5 Ways to NYCC (New York Comic Con)

By George Rose

October 4, 2017

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The moment the East Coast has waited for all summer long is finally here… New York Comic Con (NYCC). It is the reason I have spent the last few weeks recapping my convention past and it is the biggest pop culture event of my year. It has taken five NYCC’s, two Philly Cons, a Fan Fest and five years to lead up to this. I have never been more prepared or better able to help you prep. Follow me, friends, as I show you the five ways I have prepped for NYCC 2017.

1) Pre-Show Research

Many months ago it became clear the big marquee name at NYCC 2017 would be Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker). I mentioned it a few weeks ago that he was my target of this Con and I imagine everyone else’s as well. Then pricing became available. As it turns out, a picture with him will cost $250 and an autograph will cost $300. That’s right, THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS. The most expensive autograph at Fan Fest was $60. I guess when you are the last surviving Jedi of the biggest franchise in cinema (Harrison Ford’s Han Solo died in Episode 7 and Carrie Fisher died in real life in December 2016) and you have the biggest movie of the year (Star Wars Episode 8) about to come out in two months, you can charge whatever you want.




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And what Hamill wants is $300. I can understand a celebrity who can only appear at the four-day Con for one day to charge that much, if they just won an Oscar or something. Hamill has been at dozens of conventions over the years, usually as “that old guy that used to be in Star Wars movies” and “that Star Wars guy that now does the voice of Joker in Batman cartoons.” He charged reasonable prices (from what I found online) and has a tendency to write funny yet inappropriate things on your memorabilia. This year, he is one of very few people appearing on all four days. I wish I could say this doesn’t make any sense to me but it completely does. Carrie Fisher died December 2016 after charging around $70 an autograph at NYCC in October 2016, fans like myself go crazy they lost a legend and missed the chance to meet her, and suddenly Mark Hamill’s stock rises in a way not seen in over four decades.

I can call him a jerk, a greedy pig, a bitter celebrity that led the cast from the most iconic film series ever made just to have everyone around him become more rich and famous, and now he’s taking it out on me. None of that matters. Hamill is in perfect storm territory and is about to rule the Con. As it stands, he is out of the running for my time, attention or cash. In a few years when he goes back to being “the guy that used to be Luke Skywalker” I will be ready and waiting. With Hamill no longer in the running, that frees up a huge chunk of my NYCC budget.


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