Natasha, the spy. Starfleet, the future. Rhaenyra, the dragon.
About the Looks
I chose these three looks to wear to New York Comic Con 2022. Natasha because she’s a comic book character. Starfleet because I was attending the Star Trek Universe panel. And Rhaenyra because the wig made it more of a con-cosplay than an everyday cosplay.
Sunday
For the last day of the con, my only plan was to attend the Oscar Isaac spotlight panel at noon. I’d already found the Nenderoids for my son, and seen most of the booths on the show floor and artists alley. I felt very relaxed the whole day.
I arrived at open, 10am, and the panel wasn’t until noon, so I had at minimum an hour before I could get in line. I decided to revisit the exhibits on the show floor before it got too crowded to move. First up was Monster High, a booth for the movie on Paramount+ with an interactive fashion game. I felt silly getting in line to do it alone, especially on Kids Day, but the young man working the line confirmed you get a pin when done. My son has a long history with Monster High and I wanted the pin for him so I got in line. But then the handler leaned over and asked if I actually wanted to do the activity or I just wanted the pin? I confirmed I was doing it for the pin — I’m sure it was fun but I truly would prefer not taking a line spot from an actual child — and he slipped me the pin right then and there. Good on you Monster High rep!
Next, I headed to the Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT activity booth. This was easily the oddest presentation I interacted with at the whole con but also possibly my favorite. It was inexplicably a booth for the ride at Disney World. And it had little satellite counters in other parts of the building. Not for the Guardians of the Galaxy comics, films, or TV series. For the ride at EPCOT. The booth and counters were part of a “Xandarian cultural exchange program” permanently housed in Orlando, Florida.
(As a quick aside, I was lucky enough to go on the ride at Disney World this past summer and it is the best roller coaster I’ve ever been on. I loved every single thing about it and seeing the booth made me GRIN. I extolled the coaster to everyone in line with me. I don’t think the ride shouldn’t get publicity, it should, it’s the best. I just didn’t expect it at NYCC. Nor did I expect it to be what it was.)
So, the cultural exchange involved us Terrans giving the Xandarians something from our culture, an item or a fact, and they gave us a credit to purchase something from theirs. It was all theater, regardless of what one provided they received one credit and it could only be used to get one item. But it was so fun! Since I was dressed as Rhaenyra, I told the Xandarian representative my House Words, ‘Fire and Blood’. I described myself as Westerosi rather than Terran and described the various uses of heraldry. He asked what happens if one shouts ‘fire and blood’ into the sky and I said there was potential a dragon would show up. The Xandarian found this extremely impressive, called me as a dragon tamer, and asked about fire breathing. I replied that I wouldn’t tell him that word because I didn’t want him to be burnt up. We were both in character the whole time and it was great!
Then I was lead into the back room to use my credit. It was the Xandarian social scientists’ “break room” and another rep was inside resting. He also totally played along with me being a Targaryen, and interacted with my video. Delightful!
Finally, I scanned my credit at the vending machine to get my Xandarian cultural treat (peanuts). With the EPCOT branding and the fully in character cast members it really did feel like a little mini trip to Disney.
After that I got myself some Starbucks (the third floor location was set up for mobile orders and it was exponentially better than waiting in the second floor line) and headed to the annex to get in line for Oscar Isaac.
Perhaps because it was Sunday morning and we were tired, this line was much quieter and less fun than the Star Trek line, or even the Rings of Power line. There were also far fewer related costumes, but Moon Knight was represented, along with a handful of Resistance pilots and at least one BB-8 (I sat behind them). I was at the front of the second corral for the reserve line and ended up in the second row of the center section which was a pretty incredible seat.
The interviewer was fine, but not great, so I didn’t learn anything new about Oscar’s time in Star Wars or Marvel. But then they announced an original graphic novel series conceived by Oscar’s childhood friend/ska bandmate that was news to most of the room and certainly me. They brought out the writer and artist and showed us a teaser and a slideshow of the art where the main character definitely looks like Oscar Isaac. And it was described as a story about the atonement of a person who has done terrible things which is what I am always asking for. So, catnip, though I have not engaged with the medium in a while.
The Q&A was also pretty good, all the questions were questions and no one introduced their podcast or asked him to read a script or watch a fan film. And someone asked the question I was most interested in: what was his preparation for portraying Dissociative Identity Disorder? Because that can go very wrong very easily. Moonknight is very clearly grounded in mythology more than science, but I do appreciate that Oscar took the portrayal of trauma and trauma response seriously. He said it was the reason he wanted to do the show, not to be a superhero but to be a survivor, and it was important to him to tell the story correctly. So I’m really happy that question was posed.
After the panel, I bopped around the shopping areas, and purchased some more art for my Star Wars wall. I was a bit disappointed in Artists Alley this year. As I suggested above, I’ve checked out of the comics scene so I wasn’t interested in the comics creators (they were mainly men and mainly white, too). And there weren’t many new artists or new art, especially compared to last year, when a lot of the old white men of comics stayed home. But I did find a few prints I liked enough to purchase. And I took a selfie with the George RR Martin set up because Rhaenyra.
It was also very, very warm with the crowds and in my coat and wig and double mask. I ultimately decided to try and get into another panel, where I could sit and not be elbow to elbow. I got onto the line for what I thought was a Titans panel but was actually another dual panel with Doom Patrol and then Titans. It was on the main stage so we all got in, and because I only needed one seat I was seated pretty close to the stage. And just behind the rows reserved for the studio, which were mostly empty. I had a great view for this random panel I decided to go to forty minutes before!
As with Wheel of Time, I have not seen any Doom Patrol at all but I was impressed by the panel. Mainly by Michelle Gomez (Missy!), another one with not much of a filter, but all four actors were fun. It was especially nice to see Brendan Fraser get so much love from the crowd, and to be so happy about the role. He also fully acknowledged that his character was shared by the bodies on set and just seems like the total nice guy we all think of him as.
And then, as with Rings of Power, the Titans panel was not as good and a bit all over the place. I think we were collectively tired; it was the last panel at the con and energy was low on stage and off. I did not come out of it too excited for the new season of the show, but the young woman next to me was literally bouncing so I also don’t think I’m the audience for it.
I had planned to attend a Star Trek gathering after the con, but I checked in with my son and he asked me to come home sooner. Apparently my eldest cat, Cali aka Ygritte, spent the entire weekend in my bed mewing piteously because I was gone. She wouldn’t even come out for dinner, Tae brought food to her. My cats are very dramatic. But I had to drive home so it was probably for the best anyway.
And that’s a wrap on my NYCC 2022!
About My Look
My jacket is the latest from Her Universe and I saw it a few other Rhaenryas over the weekend. I wore it with a blank tank and textured leggings and it was quite comfortable. Even my feet were comfortable, thanks to Karen’s socks (Karen was the real MVP of my weekend!!)
I got the wig on Mercari, along with a pink one, for a very reasonable price considering how nice a wig it is. I absolutely loved wearing it around with all the bouncing curls. The dragon scale pendant was meant to be on a black cord but it broke when I pulled it on that morning! So, I improvised with the red ribbon I wore the day before. Finally, my House Targaryen facemask was purchased on Etsy (from a store that does not seem to exist anymore) and I wore it over an N95.