Dave and Billy recap their favorite parts of NYCC, review The Flash of Two Worlds episode of The Flash and a whole slew of books including a comic you probably missed last week but should definitely pick up this week, play the TWENTY (where they stick to a $20 budget and pick out the best of this week’s new comics) and talk A LOT of comics news! It’s a packed episode!
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Once again, the Charity Art Auction at New York Comic Con was my favorite part of NYCC weekend. Attendance at the art auction shot up noticibly this year. In years past, it was easy to find a seat. This year, I found myself holding seats for four friends who were running late, which meant I also found myself catching some serious side-eye from the standing room only crowd.
I went into the Art Auction with a specific strategy this year. I would pick out a few pieces to seriously aim at buying during the viewing that preceded the auction. In previous years, I found myself price enforcing pieces of original art that I felt were going way too cheap, and found my cash supply too low when later in the auction when something I really wanted hit the auction block. Not this year. The problem was I had to keep reminding myself of this throughout the auction. There were many times when I was tempted to bid, and a few times when I did bid, on things I thought were too good a deal to pass up. Thankfully, I was able to restrain myself and let myself get outbid on those items.
Because that meant I was able to go home with a seriously nice piece of original art. The cover to Action Comics #43 by Aaron Kuder. I love this cover. It has such a cool design. I love the vertical panels separating Superman and his supporting cast. I was a fan of this cover before it was in the art auction. When I saw it was going to be one of the pieces auctioned off, I knew I wanted to make a serious attempt to get it.
Unfortunately, that meant letting A LOT of really nice original art pass me by. Once again, Mike Negin, the Talent Coordinator for NYCC and man in charge of the Charity Art Auction, assembled a museum-quality collection of modern comic art. There were too many VERY nice pieces. I had to choose my spots. Anyone who attended had to.
What was great too, was that this year, friends were bidding as well. In past years, friends would join me to watch the bidding action and view the art, but forego bidding and look at me with slightly exasperated looks when I’d get caught up in a bidding war. Bu this year, I had a friend in company for the bidding. Alli, our occasional fill-in co-host at the Tuesday Night Comics podcast, may have been my favorite attendee of the art auction. When I say he got into his bidding, I mean he really got into it. At one point late in the auction, Alli was pacing up and down his row shouting out new bids on a piece he wanted for his girlfriend. At one point, he yelled out a bid and then yelled out another bid, getting into a bidding war with himself! It was great and Alli walked away with that piece.
Once again, the big pieces of the night were the Walt Simonson Thor sketch and the Adam Hughes piece. Both went for many thousands of dollars and helped the Art Auction raise a sizeable amount of money for The St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. By the way, Adam Hughes is an awesome individual. Personal issues prevented him from attending NYCC 2015, but he sent over a gorgeous piece just for the art auction. Hughes is really committed to helping raise money for charity at NYCC. Besides making sure the art auction received what is always the most sought after piece in the auction, when Hughes is at a convention, he regularly donates the money from the sketches he does at the convention to charity. The guy is a cass act all around.
I’ve said this before and I will continue to say this: if you are not attending the Charity Art Auction at NYCC, you are missing NYCC’s best event.
Billy is all alone this week, and he’s talking NYCC! Plus, he reviews Invincible Iron Man #1, Dr. Strange #1, Amazing Spider-Man #1 and more. Plus, The Twenty!
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Written by Nick Doyle and Billy Henehan.
They say if you can survive Saturday at NYCC, you can make it anywhere. There’s a reason why the Saturday tickets sell out before 4-Day Passes sell out and that is because Saturday is the mother of all days at NYCC. Most of the biggest events are happening today. Will you be able to make it all of them? Of course not, not unless you own a Time Turner. There are too many panels to go through on the NYCC site, but you don’t have to wade through them all. Because we have cut through all the mediocre panels to bring you the best of the best. If you have to choose, at least choose from these. Because these are the BEST of the BEST of New York Comic Con Saturday 2015.
Writers Unite: Writing and Pitching Comic Stories – 11:00-12:00 1A01
This seems almost like a sequel to Charles Soule and Marguerite Bennett’s panel together at Special Edition: NYC. That was a great panel; I expect this one to be as well. Writers talking writing. More panels like this please.
Spotlight on Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba: Different is Cool – 11:00-12:00 1A18
It’s been years since Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba have been at NYCC. If you’re a fan of theirs, you need to be at this panel, because who knows how long it will be until they return?
Thrilling Adventure Hour – 11:15-12:15 1A24
Listen to the cast and writers of Thrilling Adventure Hour discuss their dearly departed comedy podcast (which lives on as a couple of Image Comics series – check them out!).
