You know, I must admit that I have been stalling a bit about writing my New York Comic Con coverage. Not that anything bad happened (and I was partially waiting for certain post-convention wrap up emails) but I kind of just can’t believe what an incredible experience NYCC 2025 has been.
Press Badge, Purpose, and the Path After Chaos
For reference, I had attended the convention from 2011 – 2018 with my mom, and somewhere in those early years when we passed by an open door to the press room, I told her “I will do that one day”. I don’t remember saying that aloud, but I do remember the image of seeing that room – it’s still a clear image that’s burned into my mind as if it’s a core memory, for whatever reason.
Reflecting on that now, I can honestly say at this current time that a ‘simple’ NYCC press badge has completely changed my life, and the trajectory of my blog about East Asian Culture that has slowly morphed into a proper media outlet over time.
You know it’s funny, I quit the Japanese cultural center I was working at towards the end of 2017, and started this blog in 2018. I made a long list (which is now a private page on this blog) of different conventions I wanted to attend across the country – and then the pandemic thing happened in 2019, and everything stopped. The last thing I had attended before everything shut down was the New York Travel Show at the Javits Center.
Later that month, everything worldwide went to hell. Due to this development, I shifted my focus to just writing about anime, Kdrama, the occasional manga, and started a garden in my backyard.
Trophies and Turmoil: Rebuilding the Library After Loss
In 2024, I was going through a bad period and just decided to apply as for another convention, and was accepted as press – which was a great experience. Then earlier this year, my house burned down – consuming the years’ worth of accumulated convention badges I had hung around my bed post like trophies, and the library I had been building over the years – but the research and writing I’ve done since this blog started remained intact, and it’s something I still have with me in the single suitcase I’ve been living out of since that time in March.
Despite all of the ridiculous circumstances I’ve still been living through for reasons I do not yet understand, attending conventions as press has given me a sense of purpose and stability in my life. It has made me feel like it hasn’t all been a waste, and gives me something to look forward to through the – thankfully, lessening dark clouds over my life.
Although I don’t enjoy this turmoil, reflecting as I now am on these experiences…I would not have put myself out there as I did and made the most of these opportunities if things were still (relatively) peaceful in my life. So in a way while it is unpleasant, this chaos has produced what I consider to be, some of the best work of my writing career thus far.
This website has been a necessary anchor in my life that I never knew I needed before I began this website.
(Not saying I want to keep living the way I am right now, but I do have to acknowledge the ‘push’ the universe has given me, so to speak, to step up and stop caring so much about what could go wrong, and instead focus on what could go right, and be achieved by opportunities presented to me.)
It was a very surreal experience to text my mom about certain celebrities and media personalities attending the convention, only to look up from my phone and run into said person we were talking about. Even weirder looking back at the casual conversation we had as cameras rolled, as if this were a normal thing or situation – at least in my life, up until this point.
Not even a month ago before the convention, I was staying up late watching a certain TV show, deep in the trenches of fandom speculating with others about a new show set within its collective universe and what lore and theories could be employed in the new series.
Then suddenly, I am in the same with the creators and actors for both series in question, telling the “Guy” who’s character I was making Pinterest pins for to promote my theory blog post that I’m excited to see his show as we pose for a personal picture together.
Or reading and spending over a decade in a specific fantasy world and realizing that unless I went to an obscure awards show for writers, I would most likely never meet or be in the same room with the man. Only for the author to randomly show up at the convention to promote his new show set in the universe I am familiar with, and love.
Or for one of the voice actors whose career I have followed affectionately to also be at the convention for the first time, and yet I am somehow about five feet away from one of their colleagues on the show they work on at their convention floor booth, and eavesdropping on a VA meet and greet where the kindest character on the show turns out to also be very kind in real life.
I know I have rambled on quite a bit in this seemingly, unconventional NYCC coverage and round up, but I wanted to be honest about a press experience that is still raw in my mind. It was exciting, overwhelming, and inspiring all at the same time.
I even had a fantastic conversation with a writer I’ve now really come to admire about the convention, and how different things are from the industry side. He mentioned that I picked “a heck of a convention” to attend as press.
It didn’t really click in my mind what he said until I was back at home, going through my emails trying to compile which studios, companies, and brands to write about in this round up that I realized just how bananas my time leading up to the convention had been.
There are quite a few tv shows, movies, and network brands I would like to mention and I would usually apologize in advance for the length of post such as this, but I don’t feel the need to right now in this current moment.
I won’t drag on, but I had so many wonderful experiences and I want to try my best to highlight all of the interesting events, panels, and news that came out of NYCC 2025 without boring any of you ‘dear readers’ to death.
