Let's talk about New York Comic Con

11 JULY 2018

In four days, the general ticket sale for New York Comic Con will go live. You may know this if you're one of many restless SDCC attendees who've decided to seek more Con action in other cities. I've been hearing NYCC mentioned a lot the last few weeks - but often in a vague, not-terribly-well-informed way. So here are a few facts and opinions on buying NYCC tickets.

Is NYCC worth going to?

Yes. But it is different from San Diego, so don't view it as its East Coast twin. I know a lot of people love that feeling of immersion as they walk around the Gaslamp and hit various activations or take pictures of cosplayers. You won't have that exact experience in New York - the Con doesn't engulf the city in the same way. And you're less likely to see celebrities out and about.

However, there are more events to go to - game nights, concerts, comedy shows, benefits, poetry readings, live art shows, you name it. "Super Week" can actually offer too much of a good thing. There's also a more sophisticated bent to some events than you'd see in San Diego. Some are more hipster, others more mainstream. Basically, you'll have your choice of nightlife - whether they're official Con activities or not.

And the programming at NYCC has really improved over the years. On a Hollywood level, this Con is willing to expand the boundaries of who and what it showcases - you'll see movies and TV shows that you won't at SDCC. I find San Diego panels to still be more satisfying but that's me; most people will find something they like.

On a comics level, I'd say NYCC has the edge.


Is NYCC bigger than SDCC?

These Cons have gotten out their rulers time and again to argue about who has what attendance numbers and how those numbers are calculated. I think right now it's accepted that NYCC has more attendees but that's only because they can accommodate more - if SDCC could sell badges to everyone who wanted one, I believe they'd be biggest. All that matters is yes, they're both apex Cons.


Is it hard to get a ticket?

Not as hard as SDCC but getting there. You do need to be prepared, but your preparation outweighs luck. You'll get in if you work for it.


Is it hard to get a hotel room?

No. It's New York. And prices are reasonable.


How do I get a ticket for this year?

You won't, most likely. Just as SDCC has "Member IDs," NYCC has "Fan Verification." If you didn't already complete your profile, you can't take part in the upcoming sale. Fan Verification will open back up and you can then buy any remaining tickets. But I wouldn't count on getting a full ride.


So should I skip SDCC next year and just do NYCC?

No, I'm not saying that. San Diego has a charm all its own. Plus next year it turns 50! There should be some special celebrations afoot.

I am saying that if you really want a big Con experience, consider NYCC - especially if you're in that half of that country. I know a lot of you are done with the SDCC badge sale stress, the hotel room situation and what this year feels like a lackluster studio presence. This week's ConanCon results have also upset a number of attendees. If San Diego is no longer working for you, NYCC is a good place to sow the seeds of your future attendance. Because like SDCC, it's something to plan in advance.

Is NYCC "equal" to SDCC?

13 OCTOBER 2015

New York Comic Con has come and gone. If your ear is at all tuned to the Comic Con world, you probably know the basics of this Con whether you've been to it or not; it's owned by ReedPOP, they've made a point of trumpeting its attendance numbers in relation to SDCC, and this year it had a painfully strangled badge sale that reminded many of old SDCC badge sales in its incessant tech glitches. In fact, this year was notable for the fact that the SDCC Open Registration sale went more smoothly (though more futilely) than the NYCC sale.

I've always made a point of telling people that New York Comic Con is not the SDCC of the East Coast. But I'm rethinking that after this weekend. Granted, I had to skip NYCC so all of my observations are filtered through media and other attendees. But I do perceive a subtle shift in NYCC's general standing.

Partly this is because the media knows any Con news is high traffic news, so of course they're crawling all over every announcement. But given that media coverage is exactly why many studios and companies have a Con presence to begin with, that alone ensures NYCC will feature big names in the future.

