It’s been a while since I’ve been to a big comic convention. The last one I went to was Wizard World Philly and, before that, Wizard World Chicago on a regular basis. I realize these are probably considered “small” cons compared to the majestic wonder that is Comic-Con International: San Diego, but as I have never set foot in SDCC’s gilded halls, I can not speak from experience.

I was excited about the New York Comic-Con — first of all because it was right in my own back yard and, secondly, as I mentioned, it’s been a while since I’ve been to a big con. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I knew that I wanted to write my next column about the anime and manga scene there. But I was worried… would there actually be an anime or manga scene to cover? Alright, stop laughing. I now realize how silly I was.

But given my past experiences, how was I to expect anything else? The highlight of my con experience used to be when I discovered the manga booth. Yes, the manga booth. I would wend my way through the dark crowded aisles of superheroes and spandex, wondering if I would actually manage to find something I liked.

And then… through the haze of sweat and the clutter of comic boxes on wheels I would see it: the lone manga booth with 50% off all manga titles! Score! Add points if it also sold cute plushies or chibi figurines.

I would spend most of my money at this booth and return to it often. It was my deserted island in a sea of superhero fandom. But I wasn’t always this lucky. I remember being very disappointed at the last Wizard World Philly I went to two years ago. There was hardly any manga/anime presence at all!

So I guess that’s why I didn’t have high expectations for the NY Comic-Con. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that the opposite was true. In fact, I would hazard a guess and say that anime and manga-related booths and panels took up nearly 50% of the convention! In the very spot where CrossGen would have had their monster setup years ago, TOKYOPOP now sat with its own monster setup. VIZ also had a large space that was constantly swarming with fans. And these were just the big guns. I saw a healthy number of smaller booths all hawking a variety of manga and anime. I saw yaoi! As a matter of fact, yaoi artist Youka Nitta was even listed as a guest!

I saw gorgeous displays of Japanese created figurines and glossy art books for sale. There was even a whole section devoted to trendy underground toys from Asia.

UDON Entertainment was quite busy each time I passed by. Even newcomer Lime Studios from New Jersey, who were selling doujinshi, seemed to be receiving a lot of attention, and people seemed very interested in E-Frontier’s booth as they were selling Manga Studio, a program to create professional-looking manga on your computer.

I was overwhelmed and impressed by the amount of manga and anime that was to be found at the con… almost so much that I began to pity the superhero fans who probably felt as though their interests were being taken over. But I think due to the strong manga and anime presence, there was also a much more diverse crowd than I’m used to seeing at a regular con. I saw far more women and kids than I have ever seen at any of the Wizard Worlds that I have attended. I saw teenage girls and cosplayers — and they all fit right in with the crowd.

The programming at the con was just as rich as the exhibitors’ floor. I was stunned that a panel existed called “A Nosebleed Means WHAT?: Sexuality in Japanese Manga”, and even more impressed that it was hosted by the Library Journal. There was also a panel called “Brokeback Manga” about yaoi. These are a couple things that I would never have expected to see at a regular comic convention a couple years ago.

But maybe the idea of what a “regular” comic convention is changing and I just haven’t noticed until now? Comics are becoming less of a niche market for fanboys and more expansive as they appeal to more demographics. Finally comics are being appreciated and embraced by the general public — just look at how many people showed up at the con, forcing officials to turn guests away. The atmosphere at the con was a good one — not as uncomfortable or awkward as a fanboy extraordinaire, but not as touchy-feely as an anime con. It was a good mix of both worlds and I realized that the two can, indeed, coexist and, in some cases, cross over. I’d like to think that some of the anime fans who came for their own interests may have discovered an American comic or two that they would never have noticed before. And maybe some of the hardcore superhero fans picked up some of the manga freebies that they were handing out at the TOKYOPOP and VIZ booths and found something they liked as well.

Despite some of the organizational errors that made the con suffer, I think it was an overall success. I hope that future NY Comic-Cons will continue to address and welcome both the superhero fan and the anime fan and that it will lead to an even more diverse and lively crowd in years to come. (Okay… so we may become friendlier to one another, but I still don’t like being pressed up against a sweaty Superman. So you con organizers better rent a bigger space next year! Hear that?!)

Extra: MangaCast has podcasts of the manga panels I mentioned, and then some.