With that out of the way, let’s begin.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: George R.R. Martin’s Tourney Inspiration
HBO Max put a spotlight on upcoming tv shows IT: Welcome to Derry, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake.
IT: Welcome to Derry had an interactive, A.I. driven immersive horror fan experience with their “Face your Fears” exhibit. A panel revealed never before seen footage and an uncensored version of the trailer with the cast and crew in tow on the Empire Stage. The show premiered October 26th on HBO and HBO Max.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms brought co-creators, executive producer George RR Martin and showrunner Ira Parker on stage with lead actors Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall, and Dexter Sol Ansell as “Egg” the Targaryen Prince in hiding. Fans were shown an exclusive first look at the trailer and given the series debut date, which is January 18th, 2026.
Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake Executive producer and showrunner Adam Muto alongside voice cast members Madeleine Martin, Roz Ryan, and Ashley Burch revealed an exclusive sneak peek at the multiversal adventures awaiting the characters in Season 2 of the Max original series from Cartoon Network, which premiered October 23rd on HBO Max.
HBO/HBO Max presents “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” – Journey into Westeros with Dunk and Egg Panel
George RR Martin attended NYCC to promote the TV adaptation of his Tales of Dunk and Egg novella set in the ASOIAF universe, titled A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
Martin spoke on stage about his style of writing (being a “gardener” vs a “cultivator”), told the infamous ‘Knight of the Cheeseburger’ story, made veiled references to an overabundance of ASOIAF narrative POVs being the reason for TWOW’s (delayed) release, and his love for tourneys being the inspiration for the Novella and now, show.
Peter Claffey, who plays Duncan the Tall told a story about his experience filming tourney scenes for Ashford Meadow in Northern Ireland, proclaimed that Lord of the Rings is the greatest trilogy of cinematic films in existence, and Dexter Sol Ansell who plays Egg told a humorous story about a Tug Of War scene recorded the day GRRM visited the film set.
The Anne Rice Immortal Universe and Talamasca Secrets
AMC Networks brought panels for the Anne Rice Immortal Universe and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon to the convention. Shudder also had two panels that put a spotlight on Queens of the Dead, and discussed the state of horror and what’s next for the streamer.
Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe Panel
AMC and AMC+ brought together the cast and executive producers for Talamasca: The Secret Order and the highly anticipated third season of Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat.
Creatives Mark Johnson, Hannah Moscovitch, and John Lee Hancock were in attendance with heavyweight actors Sam Reid, Jacob Anderson, William Fitchner, Eric Bogosian, Assad Zaman, Nicholas Denton, and Jennifer Ehle.
The panel was unexpectedly spicy, lore surrounding Anne Rice’s Talamasca from the novels was discussed for the upcoming new Immortal Universe show of the same name, and we got the premiere of the official trailer for The Vampire Lestat.
Read our interviews with The Vampire Lestat and the Talamasca cast and crew.
Global Animation and Comics: From Avatar to Iyanu and The Amazing Digital Circus
Persona Cooking Demo
Author Jarrett Melendez held a live cooking demo for Fuuka’s Cookie from Persona 3 Reload in conjunction with the promotion of his latest book, the Official Persona Cookbook. Melendez even gave away a free recipe card for the persona-inspired cookies after his demo on the Community Stage.
Lion Forge Entertainment’s Iyanu
Lion Forge Entertainment dropped an exclusive sneak-peak from the season 2 trailer of Iyanu, the hit Cartoon Network and HBO Max animated series inspired by Yoruba mythology. The second season will return with 10 new episodes, focusing on Iyanu’s continued mastery of her divine powers while Queen Adura leads fierce conflict between Elu and the people of the Deep.
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art gave fans an early look at the LA based museum set to open in 2026. It will be the world’s first institution dedicated to exploration of narrative art and a celebration of visual storytelling across eras and cultures.
The Sneak Peek: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art panel at NYCC brought together legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese and celebrated artists JR, Boris Vallego, and Julie Bell to share their unique perspectives on the power of narrative art and the importance of the continued celebration of popular art forms.
Nickelodeon celebrated Avatar: the Last Airbender’s 20th Anniversary with a panel featuring co-creator Bryan Konietzko and voice cast members Zach Tyler Eisen, Jack De Sena, Michaela Jill Murphy, Dante Basco, and Mae Whitman, moderated by the voice of Korra, Janet Varney.