As for the events, several friends said they fostered more of the community feeling that's traditionally weak at NYCC (and that happens so naturally at SDCC.) It's not just Super Week (which is great in catering to a variety of interests) but the caliber of the events themselves. Obviously the Walking Dead premiere in Madison Square Garden was just epic. And New York's ability to stage grand scale events dwarfs San Diego's.

The panels themselves got a mixed review from my friends. This held true whether or not they were SDCC attendees. (Once you go to San Diego, you just naturally compare everything to their offerings; it's inevitable.) Some thought the selection was really good, others said there were more choices in San Diego but it didn't matter because you can still only attend so many panels, and others said the panel options were "so-so." But the actual quality of the panels mostly got high marks. As someone semi-obsessed with Pretty Little Liars (don't judge), I tracked reactions to this panel closely and 2 SDCC attendees said it felt more "personal" than a typical SDCC panel. I heard similar things about other panels. And let's just say it: the X-Files episode was everything a Comic Con experience should be.

The cosplay seemed to be killer but honestly where isn't it these days?

As for announcements, NYCC fed into what appears to be the Ouroboros of Comic Con life, where an announcement or hint dropped at one Con is then expounded on at the next big Con, leading to a casting announcement at the next Con and a trailer at the next, and so on. The Justice League premiere at SDCC electrified everyone with the news that The Killing Joke would be an animated feature; now at NYCC we found out it could have an R rating, which of course sparked a tidal wave of discussion on whether Barbara Gordon would be - gasp - naked. (Though of course, the real question is how the movie will handle the ending.)

Smart creators know how to keep the fan fires burning from Con to Con and NYCC demonstrated that in spades. Lots of announcements hit that sweet spot of precise fan interest like the news that Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman) is playing the Penguin's father on Gotham or that Marceline from Adventure Time is getting a spin-off or that Captain Marvel is getting her own YA novel. Jessica Jones and Ash vs Evil Dead both got a huge boost in fan interest.

All in all, I think anyone who misses out on SDCC should consider New York Comic Con - not as a sub-par backup but as a Con that can deliver just as gratifying an experience. I know San Diego zealots will claim nothing can replicate the magic of SDCC which of course is a valid opinion. But I think NYCC proves that it's not just San Diego Comic Con sitting alone at the top of the food chain anymore. Other Cons are catching up not only in size but in appeal. And we know NYCC is going to keep growing, given the organizers said they will pursue a campus approach and host more events at other venues as they did with the Hammerstein Ballroom this year.


What did you think of New York Comic Con? Remember, I wasn't there, so I'm eager to hear your thoughts. And if you also weren't there, but want to see some of the panels, you can catch up via Twitch.

ETA: Catrina Dennis did a nice comparison of SDCC and NYCC that's worth reading.

You can still go to New York Comic Con if you want

20 SEPTEMBER 2015

New York Comic Con: it's only a few weeks away. Anyone who watched the ticket sale go down knows that 4-day tickets sold out pretty fast, but that's not a permanent situation like it is with San Diego Comic-Con. StubHub has plenty of tickets available. So if you're burning with the desire to walk into the Javits Center in October, know it's not a lost cause.

(One warning: NYCC badges use RFID technology, so any counterfeit badges will be sniffed out immediately. Caveat emptor.)

A few reasons people are very hyped for NYCC this year:

• The Walking Dead Fan Premiere in Madison Square Garden
• The X-Files reboot premiere on Saturday
• The release of the Brooklyn Defender, the official NYCC craft beer
• Heroes & Villains fan meet-ups
• Nerd Nite Speed Dating
• The 7th Annual HP Lovecraft Festival
• Cosplay Championships
• GeekFest Film Fest
• The Thrilling Adventure Hour Improv

And those are only a few of the events going on. That said, I would check out the programming before plunging in if you've never been to NYCC before. I've noticed a general belief that NYCC is SDCC's East Coast twin and is therefore its equal in any way that matters. That's actually not true. NYCC may have impressive attendance and I won't deny it has a lot to offer. But it's not going to roll out the same experience you'd get in San Diego.

