It would be easy to assume from the General Impressions post that if panels existed at all they would be small little affairs mostly made up C-listers, has-beens, and wannabe big name fans trying to fill an anemic schedule. Truth be told while none of the panels were announcing major launches or changes in any series (those types of reveals are saved for SDCC and NYCC) there was a solid line up of recognizable names giving panels. I will never claim to even be half the American comics expert that Kate is even I recognize names like Chris Claremont, Gail Simone, Amy Reeder, and David Petersen. They are names that are big enough or lauded enough that I come to know them by nerd osmosis if nothing else. So while I’m sure a bunch of the guests would be instantly know by someone like Ed Sizemore or Eric Ma the fact that I know people shows that is was a strong lineup.

Saturday was the more compelling panel lineup. I spent the whole day in panels rooms other the brief time I spent scouting out the show floor before panels started. Sunday was a little weaker but such is the fate of most Sundays when it comes to paneling. I could have gone to more panels but I decided that I would spend some time really delving deep into artist alley with Kate. That said all the panel seemed well attended. While I was never in a room that had to turn people away all the room were at least half filled at all times. For a smaller first year convention that is a good turn out especially since the rooms were decently sized.

One final note before I start talking about the content itself: I never asked any questions at the Q&A section of any panel. All the panels had at least a small amount of Q&A at the end but there was never that long pause of death for any of the panels where no one asks anything until the panelists have to end early or start giving pity questions. While the questions were your normal gambit of variable quality they were always coming from an engaged audience.

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 My hopes for Special Edition NYC was somewhere between the Artist Alley of NYCC and the atmosphere of MoCCA Fest. The space ended up having more dealers than I really expected, but then what I was expecting was sort of none. A few publishers occupied the front with the dealers while the back half of the pavilion featured the artist tables. This divide at least made it easier to quickly jump to the main attraction: artists; after I cantered through the mostly bland and repetitive dealers section.

In some crazy twist of fate, I actually walked away from Special Edition NYC with only one new button. Most artists were concentrating their efforts on little comics, full-size graphic novels, sketch books, original artwork and the like which reminded me of MoCCA Fest. But unlike MoCCA Fest there was more mainstream comic artist presence, many of whom were selling original pages which of course I could only glance at.

As always I found myself attracted to a variety of styles and small items.

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More and more you will hear the joke/thinly veiled criticism/complaint that there is no actual comics related material at conventions named San Diego Comic Con and New York Comic Con. While that is not exactly true it does seem like the main draws to both events is the events centered around video games, movies, and TV shows. There is still comic related booths, panels, and merchandise but it all seems to get drowned out in a sea of other media. The other media are guests at the party that everyone wants to talk to but comics are the guy giving the party but still being ignored in the corner next to the veggie dip. Even when the big movie being presented at a convention is based on a graphic novel it always seems a world apart.

In some ways Special Edition NYC ‘s mission statement is to get back to the brass tacks of comic conventions about comics. In that regard it was a 100% success. There was not a booth or panel for a movie, show, or game in sight. The panels were all about comics and so was most everything on the show floor. There was a booth talking about local food in the area but other than that most everything in the dealer’s room section was either comic companies, people buy and selling back issues and trade paperbacks, and comics related merchandise and services. All the panels were on topic and run by someone who was a part of the industry. Even menagerie of styles that was Artist Alley was made up of people having some section of their wares that was American comic related.

This meant for better and for worse the convention embodied its laser focus.

 This year ReedPop, the company that runs mega-cons like NYCC and PAX East, decided to test the waters for putting on a smaller, comics-only focused convention in the heart of NYC. It has been a long time since I was at a con’s debut, but this was in a familiar place with a similar set-up to NYCC’s Artist Alley.

I was only able to attend on Sunday, but as soon as I entered I realize this was really a one day type of con. This wasn’t detrimental in my mind, it was kind of peaceful. Continue reading →