Fans got a first look at an all new series of animated 2D chibi-style shorts, a trailer reveal from Gameplay Group International Inc.’s “Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game” (working title), a fast-paced 1v1 fighter game featuring hand-drawn 2D animation where players can choose to battle as their favorite characters from the Avatar universe, set for a multi console release in the Summer of 2026.
There was also a recap of upcoming news in the world of Avatar like official artwork from Avatar: Seven Havens, the logo from The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender film, and book covers for: The Official Baking Book, Bending Academy: Fire #1, Beasts of the Four Nations, City of Echoes and The Awakening of Roku.
The convention floor also had an Avatar themed booth with immersive fan experiences and photo ops that incorporated all four elements.
Glitch Productions had a panel with The Cast of The Amazing Digital Circus that was (beyond) capped by the time I arrived at the room and attempted to gain entry.
Haunted by the enthusiastic voice of Michael Kovach welcoming the crowd, slowly disappearing as the last attendee entered the room and the doors (dramatically) closed for good, I left disappointed, vowing to fill the hole left in my heart by purchasing merchandise at their convention shop – which I did, the very next day.
With the life-sized statue of Pomni awkwardly staring down con-goers in silent judgment tinged with existential rage over the abundance of Jax and Possessed Pomni plushie sales, I spoke with a Pomni cosplayer in line at the booth and learned that she waited 5 hours to get into the prior day’s panel.
Admiring her dedication, I suddenly no longer felt bad about not getting in. Especially when I spent almost 2 hours in the merch line only to watch it be capped, reopen, and be capped again by the time I entered the shop.
(Lizzie Freeman [Pomni] and Amanda Hufford [Ragatha] were doing a Meet and Greet right next to the booth, so it was cool standing by and listening in on that while waiting to shop.)
I thought the TADC Animatez figures looked pretty neat but as I mentioned at the start of this increasingly long convention coverage post, I don’t even have a table to display them on right now, so it was a moot point decision not to purchase one.
(I heard on line that it was cheaper to buy merch at the con rather than through Glitch’s website, so hopefully that proves untrue whenever I get a chance to order some figures.)
Instead, I opted for some Pomni and Kinger pins and a Knights of Guinevere keychain plushie. I did want one of Pomni as well, but unfortunately that was already sold out on just day 2 alone.
Bubblegum Kids debuted new products from chocolate bars, to chewing gum, to freeze-dried treats, and more. At their booth on the convention floor, they offered activities like a claw machine where con-goers could win prizes like Labubus.
Viz Media started the convention strong with a panel celebrating Rooster Fighter’s English dub world premiere. The English dub cast includes talents from:
- Keiji – Patrick Seitz (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, One Piece)
- Elizabeth – Luci Christian (One Piece, My Hero Academia)
- Piyoko – Kimoy Lee (WITCH WATCH)
- Keisuke – Robbie Daymond (JUJUTSU KAISEN, Sailor Moon)
- Morio – Roger Rose (Fire Emblem Fates)
Viz Media Industry Panel
The Industry Panel was absolutely stacked with anime and manga news.
For the NANA x Vivienne Westwood 25th Anniversary, a limited edition omnibus for Vol 1 + 2 will feature new cover art by creator Ai Yazawa with reimagined iconic Westwood looks for Nana Komatsu and Nana Osaki.
The omnibus is available October 21st through Books-a-Million, October 30th through Vivienne Westwood boutiques, and November 20th in the UK at Waterstones.
The voice cast for Tsuyoshi Takaki’s Black Torch shonen manga series’ anime adaptation will include:
- Jiro Azuma – AJ Beckles (DAN DA DAN, Tokyo Revengers)
- Rago – Keith Silverstein (Hunter x Hunter, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)
- Ichika Kishimojin – Erin Yvette (Good Night World, Genshin Impact)
- Reiji Kirihara – Kyle McCarley (Mob Psycho 100, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)
The beloved Shonen Jump Shop Pop-up from Japan will arrive for the first time in the U.S. to the American Dream Mall from November 21st – January 20th, 2026.
All 500 episodes across 18 seasons will be available as a single bundle for Naruto Shippuden: The Complete Series starting November 7th. Usually $1080.00, the series will launch at $99.99 for four days, then $149.99 for 7 days until its gone.
Available on Apple, Amazon Prime Video, and Fandango at Home.
The English launch of Yasuhisa Hara’s critically acclaimed historical epic Kingdom will be published in English for the first time on November 11th, 2025.
The legendary duo behind The Legend of Zelda, Akira Himekawa, debuted their latest work: Kamudo. The mythic saga follows Kamuna, a half-human, half-dragon child destined to challenge his world’s ancient balance.