One difference: the pop culture aspect of NYCC is a bit more broadly defined, which some attendees like. It's hard to imagine the Pretty Little Liars panel showing up at SDCC, for instance. Super Week also offers an assorted array of events around the city. But mostly NYCC offers a different feeling than that magical nerd bubble that prevails at SDCC. It's just not as engulfing, possibly because when everyone walks out they're pulled in so many different directions.

None of which is to dissuade you from going. New York Comic Con is a great option if you're still morose over missing SDCC or just hungering for another big Con before the year ends. And it's in New York, which means that even you hate it (kind of impossible if you're a Comic Con person) you can still find something fascinating to do. Autumn in New York is a beautiful visit on its own. So if you think the programming is a fit, investigate your options and give it a shot. There's a reason this Con has become so popular so fast, and I think you might love it.

Is New York Super Week a model for SDCC?

24 AUGUST 2015

New York Super Week details have been announced; it's all very tantalizing, with X-Files trivia games, a special Body Worlds event, film fests, Star Wars Rebels previews, karaoke, speed dating, comedy shows, DJ sets and so on. The crown jewel is still The Walking Dead premiering in Madison Square Garden, but the range of events should mean that most everyone finds something like they like.

I was in NY this morning when the announcement dropped, and immediately got an email and a text asking essentially, Why can't SDCC do this? Translated as: Super Week and NYCC involve separate tickets/badges - and that's a model that appeals to people who think that if they can't get a SDCC badge, they can still buy into a citywide experience of pop culture events.

Here's why I don't see that working for SDCC. Obviously everyone wants to "fix" San Diego Comic-Con; they want a magical solution so that everyone who wants a badge can get one, can stay in a downtown hotel, only waits an hour or two in line. And indeed some attendees have come up with creative ideas like on the Friends of Comic Con forum. But there are some physical limitations that no ingenuity is going to alter.

New York, for instance, is huge. It can absorb a much larger number of people than San Diego can while still offering a navigable experience within a defined area. CCI creating a larger free-range event like ReedPOP created Super Week simply won't work the same way. We already have a glut of unbadged visitors who come down just to experience the area, and they take up parking and hotels that badged attendees are fighting for. Creating a Super Week-type event would just draw even more visitors into an area that is bursting at the seams, even if it was limited to the days before or after the Con. That doesn't even broach the question of venue space.

While SDCC is indeed spreading into the city, it's still officially one event with the same number of badges. Gam3rCon and Nerd HQ are separate from SDCC - and Nerd HQ Conversation tickets are as competitive as anything SDCC offers. Even if CCI could organize a looser umbrella of events (which I don't see them doing, given their existing change management challenges) we'd still have to grapple with space limitations.

So no, I don't think the Super Week model would work that well in SDCC. What I might see working is a second San Diego event if marketed properly. Phoenix and Salt Lake have already gone to twice-a-year models, and SDCC could bank on its own branding to make a smaller winter event popular. They could market it as old-school SDCC, with a heavy focus on comic books and quintessential nerdiness, or they could go full-on Hollywood, given that many summer blockbusters start releasing in May. Yes, we have WonderCon but it doesn't have the glittering reputation that could attract SDCC badge sale washouts, who tend to stubbornly insist on San Diego or nothing. Branding is powerful. True, CCI has trademarked Los Angeles Comic-Con and some people are theorizing that WonderCon 2016 will be a way of testing the LA waters. But if we know anything, it's that attendees love San Diego. Maybe it's nostalgia, maybe it's the Gaslamp, maybe it's the overcast mornings that turn into sunny days that turn into perfect nights. For whatever reason, most attendees see San Diego as where the magic happens, which is why a second CCI event there, even a smaller one, could be a draw.

Let me be clear, I don't think any of this will happen. I just think it would be a more suitable option than trying to create a San Diego Super Week during SDCC, which so many attendees seem to view as a possibility.

