NYCC Tickets On Sale NOW!

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New York Comic Con tickets went on sale today at 12 noon on the New York Comic Con website!

But not all tickets are going on sale today, just the 4-Day Pass ($95), Kid’s Day Tickets ($5) and VIP packages ($195 & $485). If you’re interested in getting any of these tickets, jump on them! You do not want to wait until tickets go on sale at retail locations. Finding 3-Day and 4-Day passes at comic book stores last year was a nightmare. I recommend securing your pass directly from NYCC as soon as you can.

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For those of you interested in the 3-Day Pass, if the past holds true, that will be up for sale shortly after the 4-Day Pass sells out. The individual day tickets will then follow shortly thereafter.

Personally, I think you should buy a 4-Day Pass. At $95, it’s $30 more than the 3-Day pass, so you’re only saving $5 over buying a 3-Day Pass and a separate Thursday ticket. That said, Thursday is the best day at NYCC! The crowds are light. The lines for exclusives are the smallest they’ll be all weekend. It’s the perfect day to take care of things that would take much longer on the more crowded days during NYCC weekend. 

If you’re a parent thinking about taking your kid to NYCC, consider Sunday. Crowds are lighter than Saturday, there are specific activities aimed at kids that day and you can buy a Kid’s Day ticket for your child for only $5! Kid’s Day tickets have sold out quickly in past years.

Two VIP packages are being offered. The Special Access Package ($195) and the Ultimate Access Package ($485). I don’t know about these. Yes, you get onto the show floor first, but you don’t get much of a head start over everyone else. What was nice about the VIP package at Special Edition: NYC was that you were allowed onto the show floor a full half hour before everyone else. Here, you’re just at the front of the line. NYCC is throwing in some cool perks in both of the packages, but at those price points, I recommend giving it some serious thought. They’re super-limited and sure to sell out, so if it appeals to you, get on it quick before you miss out.

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UPDATE: As of 12:25 PM on 6/18/14, NYCC VIP Ticket packages are SOLD OUT!

UPDATE 2: As of 1:30 PM on 6/18/14, NYCC 4-Day Passes are SOLD OUT! This is huge. This is the fastest NYCC 4-Day Passes have sold out since they were introduced a couple of years ago. Last year, it took a few weeks for the 4-Day Pass to sell out. The 3-Day Pass is more popular than the 4-Day Pass. If you’re interested in a 3-Day Pass, make sure you are at your computer the minute they go on sale! If you want a 4-Day Pass, Midtown Comics will be the only comic book store carrying them. I’ll update with the on-sale dates for these passes once I find them out.

 

Special Edition: NYC Saturday Panel Guide

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Special Edition: NYC is right around the corner, taking place at the Javits Center in New York City on Saturday, June 14 and Sunday, June 15. Unlike New York Comic Con, Special Edition: NYC is going to be strictly comic book focused. Don’t mistake this for a lesser show though. The Big Two publishers, Marvel and DC, will both be at Special Edition: NYC, and they (and others) are planning some very cool panels. Here’s our picks for the best panels happening on Saturday at Special Edition: NYC.

11:00 – 12:00 – DC Comics: Art Masters – Francis Manapul, Joe Prado and other DC artists will be talking art in this panel. I’m hoping this panel involves some live drawing on a big screen for fans to see. (Theater A – 1E19)

12:15 – 1:15 – Marvel’s All-New Young Guns – Once the DC art panel wraps, stay in your seat and listen to Marvel’s artists talk about their craft and upcoming projects. Mahmud Asrar, Sara Pichelli and Ryan Stegman will be on the panel, among others. (Theater A – 1E19)

1:30 – 2:30 – Mike Allred Spotlight – Okay, at this point, you can just stay in Theater A – 1E19 all day and witness some awesome lectures on comic book art. Any listener of the Tuesday Night Comics Podcast knows that I am a HUGE Mike Allred fan. This is must-attend for me, and should be for you as well. PS – Allred’s new Silver Surfer comic is a must-read. (Theater A – 1E19)

1:45 – 2:45 – Archie: Life, Afterlife and Beyond – Afterlife with Archie is one of the most unique comic books to debut in the past year, and takes Archie and the Riverdale crew into all-new territory. The creative team of Afterlife with Archie, Robert Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla, will both be at this panel. (Theater B – 1E21)

3:00 – 4:00 – Rocket Girl: Past and Futures – Rocket Girl was one of the coolest books to debut at NYCC 2013. Creators Amy Reeder and Brandon Montclare will be at this panel to talk all things Rocket Girl. If you haven’t checked out this series yet, I highly recommend you do! (Theater B – 1E21)

4:00 – 5:00 – Reimagining the Female Hero – Some of the best female creators in comics today, including Amy Reeder, Jenny Frison and Marguerite Bennett, will be on this panel discussing evolution of the female hero in comics. (Theater A – 1E19)

4:15 – 5:15 – Comic Book Club – Live! – I’ve attended Comic Book Club – Live! shows in the past and absolutely love them. These guys produce one of the best comic book related podcasts around and are very entertaining. They also tend to give away comics at their shows, so…bonus! (Theater B – 1E21)

5:15 – 6:45 – Creator Connection – Are you a writer looking for an artist? An artist looking for a writer? Check out this networking event and you may find your next creative partner. It will be interesting to see what comics spawn from this event. (Theater A – 1E19)

Tickets are currently available to Special Edition: NYC at specialeditonnyc.com

The Exclusive Merch of Wizard World Philly 2013

Wizard World Philadelphia is this coming weekend. I was originally going to do a Top 5 Exclusives of Wizard World Philadelphia, like I did for Wonder Con. Unfortunately, looking over the list of show exclusives, I honestly can’t find five items to recommend. When it comes to cool exclusives, companies seem to be not as focused on Wizard World Philly like they are with NYCC and SDCC.

But if you do find yourself at Wizard World this weekend here are my Top 5 Top 3 Exclusives of Wizard World Philadelphia 2013!

Walking Dead #1 Philadelphia Comic Con Exclusive Variant Cover by Julian Totino Tedesco – FREE
I don’t usually get excited for variant covers, but this comic has two things going for it: 1.) That painted cover by Julian Totino Tedesco looks very cool. 2.) It’s free to all paid attendees.

White Phoenix Funko Pop! Figure – $20/$45
I really like Funko’s line of big-headed figures and bobbleheads. They’re just super-cute. For all you Jean Grey fans out there, there are two versions of this figure to be had at Wizard World Philly. The standard version will run you $20. If you’d like the glow-in-the-dark variant, you’ll have to buy a two-figure set that includes the standard and variant versions for $45.

Stan Lee Cologne – $25
That’s right. Stan. Lee. Cologne. Quite possibly the oddest convention exclusive ever offered. Have you ever wanted to mimic the musk of a 90-year old man? Now’s your chance! I’m picturing the cologne smelling like a mix of gamma rays and Brylcreem. If I make it to Wizard World Philly, EVERYONE is getting this for their birthday this year.

Did I miss something cool? Check out the full list here and let me know.