Viz Media also premiered an exclusive screening of One Punch Man Season 3, Episode 1 for fans. The new season can be streamed on Hulu in the U.S., Disney+ in Canada, Netflix in Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and on Crunchyroll for Latin America and Oceania.
The Gundam New York Takeover and Crunchyroll Manga Update
Bandai Namco Filmworks had a Mobile Suit ‘Gundam New York Takeover’ during the New York Comic Con weekend. The event captured the passion and longevity of the Gundam fandom, and cemented why the series is an essential part of anime history.
The two-day event was held at the historic Japan Society, featuring sold-out English-dubbed screenings of fan favorite titles Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz (4K Remastered) and Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway.
The Gundam Celebration Event included live panels with exclusive trailer reveals, the respective English voice casts, and new announcements such as:
- The 4K theatrical release of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz coming to U.S. theaters
- The reveal of the highly anticipated sequel film, Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash – The Sorcery of Nymph Circe
- The relaunch of the official Gundam Info website and the Global Gundam Poll 2025
On the heels of their Crunchyroll Manga announcement, Crunchyroll’s anime-filled NYCC lineup included: the Crunchyroll Showcase, and a Dan Da Dan panel featuring the English Voice Cast Abby Trott (Momo), A.J. Beckles (Okarun), and Aleks Le (Jiji). Trigun Stargaze also had a world premiere with series creator Yasuhiro Nightow and Studio Orange production staff.
Sanrio celebrated the international debut of My Melody ♡ Kuromi Game Plaza by bringing the immersive pop up stateside. Previously only found in Tokyo, the experience featured fun arcade-style games, photo ops, and even a special guest appearance by comedian Naomi Watanabe.
In honor of the Melokuro friendship and My Melody’s 50th and Kuromi’s 20th anniversaries, the pop-up will continue its tour on to China and Malaysia next, with more stop announcements to come. Sanrio’s message to fans: “When they’re together, the cuteness is endless!”.
Impact24 PR brought a wealth of industry talent and knowledge to their Impact24 PR Panel Superblock Series at New York Comic Con 2025. From development to post-production to the live show itself, the guests present at their 3rd Annual Broadway To Hollywood: A Look at the New Age of Musicals and Frame by Frame: Behind-the-Scenes with Hollywood’s Visual Storytellers panels left an inspirational mark on creatives and admirers of the industry, alike.
In its third year at the convention, the “Broadway to Hollywood” panel was moderated by Founder and CEO of And That’s Showbiz, Katharine Quinn, and featured:
- Jason Ardizzone-West (Scenic Designer of Redwood, Jesus Christ Superstar, and for Lady Gaga)
- Wendy Federman (CEO of Foolish Mortals, producer of 13 Going on 30 The Musical, Sunset Blvd., Moulin Rouge!, Hadestown)
- Brian A. Kates (Editor of Kiss of the Spider Woman)
- David Meyer (Production Designer of Miley Cyrus: Something Beautiful and Art Director of Joker: Folie à Deux)
- Macy Schmidt (Orchestrator and Founder of The Sinfonietta, Barbie The Movie In Concert)
With the discourse surrounding adaptations of ideas for audiences watching stories on stage or behind screens, set design, editing for narrative storytelling, and arranging musical compositions to evoke the intended emotion from audiences, Producer Wendy Federman even spoke about the importance of live theater, and its enduring relevancy on the panel:
“What we do in live theater is not easy. It’s a delicate art form, but there’s something really special about it. I ask people, ‘Do you remember your first Broadway show?’, and they do because they remember getting dressed up and watching a real show with live people on the stage. If we have learned anything during the shutdown, it’s that we need to be together and to support the live arts as well.”
Continuing on to the “Frame by Frame” panel (moderated by Executive Producer at Shade Studios and Host at ShadeTV, Marissa Hill), the audience was given a behind-the-scenes look at popular films and TV shows to learn more about the craft of creating atmospheric, mind-bending moments.
Featuring:
- Annette Davey (Editor of Apple Cider Vinegar)
- Bella Gonzales (Director of Photography of Alien: Earth and The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox)
- Burton LeBlanc (Makeup Designer of The Handmaid’s Tale)
- Ralph Jean-Pierre (Editor of Tokyo Vice and The Beast in Me)
- Spencer Creaghan (Composer of SurrealEstate, Slasher, and Hot Wheels)
DP Bella Gonzales offered the audience a thoughtful insight into the making of Alien: Earth:
“The Alien franchise is almost 50 years old now, and [creator] Noah Hawley was the perfect person to make this new installment. His storytelling is about corruption and greed. We honor Ridley Scott’s Alien film so much; we studied it and made an homage to it, but I feel like Noah [Hawley] is injected into every facet of the show.
