At New York Comic-Con, capes, hoods and… microchips?

The last time I graced the halls of the Jacob Javitz Convention Center for New York Comic-Con, I was single, childless, and had my sights set on being an indie comics writer. I set up a few meetups with some aspiring comics people and bought a few collectibles. Fifteen years later, I was unprepared for the cosmic shift I experienced last weekend.

As I walked the halls of New York Comic-Con 2024 with my teenage son, I was struck by how much the event has evolved and matured. With approximately 550 exhibitors spread across the 410,000 square meter show floor, tech giants such as TikTok, eBay, Samsung, Konami and Capcom, publishers Scholastic, Simon & Schuster and Penguin Random House, and entertainment giants Paramount+, Nickelodeon and HBO were in attendance. . According to the show’s organizers, the scam consistently attracts around 200,000 visitors – to believe this is why small brother of San Diego Comic-Con.

What used to be solely a haven for comic fans, collectors and cosplayers has now turned into an all-encompassing showcase of technology and pop culture. And as we wandered from booth to booth, it became clear: nerd culture and technology are no longer just partners – they are becoming inseparable. We no longer just read comics or watch movies. Now technology allows us live these stories, and bringing them into our lives in ways we couldn’t have imagined ten years ago.

At one point during the show, I walked into the HBO booth to promote the new comedy “The Franchise.” Its activation included “Tecto: Eye of the Storm”, the fictional franchise from the show’s fictional Maximum Studios. The show parodies the trials and tribulations of superhero moviemaking, and it was fun to delve into the wacky world, with behind-the-scenes photos, superhero props, and playful references to classic superhero tropes and trademarks. I was able to design and name my own superhero, complete with a custom digital movie poster, shot in front of a green screen and sent to my iPhone in an hour.

But it wasn’t all about green screens and QR activation codes. Around every corner you can feel the technology integrated into the fan experience – whether it’s the use of 3D printers to create hyper-realistic cosplay costumes or rows of gaming PCs set up for demos of the latest incarnation of ‘PUBG: Battlegrounds’. The technology wasn’t an afterthought at Comic-Con; it was central.

Anyone remember those terrifyingly flammable Halloween costumes you bought at your local five-and-dime? Times have changed. I was fascinated by the way cosplayers embrace technology. Aside from impressive sewing skills and makeup, programmable LED lighting, voice modulators and even robotics take cosplay to the next level. My jaw dropped when I saw a life-size Iron Man suit that looked straight out of the franchise – complete with a flip-up faceplate and a glowing Arc Reactor in the chest.