Enter The Walking Dead season 6 sweepstakes

13 AUGUST 2015

Are you still on the fence about NYCC? Are you vacillating between "Maybe I should save the money" and "No, I definitely should go" and "I'll see what my schedule looks like" even as summer keeps passing and you need to make a decision? Maybe that's just me.

Well, this could sway you; The Walking Dead's season premiere will debut on 9 October, Friday night at Madison Square Garden as part of New York Comic Con Super Week. Exciting! Except of course that even the great capacious MSG can't contain the horde of fans desperately wishing to attend - so there's a sweepstakes.

Enter now; 10 winners are selected daily. Remember, this isn't being held in a movie theatre like an SDCC premiere but in Madison Square Garden. So your chances are kind of decent? It's hard to say, really. Radio stations and cable affiliates will also be giving away tickets, so if you really want to go, make this the new Comic-Con rabbit you're chasing.

Because this is what's nice about New York Comic Con and the creation of Super Week; even after badges/tickets sell out, there are so many events and activities on the docket that you can find some way to participate. Whether that's worth traveling for or not is your call.

Today is the NYCC ticket sale

13 MAY 2015

11:30 am PST

Right now Thursday, Friday and Sunday, plus Super Week, are available. Which means that as tangled as this ticket sale got, it was never as dire as I feared. Who wouldn't want a Saturday free in New York?

I have to point this out - for all that NYCC crowed about surpassing SDCC's numbers, it clearly doesn't have anything close to the demand for SDCC. Compare the huge rate of badge sale failures for SDCC hopefuls vs. the availability of tickets still on the NYCC site. It's not even close - the number of people who want to go to San Diego Comic-Con far exceed the number of people who want to go to New York Comic Con.



11:07 am PST

Please don't give up if you're still waiting. With fewer of us in the system, there's some breathing room and there seem to be fewer errors.

I understand your despair; I was right there 20 minutes ago, making plans to go to DragonCon instead. Then the Nerd Goddess smiled upon me and voila, I was in.



10:50 am PST


I bought 2 sets of all 4 days. At single day prices, mind you. When I got in, I clicked for three 4-days and progressed; error message ensued; I went back and the 4-days were gone. In the blink of an eye, I went from paying 105 for 4 days and a Super Week pass to over 200. Oh, the whims of our Comic Con fates.

Still. What matters is the timing. It took me almost 2 hours to get through - and I did not get through on the first queue I set up but the 2nd and 4th one (which converted within seconds of each other.) Several errors were encountered during check-out but nothing fatal.

Oh and ReedPOP, it's "first of its kind" - not "first of it's kind." Yes, I get pedantic and irritable after a 2 hour anxiety marathon.




10:10 am PST

Every single time a queue window starts to advance, I get hung up or get a 408.

The fact is, people ARE buying tickets and certain categories have already sold out - so in a sense the system is working. The bad/low servers act to hold most of the crowd at bay, turning it into a lottery.  But rather than subject us to crashes, delays and error messages, they should simply handle it as such. 

SDCC's sale was smoother and faster than this, though still riddled with disappointment. I'm beginning to think the best way to handle these sales is like Ace did with parking - everyone sends in an email with a name and address and later they find out if they got picked or not. Each person who is picked gets to bring 1 friend. It would be far less stressful than these online sales that just aren't functioning past a certain threshold.


10:00 am PST

3-Days are sold out.


9:46 am PST

Special Access is sold out.


9:38 am PST

Allegedly everything but VIP is still available. Have hope.


9:34 am PST

What a world we live in when NYCC tickets are already appearing on Stubhub even as most of us are stuck in the queue.



9:21 am PST

VIP is gone.


9:16 am PST

I have had:

1 queue start to convert and then hang up
Another queue that is stuck on Waiting for Showclix
3 other current queues still going.

People are getting through, though.


9:02 am PST

Use this link: bit.ly/1e1mb49


8:58 am PST

The site is down.

