George and Colleen Griffin attended the 2019 New York Comic Con dressed as the Joker and Harley Quinn. George said he spent eight hours putting together the hammer prop for Colleen’s Quinn costume.
Mike Sorrentino/CNET
Fans who are usually working up their cosplay outfits and planning their panel attendance for New York Comic Con have had to rethink things this year. But if you can’t geek out in person due to the coronavirus pandemic, geek out online. New York Comic Con has joined similar events, including San Diego Comic Con and the new DC FanDome, and gone virtual. This year, the NYC event is called New York Comic Con x MCM Comic Con’s Metaverse, and it runs from Oct. 8 to Oct. 11 online. The lengthy name reflects the combination of the New York event with the MCM Comic Con series of UK events.
“This is everyone’s show; no matter where on the globe you are, the Metaverse is your home,” reads a statement on the official website, findthemetaverse.com. An earlier event was held online in August. Here’s what you need to know to join in with the October event.
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What’s happening, and how can I watch?
As with other comics events that’ve taken place this year, the meat of New York Comic Con will consist of video panels including creators, writers and actors from all comic-related genres, including TV, movies and video games. A full schedule is available online. After they’re over, the free panels will be posted to the event’s YouTube channel, at YouTube.com/NYCC. (Subscribe here for channel updates.)
But not everything’s free. If you feel like spending money, there are a variety of options. You can pay for a very brief digital meet-and-greet with your choice of a variety of different celebrities, including Garrett Wang of Star Trek: Voyager. You can pay for a celeb to make you a personalized recorded video. And you can pay to attend a virtual Dungeons & Dragons workshop with podcast hosts Clint, Justin, Travis and Griffin McElroy.
When is it?
Though there are some discussions happening in the days leading up to the main event, the big part of the show is Oct. 8 to Oct. 11. Videos begin at 9 a.m. PT on Oct. 8, 5 a.m. PT on Oct. 9, 5:35 a.m. on Oct. 10 and 5 a.m. on Oct. 11. Panels run until about 8 p.m. PT daily. Free panels are then posted to YouTube, so you can watch on your own schedule.
Highlights from the schedule:
The Russo Brothers and Kevin Smith
Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo will join others from both DC Comics and Marvel to discuss the complex relationship between the two comics powerhouses. They’ll also share content from Slugfest, an upcoming docuseries about DC and Marvel on small-bite streaming service Quibi. Filmmaker Kevin Smith will moderate the discussion.
Panel: 2:45 p.m. PT on Oct. 8.
Big Hero 6 the series
Stars and producers from Disney XD’s Big Hero 6 The Series discuss the animated show and share sneak peeks of the third season.
Panel: 1 p.m. PT on Oct. 11.
Fall Guys creators
Fall Guys, a goofy battle royale game, is one of the hottest video games out there. In this panel, Brian David Gilbert from Polygon interviews the creators about the game’s past, present and future.
Panel: 3:55 p.m. PT on Oct. 8.
Star Trek Universe
Space is still the final frontier. Cast members and producers from Star Trek; Lower Decks and Star Trek: Discovery will participate in back-to-back panels, with surprise guests.
Panel: 9 a.m. PT on Oct. 8.
Doctor Who
The first female Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, and co-stars Mandip Gill and Bradley Walsh, join Salon’s Melanie McFarland to review the twists, turns and their favorite moments of the iconic show.
Panel: 10:40 a.m. PT on Oct. 8.
What about cosplay?
Those carefully crafted costumes don’t need to sit around gathering dust. Convention organizers teamed up with SYFY Wire for a virtual costume contest. Amateur cosplayers are asked to follow SYFY Wire on Instagram, then post a photo of their homemade cosplay on their personal Instagram page using the hashtag #FanFaveCosplayContest, and tagging @syfywire and @newyorkcomiccon. Entries can be submitted until Oct. 6, and voting begins Oct. 8.
There’s also a pro cosplayer event, NYCC’s annual Cosplay Central’s Virtual Championships of Cosplay, beginning Oct. 10. Fifty cosplayers who specialize in either armor or needlework will be judged for an event hosted by Jaremi Carey of RuPaul’s Drag Race. (You can watch a video of the 2019 event.)
Shopping the online con
Want some physical stuff from a virtual con? Various vendors will be selling figurines, pins, clothing and more depicting popular characters.
- The con’s official merch page sells shirts, badges, plush toys, and more. We like the T-shirt that proclaims, “I wasn’t there,” and the stuffed version of New York’s famed Pizza Rat.
- Entertainment Earth’s offerings are here and include the famed “This is fine” meme dog, plus an Empire Strikes Back 40th anniversary backpack.
- Diamond Select offers a glow-in-the-dark figure of Venom, and more.
- DKEToys will make its Comic Con-related items live on Oct. 8.
- Sideshow will offer Comic Con apparel and swag, but you have to register to see most of it.
- Popular figurine-maker Funko is making merch, but it’s so popular, fans had to sign up for a lottery by Sept. 28 if they hoped to be eligible to shop the NYCC exclusives.
