New York Comic Con celebrates 20 years of community and fandom

New York Comic Con returned to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center over the weekend for its 20th edition, celebrating one of New York City’s most vibrant and integral fall traditions. The Comic Con spirit starts to bloom early Thursday morning, as the streets of Hell’s Kitchen fill with convention badges and elaborate cosplays. The excitement builds all over the city as 250,000 visitors get ready for a weekend full of panels, meet-and-greets, booths, and more. The convention’s 20th anniversary brought a variety of special surprises and new additions to the show, including a partnership with Coney Island that brought dancers and performers to the convention throughout the weekend. “Being 20 years old is beautiful for me,” said Sarah Natochenny, the voice of Ash Ketchum, on the anniversary.  “I’ve just seen a lot of amazing community come together here,” said Chris D’Lando, New York Comic Con’s Event Director.  D’Lando spoke with us at length about the community aspect of Comic Con