Brooklyn Stand Up: Brooklyn's First Comic Con Goes Platinum!!!
Summer 2019 kicked off as Brooklyn held its first Comic Con at the Brooklyn Expo Center at 72 Noble St. in Brooklyn, NYC. As its first Comic and Cosplay event, the entrance line was jammed packed with attendees far and wide trying to get into the building. Waiting almost 25-30 minutes to get in, security had the place locked tight as they ensured that the attendees were entering a safe and welcoming atmosphere. I was most impressed with the free flow of patrons in the walkways of the con and how they made pop culture fresh in the BK with Wrestling, Video Games, Vendors, Cosplayers and Food Trucks.
What made it even more interesting were the customers and families. As they gave their support to BK’s first Comic Con, I especially enjoyed the amalgam of different faces, cultures and nationalities enjoying the magic of their favorite superheroes and villainous characters. Now I will say this…. ‘This isn’t NYCC by any means, but its definitely the start of something magical in the BK.…’
Entering the BK Expo Center, greetings and warm wishes for an eventful time took place with the staff. #positivevibes took over as I walked the con floor and experienced the ‘BK flow’ with the patrons. Its definitely different from other cons as BK entertained pop culture in multiple forms. Although there were many vendors and old school video games that were interesting, my main focus was on the cosplay, FunkoLyfe, NYC Artistry and the rich diversity that made this con official!!!
Cosplay
In the BK, cosplay flows a little different. Patrons still dress up in their brightest, but when it comes to family cosplay, they connect in a different way. Similar to Washington, DC; families dress up, head to toe, and try to coordinate in their best attire (NY style). Some overarching themes in the BK were Spiderman (Miles Morales, Spider-Woman, Venom, Ben-Reilly), while others ventured into DC and Dark Horse territory. As for the cosplayer professionals (people dressing up into their favorite characters for business), they didn’t disappoint as some of the greats came out to display their best rendition of their favorite characters.
#CosplayGoals: Salior Scouts x Dora Milanje
As for the non-professionals, there were so many fans and con supporters who came out in their cosplay to rock the BK. One of the many notable cosplay outfits were the Dora Milanje x Sailor Scouts influenced cosplay (see left). It was phenomenal.
FunkoLyfe
Now the Funko here was very interesting as this con had limited Funko vendors on site. To be honest, some of the vendors were limited in their Funko collections and as far as I could see, only a select few really showcased their brands. Some notable vendors were RedGuardian NYC and StashhhLoot as they promoted their specialty pop deals and custom street-inspired figures. At Stashhhloot, a ‘special’ unknown pop with each purchase was the norm. As for me, I went to one vendor (forgot name) and purchased a ‘Toys R’ Us’ edition Bruce Banner; 10’ Hulk and Black Panther’s girlfriend, Nakia. As for the general observation, I did see one anomaly, a Tony Stark Pop from Spider-Man Homecoming for $40 at StashhhLoot.
As a side note, one thing I’m still discovering in the Funko world is the reduction of black market sales again at the cons. On average, black market price usually range from $25 - $85; with some noteworthy ones ranging upwards to +$100. One thing I can say is that, prices are tremendously coming down. I can’t wait to see what the prices are going to look like for NYCC 2019.
NYC Artistry
Artwork stood out as BK + Street + Pop Culture equated to Comic Con Gold. The artwork blended these themes into a combination of fantastic collages of street greatness. Two notable artists grabbed my attention as they contributed to the Brooklyn pop culture scene: Christian Mack and @Ian_Actual
Christian Mack
In the alleyways of BKCC laid Christian Mack and his anime’ inspired artwork. Fully bonded in the realms of Kaiju, his artwork focused on mega monsters and machines, anime characters and various characters from video games and other notable forms of media. One notable poster that caught my attention was Junk Dog from Meglaobox. Unfamiliar to some, Megaloxbox is an anime that stars a character named Gearless Joe, a down in the dirt boxer who throws fights for money until one day he runs across the number one ranked champion and loses a fight because he couldn’t keep up with his skill. He then decides to leave the ‘dirt life’ and train to become a certified ‘Megalo-Boxer’. In that artwork, I saw strength, skill, and a determining spirit and that was all I needed to buy it.
@Ian_ Actual
Video Games, DC, Marvel , TV series, Cartoons, Women, and Pop Culture; these elements made up the artwork that encompasses the artist named @Ian_actual. His artwork is similar to walking into a hip-hop shop, finding the last newest pair of Jordan’s all the while observing the ambiance in the process. I’m not sure if that made sense to some, but all I can is that his pieces were wonderful and pleasant to look at. Most notable in his collection was the Stan Lee Portrait. Above eye level, Ian’s Stan Lee dedication disclosed a uniqueness about the famed founder of Marvel Comics. With a smile that demonstrated his hold on the world, Stan Lee’s portrait demonstrated that there are still people making this world making a better place in this ongoing world of villainy.
Diversity
One of the qualities of touring comic cons are the customers. I’ve said it many times before, the greater the diversity, the greater the con. At Brooklyn Comic Con 2019, the diversity was definitely in mass. So many families and ethnicities; It was amazing. Below are some of the diverse cosplayers that were in attendance.
The strategic timing of Brooklyn Comic Con also allowed for a great turnout as it came right after millions of people watched Avengers: Endgame and right after the Five Points Festival, which also took place at the BK Expo Center. Superhero magic, video games and underground wrestling allowed Brooklyn Comic Con to be a fantastic spectacle of imaginative greatness and it doesn’t look like it’s going to go away. In Brooklyn, anything is possible and if this town created the Notorious B.I.G, and house the Nets, then its definitely capable of creating a central hub for diversity in the world of superheroes. Looking forward to next year!!!
