OK, otakus, here are five events you don’t want to miss at this weekend’s New York Comic-Con:

1. Heart and Seoul: The Unique World of Korea’s NETCOMICS (Friday, 2/23 @ 4:00 PM) The folks behind Dokebi Bride and Let Dai will be on hand to unveil new series and talk about the explosive growth of manwha in the US market. With a Special Guest Appearance by Marley (of Dokebi Bride fame).

2. Go! Comi Takes Over the World (Saturday, 2/24 @ 2:00 PM). The official description of the event, straight from the Go! Comi blog, reads as follows: “We’ll be announcing licenses, hinting at top-secret projects, unveiling a great big surprise, and giving out free stuff (of course)!” If I can get my paws on an advanced copy of Black Sun, Silver Moon, I’ll be a happy camper.

3. The Creepy, Spooky World of Japanese Horror (Saturday, 2/24 @ 8:00 PM). The folks from Vertical are determined to make manga lovers love the rest of their catalogue–you know, the stuff without pictures. Come hear Vertical author David Kalat discuss the wonderfully weird world of J-horror, from The Ring to malevolent toilet spirits. Apparently the problem isn’t confined to New York’s sub-par assortment of public facilities.

4. The Making of a Del Ray Manga (Sunday, 2/25 @ noon). Don’t miss your chance to hear the team behind xxxHolic, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles, Love Roma, Nodame Cantabile, and Mushishi discuss the manga publishing process from soup to nuts. As an added bonus, Dallas Middaugh and crew will also dish the dirt on projects in the pipeline (besides the infamous Avril Lavigne manga, we hope).

5. TOKYOPOP Author and Artist Roundtable (Sunday, 2/25 @ 1:00 PM). Tokyopop OEL artists June Kim, Dan Hipp, Rob Steen, Drew Rausch, and Armand Villavert discuss the pros and cons of making manga, American style. Read TP editor Tim Beedle’s blog for the full scoop on what promises to be a lively discussion.

And if you’re prowling the exhibitor area, you’ll want to visit the Vertical and Viz booths. Vertical will be holding a raffle for an autographed copy of To Terra signed by none other than Ms. Keiko Takemiya herself. And Viz will be hawking advanced copies of Monster, InuYasha, Millenium Snow, Bleach, Naruto, and Full Metal Alchemist before they hit the streets. Volume 8 of Monster? Bring it on! Click here for the full schedule of manga and anime-related events.

BTW, this week yielded a bumper crop of good titles perfect for passing time in long lines. The MMMC (that’s the Manly Men of MangaCast) recommend Kekkaishi, Volume 8; Monster, Volume 7; and Vagabond, Volume 24–all great titles, all worthy of your $$ and love. To that list, I’d add To Terra, Vol. 1–think 70s sci-fi in all its bell-bottomed, sparkly-eyed glory–and an underappreciated ICE Kunion title, The Antique Gift Shop, Volume 4. Ita, missa est, otakus.