New York Comic Con 2025 was stupendous!

Sign up for our FREE acclaimed newsletters!

The news mainstream media just doesn’t cover. Racial justice journalism since 1909.

Sign up

Every year my family and I look forward to going to New York Comic Con at the Jacob Javits Center and this year, from Oct. 9-12, it was certainly the place to be! Before even entering the building, you could feel the energy just walking through the streets as people engaged in cosplay of every program you could imagine — sci-fi, Disney, DC Comics, anime, manga, video games, you name it. Comic Con fans turned out as every character you could imagine — and more than a few I never would have dreamed of

There were abundant activities for every heart’s desire: Stations for playing live, new video games; “Yu Gi Oh!” trading card game areas, where excited “Yu Gi Oh!” fans were trading cards, buying cards, and just having a marvelous time; a webtoon (an app for reading comic books) booth; and a Marvel booth showcasing Marvel heroes and villains. There was also something for everyone when it came to merchandise including hats, t-shirts, socks, stuffed animals, posters, paintings, artwork of all types, vintage t-shirts, Hello Kitty merchandise galore, including mugs for soup, salt and pepper shakers, and snow globes. There were booths with merchandise from “One Piece,” “Jujutsu Kaisen,” jewelry that focused on everything from “Winnie The Pooh” to “Star Wars,” and Funko Pops as far as the eye could see. Swarovski had gorgeous crystal figures of heroic characters like Superman — at only $35,000. At a booth adorably named pawsonify, there were anime-themed dog harnesses, dog tags, and collars. Everything you could be interested in was there for the buying. And, of course, a multitude of comic books both new and vintage were on sale.

Cosplayers had everyone’s attention and appreciation as they walked around in Joker, Catwoman, Batman, Uncle Fester, Power Rangers, Chainsaw man, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Harry Potter costumes. The characters were everywhere and it was fantastic.

The Con was full of incredible interactive experiences as well. My daughter and I had a blast in interactive exhibits like the one for “Avatar.” We entered the Secret Tunnel for “Avatar” photo ops where voices welcome you into the tunnel as you prepare for your journey. The creativity of the vendors was incredibly on display as there was an Alex Ross comic photo gallery with incredible drawings of Superman, Batman, and DC Heroes.

For the fans of voice actors there were areas set up to meet people like Janet Varney from “The Legend of Korra.” The MAPPA booth had previews of the upcoming “Chainsaw Man” movie and JJK Season.

The Con had too many panels to name and screenings connected to comics, tv shows, movies, toys, video games, anime, and manga. The panels always have such an incredible atmosphere, with families and people of like minds coming together with great joy and enthusiasm to experience shows that are special and enjoyable for them. The panels also looked at all parts of the comic industry.

One panel I was very excited to attend was Betty Boop: The 100-year evolution from Animation to Broadway and Beyond. The panel featured descendants of the Fleischer Studios family who created the original cartoon, the current cartoonist behind “Betty Boop,” members of the Broadway producing team, and Jasmine Amy Rogers — the recent Broadway star who brought Boop to life onstage. The audience viewed original drawings tracing the cartoon’s evolution over the decades, highlighting Betty Boop’s role as a pioneering symbol of female power and positivity — a character who demanded respect and dared to dream beyond what was considered possible for women 100 years ago.

Rogers shared that playing the role “was very, very scary because so many people loved her. You can put on the outfit and the hair, but her core values and the things that were part of her soul, that’s a whole other piece. Making sure I was doing her justice was scary. There have been people who loved her for their whole lives, whose children now love her, getting feedback from people saying I saw Betty on that stage — it meant everything to me. I did it in Chicago and bought it to Broadway and I just fell more deeply in love with her. I just wanted to make sure I was doing this woman justice.” The packed room burst into applause as everyone agreed Rogers was phenomenal in the role.

New York Comic Con 2025 had a haunted house theme, so of course people were walking around wearing Scream and other horror costumes. Comic Con is always a marvelous family outing. I can’t wait until 2026, when the Con, believe it or not, will be celebrating 20 years!