All-New All-Different Marvel – 11:15-12:15 1A10
Marvel announcement. Glorious Marvel announcements. Oooh, Gerry Duggan is going to be there. Looks like I’m going to this panel dressed as Zenpool. If you spot me, be sure to say hi. 🙂
DC Comics: Heroes to the Core – 12:15-1:15 1A06
Dan Didio will be talking with DC creators on stage, including John Romita Jr (it’s still hard for me to think of him as a DC guy), Robert Venditti and more about the future of the DCU (not to be confused with DC You, which DC seems to be quickly backing away from).
Disney-Lucasfilm Publishing Presents Star Wars: Journey to Force Awakens – 12:15-1:15 1A21
Have you noticed the flood of Journey to Force Awakens books that have recently hit the marketplace? The writers of those novels, including Greg Rucka and Chuck Wendig, will be at this panel discussing their Star Wars writing.
Cinemax Presents Robert Kirkman’s New Series Outcast – 1:30-2:30 1A06
Wow, Cinemax really wants to drive the connection to The Walking Dead home on this one. Who can blame them? After the success of The Walking Dead, I can only assume they paid a good deal for the rights to Kirkman’s new series, Outcast. Series star Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous) and Robert Kirkman will both be here to talk about the upcoming show.
DC Comics – Batman: The Bat Universe 1:30-2:30 Empire Stage 1-E
Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Peter Tomasi, Amy Chu, Tom King, Tim Seeley, Khary Randolph and James Tynion IV will all be at this panel. What a line-up! If you’re reading a Batbook right now, this is your panel.
Using Tmblr to Sell Your Idea – 1:30-2:30 1B03
Here’s a panel that has both an interesting theme and a stellar line-up. Felipe Smith (All-New Ghost Rider), Kieron Gillen (The Wicked + The Divine) and Katie Cook (artist of the cutest and smallest con sketches ever) will be in conversation with Marlene aka @ilikecomicstoo about using social media to sell your idea. I’m a huge fan of Kieron Gillen’s tumblr blog, which gives behind-the-scenes insights into his writing. It’s like reading a director’s commentary for his comics. I will definitely be at this panel. You should too.
Clueless 20th Anniversary Panel – 1:45-2:45 1A10
Clueless writer/director Amy Heckerling will be speaking about the movie, which in my opinion is one of the best movies of the 1990s.
Marvel: Cup O’Joe – 2:45-3:45 Empire Stage 1-E
The Cup O’Joe panel is a mainstay of NYCC. If you’re a Marvel fan, you’re going to want to make sure you get a seat to this one. We’ll no doubt be seeing exclusive looks at post-Secret Wars Marvel Comics for the first time. Kieron Gillen will be here. Follow him from the tumblr panel to this one, where he’ll be talking about his upcoming Marvel work. Other guests include Charles Soule and Dan Slott.
The Splat: All That Reunion – 4:15-5:15 1A10
Wait, Kel will be here but not Keenan? That is not a Goodburger…
Cartoon Network Presents: Regular Show 4:15-5:15 – Hammerstein Ballroom
NYCC has grown so big this year that some panels and screenings are taking place at The Hammerstein Ballroom. If you walked over from Penn Station along 34 Street, you no doubt passed by it. What could make you leave the Javits Center to attend a panel? Four words: Regular Show. The Movie.
Marvel Netflix: Daredevil and Jessica Jones: Alias. 5:00-6:45 Main Stage 1-D
Hopefully the ticketing for this is not as big a clusterfuck as it was for last year’s Daredevil panel, where a bunch of jerks tried cutting the line, causing Marvel to send everyone on their way before Marvel had a ticket lottery later in the day. I am so excited for both the return of Daredevil and the new Alias series. If only they were also giving us some news on Damage Control. Who knows? Maybe they are. (Wristband required)
FUNimation Industry Panel – 5:30-6:30 1A24
After recently getting into Attack on Titan, I’m all about this panel.
NYCC Charity Auction – 7:00-9:00 1A18
This is my favorite event at all of NYCC. If you are an original art collector, this is a MUST ATTEND event. Mike Negin, the Artist Alley coordinator amasses a spectacular collection of original comic book art to be auctioned off every year for charity. All money raised goes directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Original art pages, covers (COVERS!) and convention sketches will all be auctioned off. Even if you don’t buy any art, come for the bidding, which tends to vicious at different points. Expect the Adam Hughes and Walt Simonson pieces to be the #1 and #2 most expensive pieces of the night (they were the last two years). It’s an awesome time, and a terrific charity fundraiser. GO TO THIS!
Doctor Who Fan Screening and Q&A with Screenwriter Toby Whithouse – 7:45-9:15
See the new Doctor Who episode Before the Flood before it airs on BBC America! I’m so tempted to go to this, but I’ll be at the Art Auction. While I’m losing out to bidders with a bigger bankroll, I will be sitting there jealous of all of you at this Doctor Who screening, especially because you’ll be able to ask screenwriter Toby Whithouse questions right after the episode. Please make them good questions. You’re watching the new episode that he wrote – make your questions specific to that.