NYCC 2017: Friday - Day 2

Friday didn’t disappoint as hundreds of thousands of spectators came from all parts of the world at the world famous New York City Comic Con, located at the Jacob Javitz Center in New York City. I was fortunate to be here as I witnessed the up and coming graphic novel/comic book entrepreneurs as well as take pictures of some amazing cosplay. Additionally, “jewels” were dropped in regards to getting published in the comic book industry as well as the need to understand why diversity is needed in comics.

Cosplay

I was very fortunate to take some great pictures of cosplayers at the con. From infant to senior the cosplay aspect of the con did not disappoint as these individuals put on their best show (Check our Instagram for more pics):

The Vendors

Veterans at the con, such as Funko did an outstanding job, as their annual ‘Pop’ lottery was a hit again with lines standing out as far as the showroom meeting center. Newcomers such as Omakase Images by Tasty Biscuits (yes that is his name) had an outstanding day as his never before seen saint inspired images were a hit on the floor. Gaming Outfitters did great, as their Marvel and DC inspired apparel kept the customers coming back for more. Dustin, manager for Plastic Empire, said he noticed an increase in sales for the Funko Pops too. Looks like those cute vinyl items are going to be around for a long time.

The ‘Woke’ Entrepreneur Authors

 Walking around the con, there were a few diverse titles that caught my eye. Most notably was the new graphic novel, I am Alfonso Jones. Written by Tony Medina; Illustrated by Stacey Robinson and John Jennings…all Black professional PhDs!! That’s right!!! Dr. Tony Medina, PhD in Creative Writing from Howard University and 2010 winner of the Paterson Prize for Books for Young Readers; John Jennings, PhD, Associate Professor of Graphic Design at the University at Buffalo Department of Art; and Stacey Robinson, PhD, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at the University of Illinois – School of Art and Design were all present as they presented their graphic novel. This novel is a must read for young readers which focuses on police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Additional entrepreneur author titles like P.B.Solider, which was written and created by Naseed Gifted was there. Illustrated, designed and lettered by Abel Garcia, with original character concepts by Mshindo Kuumba, this graphic novel is based in the future (2020) and focuses on Nat Cummings (P.B. Soldier), a highly trained assassin who fights against terrorism and is faced with a duality of conscious as he tries to make himself a benefit to humanity.

We also have Gwan Anthology by Forward Comix, with artists and writers from the US, Spain, Cameroon, China, the Philippines, Chile, Australia, Germany, England, and Jamaica. This Graphic novel is a collection of works that focuses on immigration and race in the society. Additionally, Gwan Anthology is the winner of the Independent Publisher Book Award.

There were some other graphic novels out there, but I was only able to purchase these. Tomorrow, I will post more recommendations.

Book Life

For those who consume books on a daily basis, there were two places I saw that I highly recommend you go to.

The first is Strand Books located at 828 Broadway, New York, NY 10003. They were there to promote their store and are the literary sponsor/bookseller of NYCC 2017. What makes Strand awesome is their “18 miles of Books”. Speaking with one of the clerks, she said the number of miles is now at 27.

Second is the clothing manufacturer known as Out of Print. They are veterans of New York Comic Con and their specialty is ‘wearing books’. Yes, that’s right, you wear books!!! They specialize in clothing with the logos of old to recent book titles on them. It’s really amazing. In the years I’ve attended the con, I’ve purchased Fahrenheit 451, War of the Worlds, and the Great Gatsby T-shirts. They now have expanded to additional apparel such as hoodies, socks, baby wear, home goods and accessories. Definitely a must see at the con.

The Panels

A lot of knowledge was dropped at the con in the Panel discussions. I’ll admit, I was never one to go to the panels, because of the long lines, however I started to take notice of them when they started to focus more on entrepreneurship and diversity. The Two panels I went to were Keeping Control of your Comic: Copyrights and Contracts for Creators and Full Spectrum: Why Color in Comics Matter.

 Keeping Control

Entering into the comic book writing and publishing arena, it is important that you know your rights and copyright your work at all times. Additionally, when pitching your comic/graphic novel to investors and/or publishing houses, it is important that you have a winning personality. Posted are the top 10 tips to creating a winning pitch.

Color Matters?

With the advent of more minority superheroes in the comic book/graphic novel industry, the Full Spectrum panel which consists of: Naseed Gifted, Dilettante Bass, TheBlerdGurl, Roye Okupe, Micheline Hess, Regine Sawyer and Chuck Collins (each which their perspective works) spoke about how diversity is essential by the artist promoting their work and how customers must take initiatives in researching these graphic novels. Additionally, when asked about the true definition of diversity, TheBlerdGurl, Regine Sawyer, and Dilettante Bass provided their definitions:

Friday definitely had me in awe. So much awesomeness it’s hard to contain my excitement. Looking forward to Saturday, October 7th, 2017. See you there!!!