Return of the King: New York Comic Con 2021
There’s no better way to say it: COVID-19 hit us like a ton of bricks. With the quarantines, lockdowns and increased safety measures, I believed we’d never truly see the return of conventions, comic book or otherwise within the next several years. But the human spirit is resilient, and with vaccinations on the rise, New York Comic Con returned, taking place from October 7th to October 10th, 2021. Initially, I was apprehensive, even against the idea of going at all. As some of you readers may know, I wasn’t exactly impressed the last time I went to NYCC. With the threat of Coronavirus still looming in the air, I wasn’t excited to put myself back out there. However, after reviewing the safety procedures and receiving some encouragement, I decided to attend NYCC 2021 for one day, Saturday, October 9th. and, I’m glad I did.
Unlike previous years, I didn’t attend NYCC 2021 with a set plan in mind. While I did research what guests would be there, I didn’t study the exhibitor list or thoroughly scour the list of panels. I also didn’t go right when they opened at 10 AM, but arrived later, around 1 PM. This made the experience much less stressful, and while in the end there were a few things I was disappointed I missed out on (like a very cool looking Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba booth and the Kinokuniya Bookstore shop), overall, I came away far more relaxed with this new approach.
Before I get into just what I did at New York Comic Con this year, I have to make special mention of the security measures and climate surrounding the con. Each and every attendee of NYCC was required to be fully vaccinated, and to present proof of said vaccination before being allowed entry into the convention. Additionally, masks were required for everyone present at all times, except for when eating, drinking, or having a photo taken with one of NYCC’s attending celebrities (who themselves were separated from guests via a plastic partition). The halls of each area of the convention were spread out further, allowing for proper social distancing and for more comfort. In fact, several areas of the dealer’s hall were dedicated specifically to allowing guests to sit and relax. It reminded me a lot of Emerald City Comic Con’s more spacious relaxed atmosphere. Because of the added precautions, there was plenty of space to move around and the convention never felt congested. People were incredibly respectful of others and of the rules that were set, and I only saw one instance of someone walking around without a mask, which a security guard quickly addressed. There was an atmosphere of relief that permeated the convention, evident from people meeting up just to hug one another, probably after not seeing each other for a solid year. I think everyone can agree: it’s great to be back.
Christina Valenzuela
As for me, the first thing I did was sign up to meet Cristina Valenzuela, AKA Cristina Vee. Cristina is a prolific anime and video game voice actress, and has been performing for over a decade. Personally, I know her as having played Homura Akemi in Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Ebisu in Dorohedoro, and perhaps most importantly, Shantae in the Shantae series video games. For those unaware, Shantae is a half-genie character who endeavors to save her hometown from all sorts of dangers, be they pirates or supernatural monsters. She was also my most wanted character to be added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which she eventually was as a Mii Fighter costume. I had had the opportunity to meet Cristina Valenzuela at other conventions in the past, but had never taken the leap. With everything that’s happened in the past few years, I decided to go for it, and have her sign my copy of Shantae and the Seven Sirens for the Nintendo Switch. While she was signing my game, I got to talk with her for a bit:
Joshua Brafman (JB): Hi there! I really love your work! Ever since I saw you in Madoka Magica I’ve always gotten excited to see you cast in stuff!
Cristina Valenzuela (CV): Aw, thank you!
JB: So, how exactly did you get cast as Shantae?
CV: Well, I was working with WayForward (the company that makes the Shantae games) on a previous project, and they recommended me for the role! They also liked that I am Middle Eastern, [which fit the casting demographic].
I would have liked to have asked Ms. Valenzuela more, but I didn’t want to hold up the line or overstay my welcome. So, after that brief exchange, I milled around the dealer’s hall for a while, taking in the sights and sounds of the convention while picking up some new anime for my personal collection along the way. Following that, I got my picture taken with Cristina Valenzuela, which was fun! Once more I wandered the dealer’s hall and found some more fun stuff to buy, including but not limited to Death Note, Dirty Pair and Girls und Panzer das Finale – Part 1. Next, I decided to stop into the VIZ Media Panel to see what our friends at VIZ had in store for us in terms of announcements for future titles.
