The 9 Must-Have Items We Saw at New York Comic Con





Last week’s New York Comic Con was the usual grab bag of pop culture detritus. Hollywood hype carried opening day as newlywed George Clooney crashed the party to plug his role in Tomorrowland (and apologize for the nipples on his anatomically correct batsuit back in 1997). He was forgiven, and the teaser trailer went viral. Scholars who braved the congested menagerie—150,000, if you believe the promoters—were rewarded with a full slate of panel discussions on topics ranging from the practical (How to Survive in a Dystopian World) to the whimsical (Harry Potter: The Art of Wand Dueling). And, as always, there was cosplay galore: mild-mannered adults in tights, posing for photographs with strangers, each one a case study in sexual sublimation. Lots of disposable swag, too, mostly promo posters that nobody wanted, enough littering the Javits Center floor to start another landfill in Staten Island.

All of that, however, was just window dressing. Operating beneath the sugarcoated veneer of Q&As and colorful latex costumes was a shadow economy of considerable proportions. Forbes reported that up to $20 million changed hands on the Javits floor during NYCC 2012. Two years later, that figure seems conservative. A complete set of Palitoy Star Wars figures (England, circa ‘70s), displayed in a glass case like Etruscan bronzes, was selling for $17,000. Big Fine Legs , a four-page story by the legendary underground artist R. Crumb, was firm at $65,000. Want a photo-op with a Comic Con stalwart like William Shatner or Lucy Lawless? That’s a bargain ($80 and $85 respectively) compared to a group shot with the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation ($345). Want that photo autographed? Sorry, separate concession. For those on a budget, Ralph Maccio, Jerry Springer, six professional wrestlers, everyone remotely associate with The Walking Dead, and even Lucy Liu can be had for far less. We skipped the celebrity fluff altogether, and instead headed straight for the exhibit floor. Of all the merchandise that was up for grabs, these items most captured the collective imagination.



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