Announced earlier this year, Special Edition, a new and smaller comics convention organized by New York Comic Con organizer ReedPOP, debuts this weekend, June 14-15 at Javits North, a smaller hall at the North end of the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. The show is devoted to comics and comics creators rather than the blockbuster movie, TV shows and videogaming franchises that have come to dominate the “Mega-Cons” held at San Diego and New York.
Among the artists appearing at Special Edition are Darwyn Cooke, Chris Claremont, Gail Simone, Howard Chaykin, Laura Allred, Amy Chu, Amy Reeder, Brian Wood, Geoff Darrow, Rachel Rosenberg, Sara Pichelli and many others. The show will also offer programming both days of the show. Programming includes panels organized by Marvel, Archie Comics and Valiant. Topics include panels on Kickstarter comics campaigns, the comic book market, the female hero in comics and Batman’s 75th Anniversary. The 80,000 square foot hall hosting Special Edition is also used for “Artists Alley” during New York Comic Con in the fall. Both shows are organized by ReedPOP, Reed Exhibitions pop culture convention unit.
Show organizer Mike Armstrong told PW that preregistration for the show “has been strong so far,” and estimated attendance will be close to 15,000 fans. Armstrong said Special Edition was designed to be a smaller show, devoted to comics. “There’s no movies. The show has a focus on comics creators,” he said.
“Special Edition will give the fans a more intimate atmosphere. Creators will be setup in the Artists Alley space from New York Comic Con and they’ll be at their tables for 10 hours a day. It's going to be busy but we’re offering fans a chance for the kind of interaction with creators that you can’t get at the big shows,” Armstrong said.
