Anime NYC 2024 - Third Time's The Charm
Rich L.
Anime NYC ’24 just passed, and it was my third time attending. It felt like a cursed convention for me, as during my first visit, I came down with a bad cold on the second day, and the following time, I lost all of the things I bought. This time, I’m happy to report that everything went smoothly. Although I still wasn’t able to stay the entire weekend due to external reasons, I managed to be present for the bigger parts of the convention. Now, let's dive into my experience.
Something that stood out immediately was how packed the convention felt. Anime NYC was still held at the Jacob Javits Center, which also hosts New York Comic Con. NYCC is typically an incredibly busy convention, and when I first started attending Anime NYC, it felt much emptier and more open. On one hand, it’s unfortunate that navigating the convention has become more tedious. However, it’s encouraging to see that Anime NYC has grown so much over the past few years. In the past, entering the convention was more challenging, but the process is more streamlined now, even with security and bag checks being less of a hassle.
Cosplay
Future Beast Gohan
One event I participated in was a Dragon Ball cosplay meetup. This time, I was cosplaying as Future Gohan in a 'What If' version you could call Future Beast Gohan, where I simply used my wig from my Beast Gohan cosplay for this one. I chose this cosplay to honor Dragon Ball's creator, Akira Toriyama, who passed away earlier this year, along with the excitement surrounding the upcoming release of Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, and because Future Gohan is one of my favorite iterations of the character. The Dragon Ball cosplay meetup was a lot of fun; there were plenty of lively fans eager to celebrate Toriyama's legacy. There were also some creative ideas for group shots, like having Arale—a gag character from Toriyama's other work, Dr. Slump, who has made cameos throughout Dragon Ball—stand in the middle of cosplayers dressed as the strongest characters (myself included), as if she had defeated them.
If I had any gripes, it would be that it felt a bit cramped. At most cosplay photoshoots I attend at conventions, there’s typically a large open space reserved for the meetup. I’ve also noticed that there’s usually someone in charge of the photoshoot who takes pictures and explains where they’ll be uploaded, but I didn’t catch that this time. Thankfully, I made sure to have a friend with me to take photos on my phone.
Autographs
Matt Mercer
One other aspect I wish had been communicated better was the autograph process. Like most fan conventions, there were many voice actors present. I wanted to meet Matt Mercer, who was attending as a cast member of the Critical Role series. However, when I looked online, it wasn’t clear whether you could meet him and get an autograph separately or only see him at the Critical Role panel. It turns out you could meet him for an autograph, but I forgot to bring something for him to sign. While I should’ve come prepared, clearer information would have helped me know for sure whether to bring something.
Otherwise, the convention was incredibly smooth and well-organized. The Artist Alley was massive, and of course, I had to interview and shine a spotlight on some of the artists. I spoke with two artists, who were incredibly talented, each putting their own spin on the fandoms they’re part of.
Artists
Steve Yurko
One of the artists I spoke to, had a booth with a lot of great drawings from anime, that looked strikingly close to the source material. His name was Steve Yurko. Steve’s art career was inspired by his grandmother, who was a painter. When he was very young, she gave him some watercolor paints to keep him occupied, and it immediately clicked with him. He’s been drawing ever since. He developed his style based on his preference for a more stylized and dynamic look—he prefers drawings that can’t be replicated in real life. Steve doesn’t have a favorite piece of his own art, as he always strives to improve and create something better than his last work. He admits he can be his own harshest critic. For advice to budding artists, he suggests: 'Make the art that you want to make. This will drive you to learn more, practice fundamentals, and improve, as long as you apply it to what you truly want to devote your sweat, blood, and tears to.’
Something that stood out to me was that Steve had some drawings from my favorite anime, Yu Yu Hakusho. Naturally, I had to ask him what his favorite moment from the series was. For him, it was during the beginning of the series, when there's a last-ditch effort to bring the protagonist, Yusuke Urameshi, back from the dead, which required a kiss from a loved one to revive him. After that, Yusuke immediately helps his friendly rival, Kuwabara, save his kitten. Steve noted that it might be a strange moment to call his favorite, but he felt it was an overall great episode.
As for seeing Steve at other conventions, he may be difficult to catch, as he's a storyboard artist on a long-running show and doesn't have much spare time for other conventions or personal projects. If you'd like to check out Steve's work, you can follow him on Instagram @steveyurko or visit his website at steveyurko.com.
Ji Yeon (Black Eye)
Ji Yeon [Black Eye]
Ji Yeon (or her artist name, Black Eye) had a table that was hard to miss, featuring a very 'Valentine’s Day' palette in her art, with heavy use of reds and hot pinks. Ji Yeon has always been passionate about art, but her journey really began in middle school when a friend introduced her to digital art on their tablet. From then on, she would often visit her friend’s house to practice drawing, especially digitally, after getting her own tablet.
Ji Yeon never actively chose a specific style for her work; she just wants to be able to draw anything that inspires her. She feels that this approach has led to the perception of her having a flexible and adaptable art style among her friends and fans.
Her favorite piece of art that she's created so far, is her piece called “Eternity”. Which features her
original character named Bee. She hopes to develop her comics and shift her focus to drawing her original characters. Expect more fan merch from her in the future, with most of it featuring her OC's (Original Characters).
When it comes to advice for others trying to break into the art world, Ji Yeon believes that it's ‘supposed to take time, and one should not focus on how long it's supposed to take. The primary goal an artist should be focusing on is their next piece, and how they can make at least one thing better than their last. No one else needs to know what you've tried and probably won't even notice at first, but it will build up gradually, so long as you know that you're improving.’
Considering I'm now a Hazbin Hotel fan and Ji Yeon had a lot of great art from that series, it was what initially drew me to her booth. I asked her if there was anything she was expecting from the next season of Hazbin Hotel, now that the first season has ended. It’s clearly something that’s on her mind, and she felt that season one served as the setup for the main plot of the show. She doesn’t have any specific expectations for the next season, just that she hopes the creative team gets the time and budget they need to realize the story. Whatever they come up with, she’ll welcome with open arms. Ji Yeon’s socials are @blackeye_toast on Instagram, and her online store is blackeyetoast.store
Final Thoughts
Anime NYC continues to be an incredible experience. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the shift in dates to the end of August, as opposed to the usual mid-November timing, but it’s definitely easier to cosplay and explore New York in warmer weather rather than the cold. The number of attendees and the level of talent at the con really show that Anime NYC has grown significantly. I’d love to see it evolve into a major source of anime news in the future—think of it as the 'New York Comic Con' equivalent for anime. With how things are shaping up, I truly believe it has the potential to become that.
