Are you still on the fence about whether or not you should
attend this year’s New York Comic-Con?
I know, I know. NYC
in February ain’t exactly fun. Especially down there by the Jacob K. Javits
Center when that cold wind comes off the Hudson and freezes you right down to
your toes. It takes some real intestinal fortitude to make a trip into the City
this time of year.
And then when you factor in the crowds that you can expect
to encounter at Comic-Con this coming weekend. Last year, nearly 70,000 people
dropped by the Javits to experience this three-day-long pop culture
celebration. And this year, there’ll be even more folks coming by the
convention center in order to get in on the fun.
So taking all of this information into account (i.e. the
crowds, the cold, the hassle of getting in & out of the City this time of
year), why should you still go to the 2009 New York Comic-Con?
One word: “Up.”
Just today, Pixar Animation Studios announced that they’ll
be screening the first 50 minutes of this eagerly-anticipated May 2009 release
at this year’s event. To be specific, the first half of “Up” will be shown in
the IGN Theater starting at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. And the film’s director,
Pete Docter, will be on hand to introduce this footage.
Now please keep in mind that the only other time that any
other footage from “Up” has been shown publicly was back in December at
AintItCool’s annual Butt-Numb-a-thon. And even then the folks at the Alamo Drafthouse only
got to see the first 45 minutes of Pixar’s latest.
Now please don’t confuse this “Up” screening with that “Up”
& “Surrogates” panel that’s also being held on Saturday. In the exact place
(i.e. the IGN Theater) from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. These two are totally separate
events.
More to the point, given that seating at the IGN Theater is
said to be extremely limited, if you really want to get into this “Up” preview
screening, you should plan on lining up early. Around 5:30 p.m. or thereabouts.
Why For? Because given that this will be the first public screening of the first half of “Up,” no phones, cameras or recording devices are going to be allowed into the IGN Theater. So everyone entering this Hall at the Javits is first going to have to go through security screening and then check any questionable electronics at the door. So if you really want to attend this “Up” preview, be sure and allow yourself plenty of time to get through the screening process.
In other Disney-related news … The folks at Disney
Publishing Worldwide wanted me to put the word out that – on Sunday between 12:30
& 1:30 p.m. – two of Disney / Hyperion’s most popular authors will be
appearing at this year’s New York Comic-Con.
Copyright 2008 Disney/Hyperion. All rights reserved
That’s right. Lane Smith (of “The Stinky Cheese Man” and “Big Plans” fame) and Mo Willems (i.e. the Caldecott-winning author of “Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale” as well as the
“Elephant and Piggie” books
) will be in Booth 1721 on Sunday afternoon. Where
they will meet with their fans as well as sign copies of their various books.
Mind you, you don’t have to actually go to the Javits Center
in order to meet some of the colorful characters who’ll be attending this year’s
New York Comic-Con. Case in point: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
In honor of the 25th anniversary of these lean,
green crime-fighting machines, The Turtles will be kicking on a year-long
Shell-abration by returning to their old New York stomping grounds.Which means that – on Thursday afternoon,
prior to the start of Comic-Con – Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael
will rise from the sewers and then start hitting the streets. These
much-beloved characters will be putting in appearances at major Manhattan
landmarks on both Thursday & Friday before they then head over to the
Javits Center.
Copyright Disney. All Rights Reserved
So you see. There’s another reason for Disney fans to go to
New York Comic-Con this coming weekend. If you miss seeing the Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles on Disney / MGM’s faux New York Street … Well, now you can
recreate that moment from your childhood in the real Big Apple. How cool would
that be?
Anyway … For further information on this year’s New York
Comic-Con, please follow this link.