The physical presence of New York Comic Con has been canceled this year. The annual convention typically takes place in Manhattan’s Javits Center. However, organizers announced today that “it probably comes as no surprise that the NYCC 2020 physical event at the Javits will not run as intended.”
Due to the pandemic, all major events this year – including Google I / O, E3 and SXSW – have come to a standstill. Organizers canceled San Diego Comic-Con in April for the first time in 50 years in favor of an online event. NYCC will follow with an online event, running from October 8 to 11, via an online portal called New York Comic Con’s Metaverse. “We are teaming up with YouTube to bring to life four days of incredible content from the largest studios, publishers and makers in the business,” said organizers.
While digital is the best effort that can make any event safe, events like Comic Con are social issues. The fun for many fans is dressing up, seeing favorite people celebrating and spending time with fellow geeks. Online events are also ripe for logistical problems; The SDCC online event, which took place late last month, had downgraded streams due to copyright claims as required fans to have access to various streaming platforms.
News about what the event will include is yet to come. “While we may not be able to meet each other in person this year, we are working hard to ensure that Metaverse August and October provide unique experiences to help fill the longing we all need to return to a convention,” organizers said. “We’re doing everything we can to make sure that if it’s safe for us to be together again, you’ll have the same great experience you’ve expected from NYCC.”
