2026 marked the 20th anniversary of New York Comic Con, and in those 20 years, I’ve seen a lot of changes. Some good, and some not so good.
Before NYCC, there were already some major comic conventions in New York. I remember attending some at Madison Square Garden, but NYCC was on a whole other level.
The first NYCC took place in February 2006 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. It was freezing cold, and some attendees were so determined to be among the first inside that they actually slept outside in sleeping bags. Crazy. I got there early myself and practically froze waiting for the doors to open.
The organizers, Reed Exhibitions (now RX), clearly underestimated how many people would show up. This was their first comic convention, and they weren’t prepared for the turnout. Tickets were oversold, and on Saturday, some ticket holders were actually turned away. It was insane, and there were a lot of understandably pissed-off people.
The following year, press were allowed onto the convention floor before the general public entered at 4 PM. That was something I really appreciated. It gave me time to take photographs, walk the floor, and catch up with PR representatives I’d been working with.
Unfortunately, the convention was still being held in the middle of February.
In 2008, NYCC moved to April, only to return to February in 2009. Eventually, the convention settled into October, where it’s remained ever since. October weather in New York can be unpredictable, but I’ll take that over freezing in February.
In 2011, NYCC expanded from three days to four. Thursday was reserved for professionals, press, and attendees who purchased four-day passes.
Eventually, that arrangement disappeared altogether. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of the change. Having that additional time made covering the convention considerably easier.
But what could I do?
As NYCC continued growing, ReedPop became the name associated with its pop culture conventions. And while the event grew bigger, some of its logistical decisions left me scratching my head.
For years, ReedPop insisted on placing video game companies near the main entrances to the convention floor.
Why in God’s name would you do that?
These exhibitors often had elaborate displays, demonstrations, and attractions that naturally drew crowds. People would stop in the middle of the aisles to watch what was happening, creating enormous congestion right where thousands of attendees were trying to enter.
And ReedPop kept doing it year after year.
This isn’t a complaint about video games being at NYCC. It’s a logistical issue. As a member of the press, I frequently have appointments scheduled back-to-back, sometimes at opposite ends of the convention center. Trying to navigate through those crowds made getting from one location to another unnecessarily difficult.
Another change was the disappearance of many of the major comic book publishers from the convention floor.
For years, DC Comics, Dark Horse, Image, and other publishers had a significant presence at NYCC. Eventually, many stopped purchasing booths.
There were reports that the cost of exhibiting had become too expensive. However, I also heard from multiple industry insiders that ReedPop had upset several publishers. Nobody would tell me exactly what happened, so I can’t speak to the specifics. But having heard similar accounts from multiple sources, I tend to believe there was more going on behind the scenes.
For a while, NYCC also felt like the red-headed stepchild of San Diego Comic-Con. It seemed like San Diego received the major announcements and opportunities, while New York was left with the scraps.
That’s not to say NYCC didn’t have worthwhile programming or press opportunities. It certainly did, and there have been some excellent press rooms over the years. But sometimes even getting into those opportunities became a battle.
One welcome development was the return of DC Comics with a booth in 2025. After years without that kind of presence, it was genuinely nice to see DC back on the convention floor.
Which brings me to this year’s convention.
After attending NYCC for 20 years, I have to admit that some of the enjoyment has faded. For me, attending is primarily work. I still love reconnecting with industry friends and PR representatives whom I might only see once a year, but something about this year’s convention felt different.
At least from my perspective.
I wasn’t particularly impressed with the press opportunities available to me. Some of the events I was invited to weren’t subjects I normally cover, while others weren’t scheduled until 4 or 5 PM.
That’s a long time to spend walking around a crowded convention floor waiting for an event, particularly when you’ve already accomplished much of what you came to do.
And with the early press access long gone, getting the photographs, B-roll, and interviews I need has become more challenging than it used to be.
I understand that NYCC has evolved. It’s no longer simply a comic book convention. It’s a massive pop culture event encompassing movies, television, gaming, anime, and much more. From a business standpoint, I understand why that happened.
But as the convention has grown, I can’t help feeling that certain aspects of the experience, particularly for working press, haven’t necessarily improved along with it.
Of course, everyone’s experience is different, and I can only speak for myself.
Do I plan on attending NYCC next year? Absolutely.
But after 20 years, I think it’s time for me to figure out a better plan of attack.
