Nerd in the City

Stepping off the subway at 34th and Broadway, you can sense in the air that this is not your typical Thursday in New York City. Something special is going on.

Those in the know are aware of what that something is. But the lay people of NY may be confused by the sight of Gandalf the grey on their train. And really confused by Two-Face Gandalf the Grey and White. But hey… it’s New York. So maybe they chalk it up to the quirks and oddities that come with everyday city life.

But then comes Princess Peach and Darth Vader. A Jedi My Little Pony walks by followed closely by an Optimus-Bumblebee hybrid. (Hybrids were very big this year. Click HERE for a laugh about it from College Humor.) Maybe characters they don’t even have a name for. These are the unique, non-mainstream costumes that only those of the “nerd” persuasion can identify and truly appreciate.

Yes… this is New York Comic Con.

A place where Harley Quinn and Iron Man can be seen walking hand in hand. A magical land where Bronies and Deadpools and Stormtroopers all belong. And where you can find a unique interpretation of Elsa around every corner. Basically it’s nerd heaven!

The second you walk through those big glass doors, after making it through the never ending line that finally ends and you have your bags and weapons checked at the door, you do one of two things… 1. Quickly race to the first panel of the day or 2. Head straight up to the showroom floor. Either way you head there will be another line waiting for you. But it’s a line filled with Poison Ivy’s, Slave Leia’s, 10th Doctors and Disney Princesses… so is this line the end of the world? Nope! Just another day at the office.

If you have any Comic Con Spidey sense, you brought your snacks, wore the proper footwear and have leisurely mapped your day out, incorporating ample people watching time. Because that in and of itself is a beautiful and fascinating thing.

Witnessing people in their natural element is an amazing treat and these people, my people, are most at home here at the Con. Among thousands of other like minds who understand their fandoms and passions. I can fall as easily into conversation with the Cumberbitches as I can with the Whovians. And the Trekkies and the Hookers (a newer one for sure.) And even with the DC universe vs the Marvel universe… here at the Con we are all nerds in this together. No warring factions here.

And for the first year ever, we have eclipsed the staggering mythological numbers that SDCC pulls in every year. And why not? After all, we are no red-headed step child. We are NYCC. A tour de force, a tidal wave of nerd culture. And in New York City we never do anything small!!