Going to NYCC as Press

Hey everyone! Mary here, and forgive me for being a bit scattered... I've written five articles in four days while also attending New York Comic Con (and I still have one more interview to transcribe and article-ize...). That might not sound like a lot to some people, but oof, it's a lot for me! Over the summer, I started writing for culture website The Workprint, just for fun. And then we got press passes to New York Comic Con, and I couldn't say no.

Last year, I was at NYCC as part of Artist Alley, and let me tell you, they worked us hard. Artist Alley was open from 10AM to 8PM Thursday through Saturday, and to 5PM on Sunday. That's a lot of hours. The more famous artists and writers dip in and out as they please, knowing their adoring fans will return (and their tables were complimentary). Those of us who are unknown and also paid hundreds for our table? Every moment spent away represents a lost opportunity, because you never know who might've bought your stuff because they talked to you and liked your face (we call them "I like your face" sales). So you work that entire 10-hour shift.

Going to NYCC as press, then? LUXURIOUS by comparison. I could roll in at noon, attend a panel, retreat to the press lounge to transcribe quotes, go shopping if I felt like it, and leave when I was tired. I could eat when I felt like it, and I didn't have to spend every waking moment trying to "engage."

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Don't get me wrong... I was still plenty tired. But the difference was, I could retreat. I left the show early one day because a wave of tired hit me. When it hit me in Artist Alley? All I could do was put my head in my lap... then pop up with a smile when someone walked up to our table.

So, what does a gal with her very first press pass to NYCC do? This being my first time as press (and my approval coming quite late and as a surprise), I didn't do a whole lot of planning. Most of the others attended roundtable interviews with creators plugging their work, or special events by brands who'd sent out advance invitations. I applied for one roundtable interview but it ended up getting canceled due to scheduling conflicts.

Being in Artist Alley means being anchored to your table. Having that anchor taken away is... disorienting. When I went to NYCC, Artist Alley was my first stop because it was so familiar, I interviewed some creators, looked around a lot, bought some things... Even after I made it up to the main exhibitor hall, surrounded by distractions, I still felt adrift. What do you mean I can do whatever I want and don't have to sell-sell-sell the whole time??

I ended up cosplaying and hanging out with some friends, just browsing the show floor, in between attending panels / conducting interviews and retreating to the press lounge (I guess that's "home base" when you're press). When I first showed up with my press pass, I thought I'd have to be working the whole time... finding more people to interview or something. But that's not the case. Sure, you have your assignments, but you also get to just be an attendee. Which is really, really nice.