NYCC ' 24 Reflection: A Moment With Phil LaMarr
Erik M.
When I made my grand return to New York City Comic Con in 2024, I did not know what to expect. It was like revisiting an old friend I had not seen in so long. I spent most of my time walking the Jacob Javits Center re-educating myself on the pop culture phenomenon that most people call the greatest pop culture gathering on the east coast. For the most part, ‘Comic Con’ was exactly as I remember; people from all backgrounds engaging with others sharing their love for tv, movies, books, anime, and video games.
As one would expect, NYCC was full of individuals promoting their brands, from content creators to cosplayers. Not surprisingly, I crossed paths with many cosplays from various media, including shows like The Boys and Invincible, as well as various characters from DC and Marvel; Deadpool, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Batman, and Superman. I also saw a fair amount of anime cosplay, from classics like Dragon Ball, One Piece, Bleach, and Naruto to newer shows like Kaiju No. 8, My Hero Academia, and Jujutsu Kaisen.
Phil LaMarr
My favorite moment, however, was when I went to the meet-and-greet session to see some of my favorite voice actors. Entering the space, it was packed with lines going out the door. There was no shortage of voice performers I wanted to meet, but I had to plan this moment carefully. In the end, I found myself in line to see the legendary voice actor Phil LaMarr.
Phil LaMarr is, without a doubt, a major figure in the TV and movie industry and has had a major impact on my childhood. As a Black man, seeing another Black man make a positive impact on pop culture, it really boosts my self-respect and pride in who I am as a creative. I even have more respect for Mr. LaMarr because he has voiced numerous Black characters, providing representation for Black voices in television and film.
Mr. LaMarr is also one of the most highly regarded voice performers in the industry, having won multiple awards and accolades, including the Behind the Voice Actors Television Voice Acting Award for his work on Futurama, Young Justice, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Samurai Jack.
My personal favorite characters he has voiced include Virgil Hawkins (Static Shock), John Stewart (Green Lantern), Philly Phil (Class of 3000), and Wilt (Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends). Even now, I still watch his latest projects. In recent years, he has voiced Lucius Fox and Black Manta from Harley Quinn: The Animated Series, Martian Manhunter in Kite Man: Hell Yeah!, and Lucan in Invincible..
The emotions I was feeling while waiting for Mr. LaMarr to appear were terrifying. On one hand, I was filled with excitement as I was about to meet an idol from my childhood, but at the same time, I was nervous because I wanted to make a good first impression and not come off as some crazy fanboy who stalks people. It was one of those moments where every scenario was playing out in my head, and I didn’t know what to make of it.
While waiting, I decided to strike up some conversation with the other guests, and it wasn’t long before I was taken on a nostalgia trip as we were all listing and discussing one Phil LaMarr character after another. The most common ones were obviously Samurai Jack and Static Shock since those were the shows where he voiced the main character. But I had completely forgotten he was also in The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (Bolbi Stroganovsky), King of the Hill (multi-characters) , Hey Arnold! (Jamie O Johanssen S.4/5) , Invader Zim (The Letter ‘M’/ Poop Dawg), The Proud Family (Coach Collins/Michael Collins), and The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy (multi-characters).
Then, before I knew it, Mr. LaMarr appeared from backstage, getting ready to greet his fans. The anticipation was building up. When it was finally my turn to meet him, I was hyped. His assistant asked what I would like—an autograph or a photo (naturally, I chose both)—but unlike other fans, I had my own personal item I wanted him to sign: my own personal manga that I had created. Mr. LaMarr liked that idea and signed his signature on the first page of my manga. Afterward, Mr. LaMarr and I took a picture together, and I thanked him for his time.
SideNote: As I left, that moment kept replaying in my mind, and that’s when I told myself, "This is why I love everything that relates to geek culture and why I wear that title with pride.”
NYCC is an event that continues to bring people together and serves as a sanctuary for them to enjoy life. Even though my return to New York Comic Con was only for one day, that day reintroduced me to a world I almost forgot about. NYCC 2024 was a major highlight for me, and it was made even more special by meeting Phil LaMarr. In the end, being able to meet my heroes in a space free of judgment is a reminder that geek culture is all about being true to yourself and connecting with others who share your passions.
