New York Comic Con 2026 | October 8–11 | Javits Center, New York City
Well, folks, New York Comic Con 2026 has officially come to an end, and what an experience it was!
This was my first time attending NYCC, and yet another convention to add to my growing list of adventures this year. Honestly, I have to say it again: what an amazing experience!
This was also my second time visiting the Javits Center, having previously attended Anime NYC. So, thankfully, I was already familiar with the layout, which made navigating everything a whole lot easier.
But knowing where everything was didn’t make the experience any less exciting. The sights, the sounds, the booths, the people, and the overall atmosphere were incredible.
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m still learning as I go when it comes to attending conventions, especially while balancing two things: enjoying myself as a fan and capturing the experience for my content.
So bear with me as I continue figuring everything out. Either way, I’m having a blast!
Thursday: Exploring the Convention Floor
Thursday was all about exploring.
I spent most of my first day wandering around the convention floor, checking out the incredible displays, vendors, and everything else NYCC had to offer.
There were so many interesting booths, collectibles, and little knickknacks that caught my attention. Half the time, I found myself just taking in the sights and sounds.
Of course, I was also running around trying to capture as many pictures and videos as possible.
Something I’m continuing to learn is that there’s a difference between simply walking around a convention and actually taking the time to experience everything.
It’s easy to get caught up in trying to capture every cool display, especially when you’re thinking about creating content afterward.
But I also want to enjoy these conventions for myself.
Thursday was a little bit of both, and honestly, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
I also managed to sign up for a few experiences and events scheduled for later in the convention, which turned out to be some of the highlights of my weekend.
Friday: Artist Alley, Amazing Booths, and Warhammer!
Friday brought even more exploring, and naturally, things were starting to get busier as we headed into the weekend.
I spent more time checking out Artist Alley, picking up my preordered NYCC merchandise, and browsing vendors that I hadn’t gotten around to visiting on Thursday.
One thing I love about these conventions is discovering things I normally wouldn’t come across.
Whether it’s artwork, collectibles, games, or something completely unexpected, there’s always something interesting around the next corner.
Some Incredible Booths and Displays
There were quite a few booths that stood out to me.
Warhammer had an awesome setup, which was particularly dangerous for my wallet.
I may or may not have purchased a few more things to add to my ever-growing gray pile of shame.
If you know, you know.
Marvel also had an incredible display. I didn’t end up doing the actual walkthrough experience because, well, the line was impressive.
But even from the outside, seeing the Sentinel display and costumes was fantastic. I also caught some footage of the interior on social media afterward, and the amount of detail looked incredible.
Funko had a really neat Halloween-themed setup, and VIZ Media was another highlight with all the anime and manga on display.
I also enjoyed checking out the Magic: The Gathering setup and the Whatnot booth.
There was just so much to see.
My Accidental Friday Panel Adventure
Now, here’s a funny little story.
I had registered for an aspiring content creator and editing panel, which I was looking forward to attending.
The panel was being held in the River Pavilion area of the Javits Center.
During Anime NYC, that area had been generally accessible to attendees. This time, however, access was more restricted, primarily for professional programming and people with reservations.
So I walked up to security, showed them my confirmation email, and they let me through.
Great!
I headed upstairs, found a comfortable place to sit, and started relaxing.
There were maybe 30 people in this enormous space, which, if you’ve been to the River Pavilion, you know is not exactly a tiny room.
I was sitting there, scrolling through Discord, when I happened to look at the panel information.
Wait a minute.
Why does that say something different?
I pulled up my email again.
Oh. The panel was Saturday. Not Friday.
Whoops.
Apparently, nobody noticed, including me!
But hey, I’m not complaining.
I managed to spend about 30–40 minutes relaxing on a comfortable couch, chatting with some people, and even picking up a few new followers.
Maybe security figured I wasn’t going to cause any problems.
Either way, I got a nice little break before heading back down into the increasingly crowded convention floor.
The Warhammer Experience: Reservations Are Your Friend!
One of my favorite experiences of the entire convention happened Friday.
I had booked a reservation for the Warhammer experience, and folks, let me tell you something.
If a convention offers reservations for an experience you’re interested in, take advantage of them!
When I arrived, the regular line looked to be around 50 people deep.
Then someone asked who had reservations.
Well, that would be me!
I was literally the only person standing in the reservation queue.
Talk about perfect timing.
The experience itself was fantastic.
We were divided into small groups of around five people, and there was even someone dressed as an Ultramarine helping bring the experience to life.
We got to paint our own Ultramarines, with roughly 45 minutes dedicated to painting.
Now, I’ll admit I rushed a little toward the end, but I had a great time.
Afterward, we participated in a demonstration of the tabletop game, where five complete strangers got to roll dice and test our fate.
And guess what?
We won!
Barely.
I may have accidentally gotten a few of my Ultramarines killed along the way.
Apparently, I have the touch of death when it comes to the RNG dice gods.
But a win is a win, right?
Throughout the experience, we also collected pieces that formed a commemorative emblem.
Of course, they got me with the final piece, which involved going back to the store.
Well played, Warhammer. Well played.
But honestly, I’m getting more and more interested in the hobby, so I didn’t mind adding another Ultramarine to the collection.
A Little Advice About Convention Lines
One thing I learned this weekend is that if there’s a booth offering something you really want to experience, don’t assume the line will get shorter later.
There were a couple of booths I walked past multiple times, thinking maybe I’d come back when things settled down.
Spoiler alert: they didn’t.
