New York Comic Con Returns In Person At Jacob Javits Center
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- New York Comic Con has made a comeback in the Big Apple. After a virtual event last year, fans were back Thursday at the Jacob Javits Center for a festival celebrating the comic book culture.
Through Sunday, New York City will be home to a blend of cultures, from comics to cosplay, manga to video games. For an entire culture, the cast of characters in attendance was typical, CBS2's Steve Overmyer reported.
"Getting back to normal. I think there's fewer people than last year, I mean the year before. I mean, last year was like a mind blip," one fan said.
PHOTOS: Fans Arrive For New York Comic Con At Jacob Javits Center
It a self-proclaimed "geek fest." It's not just a costume party. The event floor is full of one-of-a-kind merchandise and panels with celebrities.
Everyone must be vaccinated and masks must be worn at all times, but for the crowd on hand, that wasn't a problem.
"It's a bit eerie with the masks, but I think we're gonna get used to it for the next few days and still make the best of it," a fan said.
"It doesn't matter, as long as you enjoy yourself. I have a picture today with George Tekai so that's really awesome," another fan said.
The mask requirement also didn't bother New Jersey native David Crownson, who went from Comic Con fan to comic book creator. He showed CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis some of his work.
"It feels great to have actual face time with people," Crownson said. "This is my comic book series, 'Harriet Tubman Demon Slayer.' We sold out of issue 1 today. We had to put in an order to get more books."
There's an inner nerd in all of us, and this is welcoming to all humans and stranger things.
"I just met one of the creators of my favorite web tunes, so that was a great experience," a fan said.
Some costumes are original. Overmyer met "Ricky Recharge," a walking battery pack.
"I've been doing this about 10 years. To make this takes about three months," the fan said.
"I want to see costumes. We always dress up every year. That's the thing about cosplay is you have to have fun and become the character," another said.
As DeAngelis reported, others showed up in more recognizable outfits.
"I'm dressed as the 'Macho Man' Randy Savage," Mendel said, referring to the legendary professional wrestler. "I'm a nerd. I love all this stuff. You can be yourself, dress up and be ridiculous and nobody cares. It's fun."
Kassandra Rodriguez and Konstantine Makrygiannis came as Michelle Pfeiffer's "Catwoman" and Heath Ledger's "Joker," respectively.
For four days you can go down the rabbit hole and spark the wonder we once had as kids. There's no need to feel like an oddball. In fact, the more peculiar, the better.
Also scheduled to appear are fellow "Star Trek" star Williams Shatner, actor David Harbour of "Stranger Things," and Hayden Christensen of "Star Wars."
CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis contributed to this report.