8:41 am PST

NYCC tickets are about go live. It's going to be rough; last year's sale was lightning-fast and it's a safe bet that we'll have more people trying to buy tickets - both because of Super Week and because they've been shut out of SDCC.

I'll post whatever I hear. Good luck, everyone.

NYCC tickets go on sale Weds, noon EST

11 MAY 2015

Back in the day, San Diego Comic-Con and New York Comic Con never seemed like rivals. It was assumed that West Coasters went one place and East Coasters another, and anyway, SDCC had Hollywood in their pocket.

Things have changed radically in the last 5 years. SDCC is extremely difficult to get into and NYCC has outgrown it in several ways - such as boasting 151,000 attendees last year to SDCC's 130,000. (Note: NYCC uses a different counting system than SDCC, so it's debatable as to how many unique attendees they actually had.) NYCC has Super Week as well, with multiple events around the city. Serious fans are now looking at NYCC as a viable replacement for San Diego - not because it replicates the SDCC experience (it can't) but because it offers a massive pop culture event that's enthralling in its own right.

Tickets for 2015 go on sale this Wednesday, at noon EST and 9 am PST.

Single day badges: $40 for Thursday, 50 for Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Three-day badges: $75 for Friday-Sunday

Four-day badges: $105 for the whole shebang, and that includes a New York Super Week card.

You can't beat those prices. For those of you who are feeling flush, there are more upper-tier packages granting special access, line-jumping, private lounges and other benefits:

VIP: $525

Special Access: $215


Word of warning - yes, tickets will go fast. If you're entertaining notions of a leisurely badge sale with plenty of tickets to go around, check out Bleeding Cool's story on last year's ticket sale as well as CBR's. Tech glitches, tickets on Ebay at 400% markup, and other disappointments abounded.

However, it's worth noting that some day badges did not sell out right away - so if you do participate in the sale and fail to get a 4-day or 3-day badge, well, you know what I'm going to say. Grab Thursday, Friday and Sunday and go anyhow. You'll be in New York; there's no end to the ways you can amuse yourself.

Why NYCC, DragonCon & SLCC matter

3 MAY 2015

We're almost midway through the year. By now you've either gone to a West Coast Con like ECCC, WonderCon or are preparing to go to one, like San Diego or Phoenix. Or maybe you've done none of that - in which case you might want to consider the second half of the year and a few options therein.

I was at a Cinco de Mayo party last night where I heard the typical nay-saying against any other Con; they're boring; no one important goes to them; there's nothing to do; San Diego is it. These arguments almost always come from people who've barely been to any Con at all and are just parroting the media's breathless coverage of San Diego Comic-Con. But streetsmart nerds and geeks know the truth - that there are Cons out there that offer just as good (if not better) an experience, and it's smarter to find a Con that reflects your interests than just rolling the dice on SDCC year after year.

Here are three upcoming major Cons that might appeal to different audiences. I'll be at least one, and I hope you  consider the same - especially if you got shut out of San Diego.


DragonCon

Attendance last year: 63,000

This is always a fun time for sci-fi, fantasy and comic book fans. It's more of a party than SDCC is, with more entertainment and more adult-only events, but some family fare as well. While it's numerically smaller than Cons like ECCC and Phoenix Comicon, the intense round-the-clock engagement of attendees means that it feels like a bigger Con.

Wrestling, live bands, puppet slams, burlesque shows, Rocky Horror and even a night at the local aquarium are just a few of the offerings; the panels and sessions are just as diverse, and focus on the paranormal, cosplay, sci fi, comics, alternate history, tech, gaming, books and more. In many ways, this is a truly nerdy Con in a way SDCC and NYCC shed a while ago - less mainstream pop culture and more of the weird and specific interests nerds tend to drill down into and get obsessed with. It's also more social; the bands and parties, and general friendliness of attendees, means you will always find a party to go to and people to party with. Yes, it's a popular Con for the poly/kinkster crew, but it's also easy just to make friends and find fellow fans and nerds to hang out with.