Eventually, I found myself thinking, “Man, I kind of wish I’d just waited in that line earlier.”
Now, this isn’t a complaint. It’s a convention. Of course it’s going to be busy!
But moving forward, if there’s something I really want to do, I’m going to make more of an effort to prioritize it rather than continuously putting it off.
Saturday: Content Creation, Meeting People, and Learning Something New
Saturday was the day of my actual content creation panel.
Yes, I checked the date this time.
I arrived around 10 AM because, as many of you probably know, I’m an early bird.
Once again, I headed upstairs toward the River Pavilion.
One of the nice things about being up there was getting a different perspective of the convention.
I was able to capture some fantastic overhead footage of one of the main entrance areas, showing just how many people were attending.
One of those shots ended up doing particularly well on social media, which was a pretty neat bonus!
I also got to see some of the content creators who were attending through the convention’s creator programming.
I’m not going to start name-dropping people, especially without knowing whether they’d want to be mentioned here, but it was really interesting seeing that side of the event.
The Content Creator Panel
The panel itself turned out to be a worthwhile experience.
There were some great pointers, along with a few helpful refreshers about things I already knew but could definitely improve upon.
Funny enough, I swear one of the people speaking looked like someone I went to college with.
Small world, perhaps?
What stood out even more, though, was getting to talk with other people in the audience.
I had a conversation with someone who mentioned that content creation was really just a hobby for her.
And honestly, that’s exactly how I look at it too.
I’m not getting into content creation expecting anything crazy to happen.
For me, it’s something I enjoy doing.
But here’s what I’ve found interesting.
This hobby has started opening doors to experiences I might never have pursued otherwise.
Attending conventions, meeting people, becoming more comfortable talking to strangers, and getting involved in new communities.
These are things I’ve always wanted to do, but sometimes never quite pushed myself toward.
Between content creation and the gaming community, I’ve met some wonderful people along the way.
And of course, I have to mention VALOR Gaming.
Yes, I’m extremely biased.
Obviously.
But being part of that community has played a huge role in many of the experiences and friendships I’ve made over the years.
Learning to Get Out of My Own Head
I spent much of the rest of Saturday exploring, enjoying the atmosphere, and capturing more footage and photos whenever something caught my attention.
One thing I want to work on at future conventions is being more comfortable approaching cosplayers and asking for pictures.
I know that probably sounds silly.
After all, every five seconds at a convention, you hear someone asking to take a picture.
But sometimes I get in my own head and worry that I’m bothering someone.
In reality, politely asking is a perfectly normal part of the convention experience, and someone can always say no.
It’s just another little thing I want to improve as I continue attending these events.
And honestly, that’s part of what makes all of this so enjoyable.
Every convention teaches me something new.
Looking Ahead to NYCC 2027
Here’s something that probably won’t surprise anyone.
I’m already planning to return next year!
The dates for NYCC 2027 have been announced for October 7–10, and I’ve already made my hotel reservation.
I’ll be looking to secure my convention badge when sales open, taking advantage of my ReedPop Superfan membership.
One thing I’ve learned from Anime NYC and now NYCC is that I’m going to stop planning to travel home on the final day of a convention.
Previously, I’d leave on Sunday, the same day the event ended.
But I always felt like I was missing out on part of the experience.
Moving forward, I’d rather enjoy the convention without worrying about packing up and heading home that same day.
Plus, the Monday following NYCC 2027 happens to be a holiday, so that works out rather nicely.
Thinking About Going to a Convention Alone? Do It!
I want to end this recap with something I’ve been telling more and more people lately.
If you’ve ever wanted to attend a convention but haven’t because you don’t know anyone going, please don’t let that be what holds you back.
Seriously.
I’ve attended three conventions this year, and every single one has been an amazing experience.
You find yourself surrounded by thousands of people who enjoy the same things you do.
Gaming, comics, anime, movies, collectibles, cosplay, and everything in between.
Everyone is there because they love something.
And that makes these events special.
I’ve met people I previously only knew through online gaming, struck up conversations with complete strangers, and found myself becoming more comfortable in these enormous social settings.
For someone who sometimes overthinks approaching people, that’s a pretty big deal.
Now, I’m not going to pretend conventions are cheap.
Between admission, hotels, transportation, food, and whatever merchandise inevitably follows you home, the costs add up.
And let’s be honest, things aren’t exactly getting cheaper.
But if you’re financially able to attend and the only thing stopping you is worrying about going alone, I really encourage you to give it a shot.
You might be surprised by how much you enjoy yourself.
You don’t need a massive group of friends to have a fantastic convention experience.
Sometimes showing up is the hardest part.
What’s Next for Sicminion?
With NYCC now behind me, I’ve got plenty of photos and footage to work through.
I’m continuing to learn more about filming, editing, and creating content, and I’m excited to see how everything develops.
I’m also moving this month, which means I’ll finally have a more dedicated space for my content projects.
That’s something I’m really looking forward to.
Again, none of this started as some grand business plan.
It’s a hobby. Something I genuinely enjoy doing.
And so far, it’s brought me some pretty fantastic experiences.
My next convention adventure will be PAX East 2027, and I’m already looking forward to it.
Until then, I’ll keep learning, experimenting, and probably rambling about whatever catches my attention next.
Because let’s be honest, I’m sure I’ll find something else to ramble about soon enough.
So, folks, if I don’t see you around the interwebs, hopefully I’ll see you in person at PAX East 2027!
See y’all then!
— Sicminion
