors pull down their displays and we tried to make final sales on recently discounted products (if you didn’t know, they tend to discount on the final day). We visited Artist Alley and tried to snag some last-minute artwork from prized creators and indie artists. We even hung out with cosplayers in the corridors looking to amp their social media accounts with tags from our photos – btw, the cosplayers were LIT this year (check the RiceBall Gallery to see what we mean).
All in all, it was an amazing 4-days of fandom. A special thanks to ReedPop who puts all of the necessary awesome together every year. It literally keeps getting bigger and better. We’re SO happy NYCC blessed us with its presence 5 years ago. There’s no place – nerds like us – would rather be!
RiceBall 