This year it happens 4-7 September in Atlanta, which means one important deadline looms on the horizon: 15 May is the final day to get the $110 Membership Rate. However you can still register through 15 August for the full $130 rate.



Salt Lake Comic Con

Attendance last year: 120,000

SDCC's nemesis is happening this year 24-26 September. Passes are on sale right now - with rates for all budgets. This Con has grown very rapidly and ranks up there with NYCC and SDCC in terms of size. I've never been, but it seems like a fairly generic pop culture and comic book convention, one that is a bit more wholesome than some other Cons. It's quite popular with parents who are looking to share their nerdy interests with their kids - something that was once guaranteed at SDCC, but these days is a bit harder to pull off, especially for a family of four or larger.

This is in Salt Lake City and tends to reflect the local culture; for instance, the Con runs Thursday-Saturday and does not have any events on Sunday. That can be a selling point for attendees looking for more of a family environment, while attendees looking for a more libertine experience might be happier elsewhere. Programming is still getting announced, but you can see some guests and news.




New York Comic Con

Attendance last year: 151,000

Last year NYCC dethroned SDCC as the biggest pop culture/comic convention. That only should tell you that this is a not a consolation prize for people who couldn't get into SDCC, but a massive and desirable event that offers many advantages San Diego does not.

The obvious: you're in New York. You're not going to struggle finding a hotel room, and if you've never been to NY, you can build in extra days to see the city or even drive into New England and see the autumn foliage. (Despite hailing from that region, I'm not a huge fan of New York - however, I do believe it is a city that everyone should experience at some point.) On the other hand, you won't find that city-wide sense of nerd community that San Diego offers so richly. It's very easy to walk away from NYCC and ten minutes later, feel completely alienated from the milieu you just left.

NYCC is run by ReedPOP, which means it differs from SDCC in other ways. While CCI does clearly want to improve our Comic-Con experience, ReedPOP has superior change management skills and a vastly greater appetite for change in general. From the cosplay red carpet to sexual harassment policies to recognizing and incorporating ECCC's excellent culture, they are willing to adapt to the ever-evolving Con community needs. They have to be that agile; they also run ECCC, Paris Comic Con, Shanghai Comic Con, Star Wars Celebration, C2E2, other Cons and are pretty much colonizing the planet.

There's also New York Super Week. NYCC happens 8-11 October; however, it's part of a larger event called New York Super Week that runs 5-11 October. This takes place out and about in the city and a few events have already been announced:

• Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular (1st time in America)
• After Party with BBQ Films
• Workshops on Writing for TV and Film - led by top network & studio writers and producers
• A Shipwreck Fan Fiction Competition
• Karaoke with Broadway Stars

Many more events will be added over the spring and summer; cardholders also get discounts at various bars, attractions and restaurants. You can get the Super Week card if you buy a 4-day NYCC ticket for $105, while other ticket holders can buy it for an extra $10. Yes, it's really that cheap.

Tickets go on sale for both NYCC and Super Week go on sale 13 May; don't delay on this because they will go fast. You can buy online, at Special Edition NYC 6-7 June, or at a special Midtown Comics event this summer.




Other conventions are consistently presented as the community college to SDCC's Ivy League. This just isn't true anymore. If you were willing to shell out for San Diego and didn't get a badge, consider using that money for another Con. You are not settling for second best, even if it feels like it at first. You are being smart - and you're also getting ahead of the future attendees who will eventually turn NYCC and other Cons into the same traffic-jammed nightmare that SDCC is now. Be adventurous, try out these unique offerings of these Cons and enjoy them while you can. I don't think you'll regret it.

NYCC upgrades their anti-harassment policy

10 OCTOBER 2014

Are you lucky enough to be at New York Comic Con right now? I'm not, but I'm still jealously monitoring all developments from afar. One thing that's new: ReedPOP has embraced the winds of change and has put up "Cosplay is not Consent" posters everywhere. The design is visually arresting (nice job, Amy Reeder) and the wording is clear.