2026 marked the 20th anniversary of New York Comic Con, and in those 20 years, I’ve seen a lot of changes. Some good, and some not so good.
Before NYCC, there were already some major comic conventions in New York. I remember attending some at Madison Square Garden, but NYCC was on a whole other level.
The first NYCC took place in February 2006 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. It was freezing cold, and some attendees were so determined to be among the first inside that they actually slept outside in sleeping bags. Crazy. I got there early myself and practically froze waiting for the doors to open.
The organizers, Reed Exhibitions (now RX), clearly underestimated how many people would show up. This was their first comic convention, and they weren’t prepared for the turnout. Tickets were oversold, and on Saturday, some ticket holders were actually turned away. It was insane, and there were a lot of understandably pissed-off people.
The following year, press were allowed onto the convention floor before the general public entered at 4 PM. That was something I really appreciated. It gave me time to take photographs, walk the floor, and catch up with PR representatives I’d been working with.
Unfortunately, the convention was still being held in the middle of February.
In 2008, NYCC moved to April, only to return to February in 2009. Eventually, the convention settled into October, where it’s remained ever since. October weather in New York can be unpredictable, but I’ll take that over freezing in February.
In 2011, NYCC expanded from three days to four. Thursday was reserved for professionals, press, and attendees who purchased four-day passes.
Eventually, that arrangement disappeared altogether. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of the change. Having that additional time made covering the convention considerably easier.
But what could I do?
As NYCC continued growing, ReedPop became the name associated with its pop culture conventions. And while the event grew bigger, some of its logistical decisions left me scratching my head.
For years, ReedPop insisted on placing video game companies near the main entrances to the convention floor.
Why in God’s name would you do that?
These exhibitors often had elaborate displays, demonstrations, and attractions that naturally drew crowds. People would stop in the middle of the aisles to watch what was happening, creating enormous congestion right where thousands of attendees were trying to enter.
And ReedPop kept doing it year after year.
This isn’t a complaint about video games being at NYCC. It’s a logistical issue. As a member of the press, I frequently have appointments scheduled back-to-back, sometimes at opposite ends of the convention center. Trying to navigate through those crowds made getting from one location to another unnecessarily difficult.
Another change was the disappearance of many of the major comic book publishers from the convention floor.
For years, DC Comics, Dark Horse, Image, and other publishers had a significant presence at NYCC. Eventually, many stopped purchasing booths.
There were reports that the cost of exhibiting had become too expensive. However, I also heard from multiple industry insiders that ReedPop had upset several publishers. Nobody would tell me exactly what happened, so I can’t speak to the specifics. But having heard similar accounts from multiple sources, I tend to believe there was more going on behind the scenes.
For a while, NYCC also felt like the red-headed stepchild of San Diego Comic-Con. It seemed like San Diego received the major announcements and opportunities, while New York was left with the scraps.
That’s not to say NYCC didn’t have worthwhile programming or press opportunities. It certainly did, and there have been some excellent press rooms over the years. But sometimes even getting into those opportunities became a battle.
One welcome development was the return of DC Comics with a booth in 2025. After years without that kind of presence, it was genuinely nice to see DC back on the convention floor.
Which brings me to this year’s convention.
After attending NYCC for 20 years, I have to admit that some of the enjoyment has faded. For me, attending is primarily work. I still love reconnecting with industry friends and PR representatives whom I might only see once a year, but something about this year’s convention felt different.
At least from my perspective.
I wasn’t particularly impressed with the press opportunities available to me. Some of the events I was invited to weren’t subjects I normally cover, while others weren’t scheduled until 4 or 5 PM.
That’s a long time to spend walking around a crowded convention floor waiting for an event, particularly when you’ve already accomplished much of what you came to do.
And with the early press access long gone, getting the photographs, B-roll, and interviews I need has become more challenging than it used to be.
I understand that NYCC has evolved. It’s no longer simply a comic book convention. It’s a massive pop culture event encompassing movies, television, gaming, anime, and much more. From a business standpoint, I understand why that happened.
But as the convention has grown, I can’t help feeling that certain aspects of the experience, particularly for working press, haven’t necessarily improved along with it.
Of course, everyone’s experience is different, and I can only speak for myself.
Do I plan on attending NYCC next year? Absolutely.
But after 20 years, I think it’s time for me to figure out a better plan of attack.
Dan Kleiner