Blerd Reflections: NYCC 2022
Joseph Watkins: Da Watcher
At the intersection of imagination, technology, pop culture and Black culture is the Blerd Community. Within this ecosystem are a collection of individuals that utilizes the media in all its forms to create authentic narratives, intense stories, pop culture critiques, fantastic adventures, and beautiful images of Black Nerd Culture. An assortment of viewpoints that are well-defined, engaging, and entertaining, the Blerd community continues to navigate the digital superhighway as they attend various pop culture gatherings to promote their imagery and brands. With NYCC becoming the latest destination for them to showcase their abilities, the community didn’t disappoint as they cosplayed, directed panels, and celebrated at one phenomenal afterparty.
Cosplay
The cosplay circuit has definitely intensified as more and more Blerd creatives came to NYCC, showcasing their star power. JuJu aka Straw Hat Goofy, who cosplayed as Luffy, was surrounded by fans as he posed for pictures by the con-floor entrances. Recently coming off a D23 (Disney 2023) tour, it was nice to see fellow cosplayers living their dreams. Fantastic Frankey was also present as she spoke with fellow artist of the soon to be HULU series, Harriet Tubman: Demon Slayer, DC Crownson. Additionally, she also showcased her stunning, Wonder Girl (Yara Flor) cosplay as she interviewed guests. She told me at a Sailor Boom party I would never guess what she would be wearing at NYCC, and she didn’t disappoint. It was truly an iconic moment as she showcased that outfit, piece by piece. Additional creatives were also present as well. Meeoth That’s Right in his Guy Sensei cosplay, followed by Dimeeeach_5 as Powerline from, “A Goofy Movie” showed the hell out. Even Joe Hood (Photo credit) blessed the con with his prolific and iconic Venom cosplay. In all honesty, no one can do Venom better than him and while I took as many pics as I could, I would like to give a shoutout to all the Blerds and a few others who cosplayed their assess off for this event (See Below).
NYCC 2022
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NYCC 2022 〰️
NYCC 2022
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NYCC 2022 〰️
Not only was the Blerd community cosplaying and showcasing their favorite pop culture characters, they also presented their points of view, and love of pop culture via the panels.
Panels
Many [Blerds] were present within the panels as they discussed their love of comics, movies, videogames, and manga. What made these panels and panelists so special was how their connection to some of pop culture’s most iconic characters and stories lead to their success. For example, creator of Newark’s KhemFest, Naseed Gifted explained how Spider-Man taught him his first physics lesson; Hilton George, CEO and founder of Blerdcon, discussed how Black nerds are rising in America and are creating their own perspective ecosystems (with special guests, Afrococoapuffs, Xero Gravity, and the founder of Beltline Cosplay, Cola_ree). I also have to give a shout-out to the NPC Collective. They were also present showcasing Blerd awareness and highlighting diversity in nerdy spaces .
Wakanda Matters
As some panelist expressed their views within the Blerd ecosystem, others focused on particular universes. Entering the World of Wakanda, the wonders and borders of T’Challa’s foreign land were spread out even more as writers, Karama Horne, author of Protectors of Wakanda: A History and Training of the Dora Milaje; Ibi Zoboi, author of Okoye to the People; Evan Narcisse, author of Rise of the Black Panther and The Wakanda Atlas; Sheree Renee Thomas, author of Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda and Black Panther: Panther’s Rage, and Fredrick Joseph, author of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Courage to Dream; discussed Wakanda’s strength, its beauty, and how they approached writing about the famed country. Respect to these wonderful creatives for expanding the famed country’s border and keeping Wakanda vibrant and alive.
Sailor Moon @ 30
One particular panel that spoke volumes was the Sailor Moon Fan Club: Celebrating 30 Years of Sailor Moon, which featured panelists, Victoria L. Johnson, Host of the Sailor Moon Fan Club; Princess Weekes, Host of Netflix’s Geeked; Shauna J. Grant, writer, and creator of the Book, Mimi and the Cutie Catastrophe, Princess Love Pon, and a host of indie comics, and the Co-host of Crunchyroll’s Crunchycast, Cristal Marie. Here, each panelists discussed the series, their favorite Sailor Moon character, and how Sailor Moon as an entity, created not only loyal followers of the series, but saved lives, helped people navigate their own identities and laid the foundation for the newer, and popular anime and manga that are in existence today. Shoutout to the Queens of Sailor Moon. It was an extraordinary panel.
Hilton George @ NYCC 2022 promoting Blerdcon 2022 : Fae to Black
During my exploration of NYCC 2022, I reflected on the words of Blerdcon’s founder, Hilton George. He mentioned how the Blerd community is becoming so immense, that our space for conversations, discussions, and interactions will need a bigger locale. Reflecting on these words, ReedPop heard that message and went from an enclosed medium sized room from 2021, to a larger, more immense space in one of the Con’s major floor areas. While it wasn’t as spacious as the main stage area it was large enough to send a message that the Blerd community is indeed starting to grow into its own universe and I for one welcome this exponential growth. 100%
DJ Taylor Senpai x Sonic Boom Box
NYCC has always provided afterparties to support the pop culture community, but there is one party that exceeds them all...Sonic Boom Box @SPIN NYC. Featuring DJ Taylor Senpaii with special guests, every single year, they entertain us by blessing the party gawds and patrons alike with specialized drinks, immense energy and of course, motivational anime theme songs infused with hip-hop classics. For 2022, some major heavy hitters came out as Black Gay Comic Geek, King Vader, Fantastic Frankey, and Nikki Geeks came out to show love. Even, Dimeeeach_5 aka “Powerline” jumped on the turntables for guests, sparking some new dance routines that even made the grinch one of the most prolific dancers in the club.
I’ve been attending Sonicboombox’s famed afterparty from NYCC and every year this establishment is becoming more and more popular among the Blerd community. Sonic Boom Box’s afterparty is by far one of the most popular places for Blerds to relax, enjoy themselves, and be themselves.
Thoughts
The Blerd community is growing, and I, for one, am happy with this rise in Black and Brown creatives. NYCC 2022 was more than just a vibe, it was a familial collective of Blerds that touched down for a 4-day getaway to kick it with fans, host panels, show off their cosplay to fellow creatives, and inspire the young’uns and those who are just starting in this Industry. What started as a collection of Blerds in various areas around the country, has now blossomed into a revolution in which Blerds of all ages, genders, and in-betweens are slowly coming together to unite in one of the greatest causes in the nation: The Unification of the Blerd Universe.
And It’s happening, right before our eyes.
