As the space between movies, comics and video games grow smaller, the way they are presented to the public overlaps. Still, New York Comic Con remains focused on what has made it the single largest annual convention to grace the East Coast. Show up on any of its four days and you’ll find yourself crammed in a traffic jam of fans dressed as superheroes in an intersection of rare comic book outlets. For the movie buffs, the presence of more film-focused tables has grown over the years, making the trip to the Jacob Javits Convention Center in early October more enjoyable.
“…a unicorn in the Hollywood-dominated industry.”
This year, NYC-based Troma films had a booth with movies, shirts, and other fun accessories. Regardless of what you may think of their films, they’ve been a strong force on the independent circuit for 40 years, making them a unicorn in the Hollywood-dominated industry. Founder Lloyd Kaufman mixed and mingled with the public since having a strong connection to his fanbase motivates his cause. His new film, Shakespeare’s Sh*tstorm, a Troma retelling of The Tempest, just finished shooting. If you remember Tromeo and Juliet, you know what you’re in for. They also have a good number of archival reissues in the works.
“Noteworthy additions such as Joe Lynch’s phenomenal Mayhem as well as a wide range of classics…”
Shudder, the all-horror streaming service provided tablets to sign up new members, as well as remind us of the high-quality content they provide. Noteworthy additions such as Joe Lynch’s phenomenal Mayhem as well as a wide range of classics. Shudder proves they are competent competitors with the big online content providers. Just like Netflix and Hulu, they’ll be delivering new content next year including the series A Discovery of Witches.
“…promoting their newest endeavor, RBG…”
Magnolia Pictures offshoot Magnet Releasing had a table promoting their newest endeavor, RBG, a documentary about Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. They also had special editions of horror anthology V/H/S available on VHS tape, as well as other standouts like Hobo With a Shotgun and The ABCs of Death.
A trip to the 2000 AD booth revealed that the Rogue Trooper movie that has been promised for 20 years is finally in the works. Hopefully, it comes out better than the Judge Dredd films. Honestly, the best approach would be old school and gritty, like A Boy and His Dog, but who’s asking?
“…rewards of producing science fiction on an extremely limited independent budget.”
Writer/director team Zeek Earl and Christopher Caldwell held a press conference to promote their modern science fiction masterpiece Prospect, along with Sophie Thatcher, who starred in the film. Here they discussed their collaborative process, as well as the challenges and rewards of producing science fiction on an extremely limited independent budget. Be sure to see this fantastic film when it comes out in November from Gunpowder & Sky’s sci-fi label, DUST.
With a little bit of something for everybody, New York Comic Con will continue to grow as not just a comic convention, but a massive entertainment expo. Make sure you register and buy your tickets early next year because they sell out quickly!
