New York Comic Con 2011 kicked off this past week, and Manhattan was once again home to the many fans of comics, anime, movies, and video games as they were out in full force! This is their chance to meet the many men and women responsible for creating this entertainment medium that many of us have come enjoy and have made a big part of our lives. It’s also a chance for fans all over the world to get together and party for several days and have one hell of a great time!
Unlike my trip last year, I spent more than one day, which meant that things were paced out a little better and there was less rushing around. Arriving on Thursday, which was reserved for press and VIP ticket holders, was a welcomed change of pace from what I was exposed to last year. Smaller crowds and more time to just chill and actually engage in actual conversations with creators and some fans without time constraints. It also allowed me to just cruise the floor and get a lay of the land so to speak, because after this the next few days would be wall to wall packed with nothing but people and small pockets of body odor. I’ll be honest, with the atmosphere being less chaotic my first thought was to get in some Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 time, so I hit up the Capcom booth to see what was in store for the fans of the franchise. I could hear the familiar sounds of a heated battle and I felt that competitive rush I used to get when I’d walk into an arcade. So I stepped up and tried my hand with the new character additions, and I’m seriously diggin’ Ghost Rider and can’t wait for the game’s release on November 15th. The setup was perfect, as they had the gaming stations set up inside of a make shift boxing ring, and there were Sprint booth reps dressed as sexy referees alternating the players. Oh, and if you didn’t know, it was announced that Galactus will now be a playable character in the game! After a few rounds I figured it was time to see what the comic companies had to offer and check out the rest of the floor.
No sooner did I leave Capcom that I ran into Magdalena artist Nelson Blake II, and we began to chat it up about video games, and I quickly deduced that he’s one of those guys that would kick my ass in Street Fighter. After talking with Nelson, another video game was calling my name and that was Batman: Arkham City, so I was excited to get my fix before the game’s release date which is fast approaching. My only problem was finding a way through Robert Kirkman’s five mile long line to get to DC’s area of the con floor. After finally making it through, my destination was in sight and soon I’d be playing one of the most anticipated games of the year. Anyone who had doubts about Arkham City suffering from the dreaded “sophomore slump” need not worry. Taking out a room full of degenerates hasn’t been this fun in a long time, and it looks fantastic as you’re bringing the pain as the Caped Crusader! There was an area where you could have your picture taken with the Justice League via green screen, but the real treat (at least for me) was the collection of Arkham City themed figures along with other high quality looking DC action figures and statues. Even some the characters that I’d never buy looked great, and the amount of detail was just crazy! Actually, there wasn’t a bad looking action figure in the entire building as far as I’m concerned. From the Final Fantasy characters to the classic monster action figures like Dracula and The Mummy, everything pretty much dazzled the eye. There was also a Godzilla diorama that just kicked ass, and if I was lucky it would be sitting in my house right now.
So that was pretty much my first day, folks. Video games, action figures, and plenty of great conversations with fans and creators until they kicked us out. Now, I know many of you are wondering if Speech had a run in with his nemesis from last year, and I’m glad to report that he didn’t show his face around me. Though there was a certain Eisner winning writer who felt the need to make an assumption about me and he had to be put in check. Other than that little bit of nonsense, things were pretty damn good. So I’ll leave you with a few more pics, and be sure to check back here for the main part of my NYCC 2011 experience as I met some really cool people and had a very unexpected surprise experience!
Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net
I heard you dropkicked Stan Lee. Just sayin’.
It actually took me and Michael Jai White to take out Stan.
A great Kickoff Speech. Can’t wait to see the rest.
I need to go on Thursday night next time. 🙁
That is the BEST day to go before things get all crazy for the rest of the week Billy.
I wish I could have gone on Thursday. I feel like I missed a lot while being pinned shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of the attendees. Next time i’m doing all four days if I can.
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