I remember when Ed Chavez started at Vertical one of the things he mentioned was wanting to bring more manga-ka to the U.S. True to his word he helped North American otaku meet Usamaru Furuya, Konami Kanata, and Felipe Smith since then. Those three artists alone is quite the lineup. But as it stands Moyoco Anno is the crown jewel of his accomplishments. She is one of the more interesting and respected josei artists working today. She is a very unique voice in the world of manga and I am thankful that the English-speaking world got to get to know her a little better.

As Ed Chavez introduced Moyoco Anno we learned that she was the first josei artist to be published in English when TokyoPop released Happy Mania. Her magical girl series Sugar Sugar Rune was released by Del Rey and now Sakuran put out by Vertical Inc. has topped the critics lists. She is an endlessly amazing woman as she spoke in the panel and chatted with fans during the autograph signings.

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New York Comic Con is the only convention I attend where the Exhibitors Hall is one of the main draws for me. This is not just a place to shop, though you can do plenty of it if you so desire, companies come to try to get a little piece of your attention whether through demos or free samples. Some booths don’t have much to sell at all beyond an exclusive or a pre-order so you’re free to have fun, explore, and talk without too much pressure. Of course there are also dealers who will happily take your money.

This year also saw the Artist Alley really explode into its own destination, too. This made creators and comics feel like it had a huge presence at NYCC. And although I’ve never been myself, others have said it was a better space and focus than you see you at San Diego.

As much as we talk about panels, guests, and special events one of the biggest lures for most people to a comic convention like this is the Exhibitors Hall and Artist Alley. That is where you get your exclusive merchandise, sneak previews, hot demos, early releases, original art, one of a kind prints and tchotchkes, and all the free swag you can carry. If you go in the Exhibitors Hall at the right time of the day it makes rush hour Calcutta seem placid. But if you have a Thursday pass it is still busy but not anywhere near as insane as the weekend. Even with the increase of 4 days badges it seemed tranquil compared to the main days.

But if you want to chat a bit with your favorite artist and buy some of their art then Artist Alley was far more accommodating and personal. It was still packed but it was never as insane as the Exhibitors Hall. But either area has plenty of places for you to happily give away for money for treasures in return. But there is also good deal to take in (and take away) even if you can’t spend a dime.

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Hallelujah and praise Saber. I finally went to New York Comic Con and did not get mildly sick afterwards. Considering the seas of humanity that was any given day of NYCC that was a small miracle. But with that said you could feel that the convention has grown and it was hardly a small affair last year as it was.The crowds were big last year but they were absolutely humongous this year. The fact that I was able to mostly get around the same as I was last year is impressive in of itself. But that also meant there was even more to do this year which is never a bad thing.

There was one major causality at that was the New York Anime Festival. But in many ways maybe that was for the best. While there were no anime fan panels this year the manga guests were simply amazing. That alone was worth the price of admission. But there was a good deal of other things to do as well and I did many of them but not all of them. That fact that most on the events I attended were anime or manga related shows that while the NYAF is gone otaku culture is still alive in the NY convention scene.

I find the atmosphere of New York Comic Con electrifying! It just has so much energy I can’t help but get swept up in it for 4-day crazy days.

Generally every year I attended New York Comic Con I see 1) more people and 2) better organization. This isn’t to say everything was perfect, that is rather impossible, but I did get the feeling that the staff have worked hard and really want this convention to work for everyone.

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