New York Comic-Con 2023 Recap

Hey there, gang! How’s everyone doing? I hope you’re doing well, as always.

As of the posting of this blog, it’s been just over a week since New York Comic-Con 2023 came to a close. I miss it so much already. Since NYCC 2021, I feel like each year of Con has just gotten better and better, largely in part because I started cosplaying. And beyond that, I’ve been lucky enough to have more and more of my close friends attending the convention these past few years, which has only elevated the experience for me.

So, needless to say, NYCC 2023 was a total blast. Thursday kicked things off in style. Right out the gate, I got to attend a panel featuring the cast of Critical Role, during which the nerdy ass voice actors themselves got to chat with all of us Critters (the CR fanbase) about general shenanigans from the show. And though I couldn’t do any meet-and-greets with the cast members later that day, it was still incredible to at least see them—I’ve been waiting for ages.

The icing on the Thursday cake was the Critter cosplay meetup toward the end of the day. Hosted by @katethegreatcosplays, this is definitely up there in my top three highlights for the whole weekend. While Kate has hosted similar fan meetups at prior conventions, all of which have been generously populated by CR fans, this one had probably triple the amount of people versus last year. I mean, yes, it helps that the cast of CR was actually there that day, but even still, there were so many people, especially for a Thursday. It was a real treat, and it’s always a pleasure being in like-minded, nerdy company.

Dressing up as our favorite characters each year is part of why we all love going to NYCC. Doing so myself has opened up so many avenues for fun at this convention, and I’m looking forward to doing even more in the coming years. That said, I think my get up for this year was easily my favorite.

Of course, since Across the Spider-Verse and Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man 2 came out this year (the latter of which just released this past Friday), I figured it was the perfect time for me to finally do a proper Spider-Man cosplay. Obviously, I would have loved to have done Superior Spider-Man, but I’m not confident enough in my physique to try pulling off a spandex costume, so I opted instead for the equally gritty Last Stand Spider-Man. I couldn’t be more thrilled with how this one turned out.

I got to show off my Spidey threads on Friday and Saturday, and honestly, I couldn’t tell you which day was better, because both were equally epic. Friday definitely gave me more to do, as I participated in three Spidey cosplay meetup events. The first of these was fairly “spur of the moment,” taking place on the stairs at one of the main atrium areas in the Javits Center. The second took place not far from the convention hall, out by the fountains next to the Hudson Yards subway station. This one was hosted by real-life Peter B. Parker himself, @kofitnessnycosplay, and wow, there were a lot of Spider-People.

From Friday’s Spider-Verse meetup, hosted by @kofitnessnycosplay. Photo courtesy of **@CallMeChuy**.

I think it goes without saying that this rocked—it was undoubtedly the best part of the day for me. Luckily, the excitement hardly waned moving toward the end of the day, as I participated in yet another meetup, this one hosted by @thatshadyhaze. This one got a bit hectic, as the space we all gathered in was much more crowded, but we made it work. And through all of these great little events, I got to meet some spectacular people, many of whom I hope to see again at future conventions. If any of those folks are reading this blog post, thanks for being so awesome!

Saturday was a bit more mellow, thankfully, as my friends and I spent more time just walking around. I did, however, get to meet several of Spider-Man’s all-time best creators, including writer Dan Slott and artists Ryan Stegman and Humberto Ramos, all three of whom signed my Superior Spider-Man omnibus.

Later in the day, I got to join in on one final Spidey cosplay meetup for the weekend, hosted by @ultimatemcuspidey, which I enjoyed alongside my pals Joe and Mike, who were in Spider-Punk and Peter Parker outfits, respectively.

I will say, though, while this meetup was just as much fun as the three from the previous day, I was growing weary of my cosplay by this point. Sadly, the jacket I purchased for the costume is made of fake leather, and it doesn’t breathe. So, let’s just say that Friday and Saturday were very toasty for me.

Nevertheless, I had loads of fun dressed up as Spider-Man, and to cap those two days off, I went home Saturday night and rewatched Across the Spider-Verse. God, what a movie. I’m otherwise looking forward to dressing up as Spidey again sometime soon. It is Spooky Month, after all, so there are opportunities abound (like Halloween day, when I’m going into work as Spider-Man).

My buddy **Joe** as Spider-Punk, and me as Last Stand Spider-Man.

Sunday gave us plenty of time to take things slow, as we browsed the show floor and artist alley for other crafty cosplays and did plenty of shopping. Of course, as per usual, I told myself not to buy more art, and I failed in this endeavor, ultimately coming home with three beautiful pieces. I also did some solid clothes shopping, thanks to the guys at Seventh.Ink. Additionally, I managed to get an ashcan (early printing) copy of the upcoming comic book Arcbound signed by some of the creators, including writers Scott Snyder and Frank Tieri and artist Ryan Smallman.

And after all was said and done, my friends and I went home and watched Halle Berry’s Catwoman. Don’t ask why.

But yeah, that just about covers everything for my time at NYCC 2023, from the amazing highs to the…well, actually, I don’t think there were any lows this year. Other than maybe that very last bit, but even that wasn’t terrible, on account of how much we were laughing the whole time. Comic-Con gave us all tons to enjoy this year, and I dare to say it was the best year for me so far. Now there’s nothing left to do but wait for next year. I do really hate the post-Con depression.

For those interested in seeing more content from my time at NYCC 2023, I encourage you to go check out my Instagram page. I’ve already posted loads more pictures from the weekend there, and I’m sure you’ll find something to enjoy.

Anywho, I think it’s about time for me to get back to work. Stay tuned for more writing goodies in the next month or so. Until next time, peace!