Photos from my NYC/New York Comic Con 2011 Vacation

[tridon]

This is long, long overdue, but alas, I've put together a select bunch of photos from my New York Comic Con 2011 vacation. Lots of my dreams came true here; I visited NYC, went to a comic convention, proposed to my long-time girlfriend and met some of my heroes, including the one-and-only Stan Lee. I hope you all enjoy (there's more than just pics from the Con, too)...

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The view from my hotel room...

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Wasn't able to make it here, but maybe next time...

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Our first (delicious) meal...

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An evening walk in Central Park...

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Going for a gondola ride at the Boathouse...

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Again, maybe next time...

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My fiancée's favourite store in Times Square...

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As a King Kong nut, visiting the Empire State Building was a no-brainer...

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Can't believe I'm here...

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A view from above...

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I was ecstatic to see a ThunderCats display within the Toys "R" Us (it's been too long)...

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The actual shield from Captain America: The First Avenger (in Toys "R" Us)...

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The Toys "R" Us T-Rex is fake, yet still intimidating...

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Titanic display at Planet Hollywood...

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Predator head at Planet Hollywood...

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Visit to the American Museum of Natural History's dinosaur exhibit #1...

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#2 (I have a big bone)...

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#3

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#4

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#5

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#6 (though obviously no longer in the dinosaur exhibit)...

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Arriving at the Javits Center, home of the NYCC...

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Standing beside a massive banner of my favourite game series, Metal Gear Solid...

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The Avengers stage...

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Becoming an Honorary Avenger action figure...

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Amazing Marvel Universe battle built using action figures...

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The Dark Horse Comics booth/area...

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Batman/Superman/X-Men artist extraordinaire, Jim Lee, meeting with his fans...

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Meeting the man behind The Walking Dead and Invincible, Robert Kirkman...

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Another photo with the Kirkman...

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My Kirkman-signed comic book, Invincible #17 (my letter was printed at the back of the issue)...

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Finished off my first NYCC night with some White Castle sliders...

 

[tridon]

The awesome David Mack sketching out a Kabuki print for me...

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Hung out with Mack for over 20 minutes. One of the coolest, most down-to-earth people I've ever met. Easily one of the best parts of my entire trip...

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An autographed Kabuki comic (Mack gave me a handful for free since I was his first NYCC visitor)...

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The Legendary booth...

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Entering the IGN Theater where I'd end up spending most of my NYCC time watching amazing panels...

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Watching a brand-new Batman: Arkham City trailer during the Rocksteady panel...

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The Rocksteady/Batman panel...

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The voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy...

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Batman: Arkham City director Sefton Hill taking the game for a spin in front of the crowd...

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The Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception multiplayer booth...

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My beautiful lady hugging a giant nerd who isn't me...

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Meeting Spike himself, James Marsters...

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Chatting with Marsters (and trying to not sound like a complete Buffy fanboy)...

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Marsters signed the bonus disc from my Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Chosen Collection...

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Playing paparazzi on Ms. Felicia Day...

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Had a great time chatting with Kevin Sorbo. He's from Minnesota and had played football many times in my hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario...

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Sorbo signed my copy of God of War III...

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Soooooo ridiculously pumped to see Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes live on stage for a taping of Jay & Silent Bob Get Old...

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Smith & Mewes ranting, raving and cursing away...

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Mewes re-acting a situation where he watched a man and woman having sex through his hotel window...

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These guys were hilarious...

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I bartered and bartered with the people at the Magnet Releasing booth to get them to give me or sell me this one-of-a-kind autographed TrollHunter poster. They finally gave in; if I purchased any three Blu-rays on their table, I could have it. You better believe I bought three Blu-rays!

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No big deal, it's just Stan freakin' Lee...

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Had a one-hour breakfast and discussion with Stan Lee. Tickets were limited to 15 people, I was one of those people...

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Stan tells the greatest stories ever...

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You'll never meet a friendlier man...

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Signing my copy of Peter Parker: Spider-Man #29...

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BOOM!