The panel announced that YashaHime, the sequel anime to InuYasha, would be coming to Blu-Ray soon, and that a manga version of the series would be getting localized in 2022. Additionally, the Webtoon comic turned anime Tower of God will be getting a home video release through VIZ sometime in the near future. Some other exciting titles that were announced for future release were My Hero Academia: Ultra Analysis, an in-depth guide on the characters and world of My Hero Academia, One Piece: Pirate Recipes, an actual cookbook “written” by the chef of the series, Sanji, and Kaiju No. 8, because a series focusing on kaiju (giant monsters) will ALWAYS get my attention. There was also a spotlight on Burn the Witch, which I did an in-depth preview on right here. However, the most interesting manga brought to my attention was Freiren: Beyond Journey’s End. This manga focuses on an elf who has long outlived the party that she went adventuring with, and in her age has grown nostalgic for her comrades and their goals in life, and sets out to finish their unfinished business. It’s a compelling set-up that I look forward to reading more about.
Viz Moderator: :Urian Brown
Following the announcements, including several world premiere license acquisitions that have since been posted on VIZ’s social media accounts, special guests Johnny Yong Bosch and Cristina Valenzuela were brought in for a Q and A hosted by the VIZ official heading up the panel, Urian Brown. Here’s what they had to say:
Urian Brown (UB): It’s been a challenging year. What have you been doing to stay positive?
Cristina Valenzuela (CV): I’ve taken up meditating, I meditate about three times a day.
Johnny Yong Bosch (JYB): Honestly, just staying creative, producing more art.
UB: How has your job changed in the past year or two?
JYB: Well, I record from home. And being that I’m all alone I’ll have to manage my own audio levels and sound mixing, which would otherwise be taken care of by our ADR Director.
Johnny Yong Bosch
CV: I would say there’s definitely more sessions per day and more opportunities overall for work since COVID hit, but since I work from home I have to deal with my cat staring at me all day while I’m in my booth. [laughs]
UB: Do you think things will go back to normal, or stay work from home?
JYB: Honestly? I hope we can do both going forward.
CV: I know [sound] engineers want people back at the office, since it’s harder on them to make everyone sound like they’re in the same room, but I think it will never be one hundred percent the same again.
UB: Johnny, was dubbing Tower of God any different than dubbing any other anime, being that it started as a Webtoon first?
25th BAM from Tower of God voiced by JYB
JYB: Well, it was my first dubbing experience working from home, so that presented its own unique set of challenges, but the process was largely the same: study the original Japanese performances and adapt them to English.
UB: Cristina, what sets Serena [from Tower of God] apart from other characters you’ve voiced?
CV: She’s just so tough. She’s a really deep character, and she may even be a villain, depending on who you talk to.
UB: What would the two of you be doing if you weren’t voice actors?
CV: Probably working with animals, living on a farm in the country somewhere.
JYB: An assassin. Or maybe a whale trainer. [laughs]
UB: Johnny, what was it like working on an anime as iconic as Bleach?
JYB: Initially, I auditioned for a lot of roles in the show, Kon, Unohana, but I knew Ichigo was the most important one. It was a super fun series to work on, and was a challenge just working to do it justice, you know?
Sailor Mars : Rei Hino voiced by Christina Valenzuela from WEEB TRASH HEAP
UB: Cristina, what was it like voicing Sailor Mars in Sailor Moon?
CV: It was a roller coaster. I read for all of the characters and auditioned for Mars last. Sailor Moon was actually the series that made me want to be a voice actor. I was called back to read for Usagi, then told to read for Luna. The casting director said I sounded like someone, but didn’t tell me who. Later during the casting announcements they told me to wear red and I knew I was Mars.
UB: Does being in a globally popular anime change you as an actor?
