New York Comic Con Organizer ReedPOP Announces New Comics-Centric Show in Manhattan

After a week of being the worst-kept secret in the comics industry (which is saying something, considering), today ReedPOP officially announced the creation of Special Edition: NYC, a new convention that focuses more exclusively on comics than the more mass-media-friendly New York Comic Con, which they also host. The inaugural event is scheduled to take place on June 14-15 at Javits Center North in New York. According to ReedPOP, "This new comic book festival will provide fans the opportunity to connect with artists, socialize with fellow collectors in a unique setting and search for those always hard to find back issues. The event is a pure celebration of comic book culture created specifically for die-hard comic book fans, creators and publishers." Given the fact that New York Comic Con expanded to such a size last year that it rivaled San Diego Comic Con International's total traffic numbers, it's perhaps not surprising that the convention organizers are interested in creating a secondary show just for comics fans. It will address some of the complaints about the big conventions that become too obsessed with TV and the movies, and probably cut down on crowds and long lines that those things draw, which makes shows like NYCC and SDCC nearly impossible to navigate. With more than 130,000 fans in attendance and an estimated $70 million impact on New York City during New York Comic Con 2013, New York Comic Con has become the East Coast's biggest and most exciting popular culture convention with the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. ReedPOP says that fans have been "clamoring" for a greater specialization on comics, especially in the comic book, publishing, media and licensing capital of the world – New York City. The show will host Special Guests from the pages of mainstream, alternative, indie, international and web comics. Artists and creators will also have the opportunity to connect with their fans. Special Guests already scheduled to appear at Special Edition: NYC, include: Alex Maleev, Brian Wood, Charles Soule, Dustin Nguyen, Frank Cho, Greg Pak, James Tynion IV, Jenny Frison, Joe Eisma, Joe Harris, Kyle Higgins, Marguerite Bennett, Michael Moreci, Mike Norton, Nick Bradshaw, Rafael Albuquerque, Ramon K Perez, Ryan Browne, Ryan Stegman and Tim Seeley. "New York Comic Con has grown to include so much more than comic books – it is the ultimate pop culture event. Special Edition: NYC will give comic book fans an intimate destination to meet with publishers and special guests," said Lance Fensterman, Global Senior Vice President of ReedPOP. "Its creation is meeting consumer demand for more comic book experiences and builds upon our mission to provide fans of all kinds the very best in experiential events." Fans can buy tickets starting on Wednesday (February 26) at 12:00 PM EST at the Special Edition: NYC site. All upcoming Guest appearances and panel submissions can be found on the website or on the Special Edition: NYC social media pages (Twitter,Facebook & Instagram).