Pics from New York Comic Con 2012

Spidey at the LEGO display

Last weekend, (Oct. 11-14), New York City was the center of the geek universe, as New York Comic Con took over the sprawling Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. I was lucky enough to spend Friday and Saturday at the con with my friend and comic book creator, Judex Jones, and I was blown away by the massive crowds and the ultra-cool exhibit hall. The con had over 300 panels, screenings, and special events, and featured guests such as Adam West and Burt Ward, director, Guillermo del Toro, actress, Chloë Grace Moretz, and dozens more. 

Loki and Black Widow cosplayers at the Marvel dispaly

If you've never been to New York Comic Con, here's a couple of things I discovered that are good to know. Getting to the con from most of the nearby hotels is easy. There's a shuttle bus that runs in the morning and again around 6:00 to 8:00 pm. I stayed at a hotel near Times Square and it was just a few blocks walk to the shuttle pick-up location (with a stop in one of New York's famous coffee shops on the way). Some of the hotels are within walking distance, so you might be able to skip the shuttle altogether. Just be aware that the shuttle isn't always on time, so be prepared to wait a few minutes.  

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) wax figure at the Tussauds display

Once at the convention center, the line to get in moved quickly despite the huge crowd (estimates put the total number of attendees at around 100,000). If you plan on sitting in on one of the panels that features a celebrity or an especially hot topic like a new movie, get there early. I made the mistake of waiting til the last minute to walk up to the Batman movies panel room, and it was already filled up. Next time, if there's a major panel I really want to see, I'll get there at least thirty minutes before it starts. 

Cosplayers at the Marvel display

New Gen cosplayers 

I totally admit, I should have done a better job at preparing my convention itinerary, because I missed several cool things due to poor time management. Overall, though, I had a blast wandering the exhibit hall, talking to to some of the creative geniuses in Artist Alley, and taking lots of pics. Next year, I'll have a better sense of where things are and how much time to devote to different parts of the con.  

You might also like these Halloween costumes based on The Dark Knight Rises.

The exhibit hall on Friday

Were you at the con? If so, what were some of the coolest things you saw? Do you have any tips that could help out first-timers at the 2013 edition of New York Comic Con? Hit me up on Twitter with your con experience.