CV: Oh yeah, I’m a diva now. [laughs]
JYB: Where are my grapes?!
CV: In all seriousness, after I was cast as Sailor Mars I stopped being so nervous all the time at auditions. I think to myself, “I’m Sailor Mars, I got this!”
JYB: I feel a big responsibility to do things right. So many people love these series.
UB: What’s the funniest or craziest thing that ever happened to you in the booth?
Cristina Valenzuela
CV: Well, I’m a very dainty person, and so when I was asked to do fight sounds for a scripted scene, they were too quiet and the ADR director actually scrubbed them out!
JYB: Something most people don’t know is that you don’t get anime scripts ahead of time, so I like to come in early and read before we actually start. One day I skipped breakfast and my stomach was growling. I kept drinking water to cover it up, but my stomach ended up making this weird noise like I farted in the booth. It was so embarrassing! [laughs]
UB: So Johnny, in the last chapter of Bleach, Ichigo ended up with… well, I won’t say who so not to spoil anything, but what did you think of it?
JYB: I’m all right with it. I know some of you aren’t, and wanted him to end up with Rukia, but all I’ll say is: think about how old she really is.
UB: Do either of you have any voice acting advice for the people out there?
CV: Put yourself out there. I discovered someone on TikTok who I cast to be part of a video game I’m currently directing. Put in the work and the time and good things will happen.
JYB: You gotta be acting. Get yourself an agent and get those auditions, that’s the hardest part. Some voice actors also do voice coaching lessons, which are also a great help.
Zora Ideale from @funimation, voiced bv JYB
UB: Who’s your favorite character you’ve ever played and why?
CV: Ugh, that’s such a hard question! Killua [from Hunter X Hunter] I’m very partial to, just because of how complicated he is.
JYB: Zora from Black Clover is really fun. I hope they give him more to do. Aside from that…well, I can’t say Trigun, this is the wrong panel for that! [laughs]
UB: Any final words for the fans?
JYB: Stay positive – it’s tough out there.
CV: Watch. More. Anime!
After the panel, I took in the sights at the Artist Alley, which had a ton of really, really beautiful art on display. Sadly, I really didn’t get into purchasing much of any of it, due to my limited wall space at home. Still, I got to appreciate all the artists that were out there, and even made a surprising discovery (again, due to my own lack of preparation) – I found Bob Camp, co-creator of Ren and Stimpy at the Artist Alley! I was able to talk with him for a while, and it was a joy:
Bob Camp: The Legend
Joshua Brafman (JB): Wow! I had no idea you’d be here! I wish I’d known, I have a comic book for you to sign!
Bob Camp (BC): [laughs] Well, I tried calling you, but you never answered any of my messages!
JB: I knew I shouldn’t have used that answering service! [laughs] So, did you have anything to do with that Powdered Toastman/Spider-Man crossover comic?
BC: No, actually. But you know the funny thing about that comic, Ren and Stimpy Number 6? It’s actually written by Dan Slott. And Dan Slott now is like, the Spider-Man writer! That comic is actually the first Spider-Man story he ever wrote.
It was amazing to learn that after all this time, one of my favorite comic book authors, who I’d previously met at the last New York Comic Con back in 2019, is also the author of one of the very first comics I ever read, Ren and Stimpy Issue 6!
Ren & Stimpy
Final Thoughts
It was a packed day, full of surprises and new insights into great people and some of my favorite stories. While there were certainly things I missed out on, there was plenty I did! I was able to meet a voice acting icon I had missed out on seeing in previous years, I was able to see hundreds of impressive cosplayers, gain new insight into the anime and manga industry and overall, simply able to feel a sense of calm and relaxation that’s been sorely missing from my life as of late. Being around friends and fellow lovers of all things pop culture provided me with a feeling of peace that I haven’t felt in a long, long while. I can certainly say that absence has made my heart grow fonder for New York Comic Con, and I will most definitely be attending next year’s convention, perhaps even for multiple days! Here’s to many more safe, happy and healthy years of nerd culture!