"Please keep your hands to yourself. If you would like to take a picture with or of another NYCC fan, always ask first and respect that person's right to say no. When at NYCC, be respectful, be nice, be cool and be kind to each other."

I've seen people get twitchy about the "asking" part - so let's be realistic here. If you see a cosplayer posing for a group of cameras, and you join them, most often that's not going to be an issue. I've never had anyone say no to me (and I always ask if I can put pictures on this blog - no one ever objects to that either.) I think the subtext here is for those creepers who enjoy filming women's asses and cleavage.

And yes, some will do it anyway, just like some people will continue to make boorish and insensitive comments in a number of areas - disability, race, nationality and so on. The anti-harassment policy covers all of those. (Which incidentally was developed in tandem with the great minds at The Mary Sue.) The point is that the visual reminders do stop some bad behavior, and set the stage for punitive action for those people who ruin other people's Con experience.

We'll see if SDCC remains a hold-out for 2015.

Your last chance to get New York Comic Con tickets

2 AUGUST 2014



If you participated in the lightning-fast New York Comic Con ticket sale a few weeks back - one riddled with unhappy potential attendees - you might have flashed back to your last SDCC badge sale. It was that fast and frustrating. But NYCC is doing something I couldn't see SDCC doing in a million years: selling a limited number of tickets and Super Week cards through comic book stores. Well - some comic stores.

ReedPOP, the organizer of NYCC, has already differentiated itself by rolling out the Special Edition comic fest in June and then unleashing New York Super Week, a period of special events (galleries, concerts, readings, lectures) around the city. The latter requires a card, separate from the regular Con ticket.

If you missed out in the main sale, you now have a chance to try again on 7 August. Midtown Comics will sell both tickets for NYCC and New York Super Week; on 8 August, more tickets will be available at other stores in New York, New Jersey, Boston, Connecticut and Illinois. 4 per customer is the limit.

Please also note that though NYCC is currently being described as "sold out," Thursday badges are still available on site.

 

New York Comic-Con & Special Edition

12 JUNE 2014



If your convention doings are strictly West Coast, you may not give a fig for New York Comic-Con. Fair enough. But this New York Times blog post shared some interesting news about NYCC's changes that may forecast the shape of things to come for many Cons - who knows, maybe even for San Diego.

ReedPop, who organizes NYCC, has expanded its scope by turning 3-12 October into "New York Super Week," a citywide celebration of gaming events, comedy shows, lectures, concerts and other events. This will partly overlap with NYCC, which runs 9-12 October.  The idea is to become kind of like SXSW but with a "distinct New York sensibility and flair."

The tickets will be sold individually but there will also be a Super Week Card for sale that provides discounts and priority seating. ClearChannel is ReedPop's media partner and will produce some events. This is one of my favorite quotes ever: "It was natural to broaden the scope of the content and tear it out of the Javits Center and into the city at large." Like a baby dinosaur that grew too large for its confining egg, NYCC is now stomping around the city, growing new scales and eating more of your money.

So what does that mean for other Cons? It might mean that this is a viable way to cater to different interests while accommodating the ever-rising demand for badges. Possibly ReedPop looked at SDCC's physical limitations and wanted to find solutions before they hit that point. (Which is approaching rapidly for them.) Scattering panels, events and presentations over a greater period of time and number of venues does offer some breathing room - but it also makes it more expensive for out-of-towners to experience the whole show.

New York Comic-Con tickets go on sale 18 June; the first ever comic book-focused Special Edition:NYC is this weekend. From the programming, it looks like a fairly polished event and not just a collection of vendors selling back issues, as some predicted. It's hard not to detect Clear Channel's conglomerate paw in all of this - which may rouse mixed feelings in attendees who want the organization and efficiency of a media superpower without the corporate ownership.