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Signing my Dad's copy of Captain America #109...

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BAM!

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Stan making the moves on the woman next to me. Such a playa...

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The greatest moment of my life. The only day that'll ever top this is my upcoming wedding day or the eventual birth of my child. It's still so surreal to me that I sat down with and met my hero since childhood. I tear up just thinking of this moment...

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The late and great Joe Kubert...

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Wolverine is my favourite superhero of all time. To me, Adam Kubert is the definitive Wolverine artist. This is Kubert and I discussing his work on the character...

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Cyanide & Happiness booth!

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An exclusive portrait just for me, from the demented minds of Cyanide & Happiness...

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Attack the Block panel...

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Director Joe Cornish is one of the funniest human beings alive...

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Beware the beard of Jason Aaron...

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Aaron is one of my favourite Wolverine writers. He was a very cool dude and not as scary as he looks (his autograph joins Adam Kubert's)...

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Bought myself a figure of Darkhawk, one of my favourite Marvel characters (and one of the most underrated, to boot)...

 

[tridon]

Went to check out the Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance panel, but before it started, director Len Wiseman appeared on screen to introduce the crowd to new clips of Underworld: Awakening and Total Recall...

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Awakening first, starring the more-gorgeous-with-age Kate Beckinsale (I hate you, Wiseman)...

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A very cool Total Recall clip featuring never-before-seen (at the time) footage...

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Though the work of directors Neveldine/Taylor is an acquired taste, they sure are funny, awesome guys in person...

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Discussing their crazy antics and techniques that were used to direct Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance...

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The Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick comes on stage to host the upcoming The Walking Dead and The Avengers panels...

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Cast & crew of The Walking Dead...

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Norman Reedus discusses how he target practises for the show by taking his son and his friends to the paintball range...

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Left to right: Reedus, Chandler Riggs, Lauren Cohan, Steven Yuen, Laurie Holden, Jon Bernthal, Greg Nicotero, Gale Anne Hurd and Robert Kirkman...

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Reedus refused to get off stage because he didn't want to leave any fans without his autograph. Security actually had to ask him to get off...

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Cast & crew of The Avengers arrive on stage. Left to right: Chris Evans, Tom Hiddleston, Cobie Smulders, Clark Gregg, Mark Ruffalo and Kevin Feige:

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Evans talks Captain America with the crowd...

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Hiddleston bugs Evans about wearing a baseball cap to a panel...

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Hiddleston's an absolute gentleman. Definitely the polar opposite of Loki...

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Smulders is a nervous wreck on stage...

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So Gregg teases her about it.

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Ruffalo was having a ball on stage, even pulling out his iPhone a few times to take videos of the crowd...

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The Avengers waving goodbye (security once again had to come out to kick Gregg and Ruffalo off stage)...

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Marvel's booth while on the way out. The NYCC experience was like no other. Such an incredible time!

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The architecture in this city is a sight to behold...

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Lady Liberty...

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Second tier's where I proposed to Adrienne...

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Looking up inside the Statue...

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A view from the top...

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Ground Zero.

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What trip to NYC would be complete without a stop at the Ghostbusters' firehouse?!

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Who ya gonna call?

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My fiancée's second favourite store in Times Square...

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Bubba Gump...

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Riding with E.T. on Toy "R" Us' ferris wheel...

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Adrienne on the ferris wheel...

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I thought E.T. and I were buds... until he stole my hat and gave me a wet willy.

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Batman's my boy wonder...

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Some cool, vintage window art...

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And one more to close up these vacation photos...

Hope you enjoyed!

 

[Jae]

That TrollHunter poster is fine.

Stan Lee, what a moment.

Jim Lee. Wish I'd had my WildC.A.T.S. handy (and been at the convention, picky picky )

Mr Marsters, legend. His short with Michelle Ryan in the Schwermetall Chronicles shows he's lost none of his ability.

And, of course....

CONGRATULATIONS!

 

[dirtyoak]

Great pics, buddy! Sooo many things to be jealous of you for.

