New York Comic Con 2017 is in the books and it was a crazy, fun hectic year as attendees have come to expect. Last year I attended four days and unfortunately, circumstances this year only allowed for me to attend two days: Saturday and Sunday.
This year, like last year, one of the more challenging things about NY Comic Con is the overlapping schedule: more often than not, there are multiple things going on simultaneously, panels I’d like to attend scheduled at the same time authors whose work I like doing signings. There is just too much great stuff going on, so you have to be as prepared as possible and have your schedule planned out so you can both decided which of the three or for scheduled things you’d like to partake in at 1PM and to know how much time you have to wander the floor between things and people (creators/writers/artists) you’d like to see. The one thing I was hoping to attend but didn’t was a Star Wars 40th Anniversary Panel that was ticketed, and unfortunately tickets were gone in minutes.
In the case of Saturday, I was torn between a panel featuring Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor of the Night Vale Podcast and Delilah S. Dawson and Chuck Wendig signing at the Star Wars booth. Having waited on the line for 45 minutes for panels that are less popular than Night Vale, I realized I would be better served meeting Delilah Dawson (for the first time) and meeting up with Chuck Wending for what has become an annual meeting at New York Comic Con. The line for their signing started gathering about 20 minutes before the signing began. This always a neat time because often, the people on line with you aren’t people you know and you can geek out over the same things. The one fan on line with whom I was speaking came to agree that Delilah Dawson’s Phasma is one of the strongest novels in the new Star Wars canon. I asked Delilah Dawson sign Phasma and Chuck Wendig sign the final two books in the Aftermath trilogy then they were both kind enough to let me take this photo below.
The next signing was for Sarah Beth Durst, author of two of my favorite fantasy novels of the past year and a half: The Queen of Blood and The Reluctant Queen. Just go take a look at my reviews of the books by clicking on the book titles. OK, are you back after at least ordering The Queen of Blood? Good. I was lucky enough to catch Sarah before the signing began so I could have some extended time speaking with her. She recalled my reviews and was pleased I specifically mentioned these as “hopeful” stories. She said how important hope was in these two books, that despite darkness, hope is still present.
Sarah also spoke of how important the character Naelin from The Reluctant Queen is to her: Naelin comes from an extremely believable place in that her children are most important thing in the world to her. Naelin isn’t concerned with the world at large just focusing on her children and keeping them safe.
We also briefly discussed how having just the right pen is an important thing, which led to the picture below….
I asked Sarah about the third book in the trilogy and she deviously smiled indicating how she is pleased to be wrapping up the storylines. I know I cannot wait to read the finale, The Queen of Sorrow.
I was strolling around before the next signing and when I arrived at the IDW booth, I was pleased to see Gabriel Rodriguez signing things. For those not in the know, Gabe the artist on my favorite comic book series Locke & Key, co-created by Joe Hill. I spent a few minutes telling him how wonderful the series is and what an amazing artist he is and also complemented him on Onyx, the science fiction mini series he co-created with Chris Ryall. I didn’t think to bring issues or trades from the series, so I bought the newly released deluxe hardcover Small World, which Gabe signed along with a promo issue of Sword of Ages, a new comic launching this Fall that he both writes and draws.
It is impossible to leave the show floor without buying something and each year I try to get a different Funko Pop. I wanted one from Stranger Things and was happy to find one with Eleven holding her beloved Eggos. Penguin Random House was also selling pre-signed copies of Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine, the first installment of her Great Library Series, which I think is now at four books. I’ve been seeing really good things about this series since it first launched and have been intending to at least start it. Now I have even less of an excuse and for $10, how could I say no to a signed book?
The last book signing of the day was for my pal Myke Cole. Myke’s got a new Epic Fantasy novella/short novel publishing in early 2018 with Tor.com, The Armored Saint. The fine folks at the Tor booth were giving away advance reader copies of the book that Myke was signing. Throughout the day, publishers give away books including a few pictured below. The aforementioned The Armored Saint and Sword of Ages, but also a forthcoming novel from legendary writer Stephen R. Donaldson (best known for the Thomas Covenant novels), The Seventh Decimate which launches a new series. The Daughters of the Storm is from Austrialian writer Kim Wilkins making her US debut with this novel, which Anne Groel couldn’t say enough great things about as she handed me the book after zapping my badge.
Day 2 for me was Sunday and as I have the past few years, I spent it with my wife just walking the floor and soaking it all in rather than running back and forth between signings and panels. My wife helps out at the booth of my local comic shop and works the entire Saturday so she gets an Exhibitor pass allowing her entrance all four days.
Sunday is also family day, so there are many, many more children and families altogether. One thing that has been trending over the past few years seems to be fewer smaller publishers and independent authors. Even Baen books, who had a very large display & booth last year, wasn’t at the show. Be that as it may, there were still plenty of things to see. Last year my brother-in-law got a great card game called Movie Buff. This year, the same company released a new game called You Are the Maniac, a game where you are a serial killer competing against other serial killer trying to kill the most people. You know, a family game. This fulfilled what seems to now be a requirement for us: buying a new game at every NYCC.
I finished out the day picking up a signed copy of My Best Friend’s Exorcism (just look at that awesome 1980s inspired cover) by Grady Hendrix and a Eolian Bar T-Shirt inspired by Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicles and made by Tinker’s Pack in support of Pat’s Worldbuilders charity.
All told, a fun couple of days, filled with lots of people and great sights to see.
That cover for Grady Hendrix’s novel makes me grin. I really like it; brings back the cheesier parts of the ’80s.
Randy M.
(and now I’m trying to think of any un-cheesy parts of the ’80s. and failing …)