And a late congrats on your engagement.

 

[Chandler_90]

Awesome Pics!

I'm heading there in September this year.. can't wait to go back!

 

[tridon]

That TrollHunter poster is fine.

Stan Lee, what a moment.

Jim Lee. Wish I'd had my WildC.A.T.S. handy (and been at the convention, picky picky )

Mr Marsters, legend. His short with Michelle Ryan in the Schwermetall Chronicles shows he's lost none of his ability.

And, of course....

CONGRATULATIONS!

Great pics, buddy! Sooo many things to be jealous of you for.

And a late congrats on your engagement.

Awesome Pics!

I'm heading there in September this year.. can't wait to go back!

Thanks, guys! It was truly an amazing vacation and one that I'll never forget. I've been meaning to share these pics with the Ninjas for over a year now, so I'm happy that I finally got around to it!

 

[cooey]

Awesome awesome pictures mate!!

 

[justintime2k]

Very nice pics mate

Gratz on your engagement to

 

[spawnshop]

Awesome stuff man!!


Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk 2

 

[tridon]

Awesome awesome pictures mate!!

Very nice pics mate

Gratz on your engagement to

Awesome stuff man!!


Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk 2

Thank you!

 

[mllNY]

nice stuff man, you know i think we were sitting very close to eachother for the batman game panel based on where your pictures were. Actually you kind of look familiar but maybe I am just projecting.

I missed the walking dead and avengers panel that year but not going to happen this year with my ultimate pass

David Mack was nice when I got him some stuff for you in 12

---------- Post added at 11:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:25 PM ----------

i like the first picture of you and kirkman cause your each staring at different cameras meaning you had another secret admirer taking a photo of you and him together

 

[tridon]

nice stuff man, you know i think we were sitting very close to eachother for the batman game panel based on where your pictures were. Actually you kind of look familiar but maybe I am just projecting.

I missed the walking dead and avengers panel that year but not going to happen this year with my ultimate pass

David Mack was nice when I got him some stuff for you in 12

---------- Post added at 11:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:25 PM ----------

i like the first picture of you and kirkman cause your each staring at different cameras meaning you had another secret admirer taking a photo of you and him together

It's too bad we never knew each other sooner, man. Would've been fun to meet up with someone there. Hopefully I'll get back to the NYCC one day. I was lucky enough to have a gracious enough fiancée who was willing to spend 3/4 of our NYC trip at a Comic Con.

Thanks again for helping me out with getting all those goodies during the NYCC '12. Mack gave me **** for not coming back. Hahaha. He's a good dude.

 

[mllNY]

It's too bad we never knew each other sooner, man. Would've been fun to meet up with someone there. Hopefully I'll get back to the NYCC one day. I was lucky enough to have a gracious enough fiancée who was willing to spend 3/4 of our NYC trip at a Comic Con.

Thanks again for helping me out with getting all those goodies during the NYCC '12. Mack gave me **** for not coming back. Hahaha. He's a good dude.

me you and mike!

Don't worry I plan on spending 90% of my San Diego trip at SDCC, then again I am going alone so I don't have to comprimise my time.

 

[Ricker]

Looks like you had a great time buddy, and the pics are awesome.

 

[vurt]

Excellent pics, thanks very much for sharing them!

 

[tridon]

Looks like you had a great time buddy, and the pics are awesome.

Excellent pics, thanks very much for sharing them!

I'm glad you both enjoyed them!

 

[Wreck]

Thanks for sharing ... read and looked at it all ... gotta respect person's passion!

 

[tridon]

Thanks for sharing ... read and looked at it all ... gotta respect person's passion!

Thanks for looking at all of them and reading their descriptions, John. The next time I get around to a comic convention, I'll be sure to post those pics, too.

 

[will519]

Ah I remember that year at NYCC. The Walking Dead and Avengers panels were pretty fun.

I remember my first NYCC I was in the Marvel Cup o Joe panel and Stan Lee walked in out of nowhere. Good memories.

@mllNY I'll be at SDCC this year again also.