Our horror on Alien: Earth was a little more psychological. We really took it and gave it its reverence in a way that’s familiar to people in the franchise.”
Impact24 PR’s Panel Superblock Series inspired audiences and encouraged the continued improvement and flow of innovative creative processes while culminating a deep appreciation and understanding of the artistry behind today’s film, television, and theatre productions with its thoughtful, curated lineup of entertainment industry experts.
The aforementioned panels will be exclusively available on Impact24 PR’s YouTube channel in November, 2025.
Read our interview with the multi-award-winning composer, Spencer Creaghan.
The Pop Cultr Marketing Summit Session Three: Anime was a very interesting discussion surrounding the collective discourse of anime and how the popularity of the medium could be utilized toward creating works for the public.
The panelists included:
- Founder and CEO of Oni Vision, Tatiana Tacca
- Founder of Media Life, Sofia Gorenstein
- Business and Development Lead at 33 USA Inc., Meg Tsuruda
- Host of Den of Geek’s Den of Otaku, Daniel Kurland – who as an ani journalist, suggested many deeply insightful applications for the use of anime that the industry should take note of.
Collectibles, Comics, and Card Games: Mad Cave, Kayou, and Mondo
Kayou debuted onto the U.S. market with a spotlight on their My Little Pony, Naruto, and tokidoki trading cards. The My Little Pony card game will be the franchise’s first TCG with a release early 2026.
Kayou’s convention floor both offered fans exclusive card signings with the English VA of Naruto Uzumaki Maile Flanagan, Co-founder and tokidoki artist Simone Legno, MLP Twilight Sparkle VA Tara Strong, and a live demonstration from My Little Pony comic illustrator Andy Price.
Check out our review of their booth and read our Interview with Kayou GM & COO Sergio Godinho on the Chinese collectible and trading card company’s debut in U.S. Markets.
Mad Cave Studios offered new and exciting first looks, previews, and creator signings for their comics and imprint titles under Maverick, Nakama Press, and Papercutz.
- John Cusack’s MOMO graphic novel is slated for release June 16th, 2026
- Flash Gordon Adventures! Vol 2: The Anthology Odyssey is available on digital platforms and wherever books and comics are sold on November 4th, 2025
- There was a heavy focus on the new, reimagined Speed Racer universe, with three original storylines faithful to the legacy that include: Speed Racer, Speed Racer: Tales from the Road, and Racer X.
Read our interview with Speed Racer writer David Pepose.
Titan Comics introduced the all-new Craniacs comics, and hosted a boat party to celebrate the release of MINKY WOODCOCK: THE GIRL CALLED CTHULHU by acclaimed artist Cynthia von Buhler, and Heat Seeker: Exposed. A Gun Honey Series #3 written by Charles Ardai, with Artwork by Ace Continuado, and Colorist Joao Canola.
Read our interview with Conan the Barbarian comic writer Jim Zub.
Skybound Entertainment put a spotlight on Invincible, Transformers, G.I. Joe and the new emergence of the Energon Universe.
The Toei Animation exhibit booth centered around One Piece and Digimon Beatbreak, offering fans immersive experiences, raffles for autograph sessions with voice actors, photo ops, and the off-site One Piece x Mercer Labs pop-up experience.
Internationally famed and respected artist Acky Bright attended New York Comic Con to create and display live artwork throughout the comic district.
The G.I. Joe inspired metal band, Cold Slither, preformed a metal concert in their East Coast Debut during the NYCC weekend.
Hasbro Fans who attended The Hasbro Toy Panel – Action Brands received announcements from beloved brands, including Transformers and G.I. Joe, and the final results of the 2025 TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE Hall of Fame Vote were revealed.
The Nacelle Company debuted the exciting news of Wave Two of the Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa action figure line in development during its How The Toys That Made Us Launched a Toy Company panel.
The growing NacelleVerse also unveiled the Biker Mice From Mars Wave 3 Rimfire Figure, Modo’s nephew from the iconic 90s franchise, and a first look at Mini Throttle, the second figure in the growing ‘Minis’ line. Wave Two of its acclaimed Star Trek™ 1/10 scale action figure line, and Spock from Wave Three are also available for pre-sales.
Figures are stocked and available for pre-order over at the Nacelle official website.
Fanhome unveiled several must-see prototypes for upcoming models shown to the public for the very first time, and welcomed special guests for fan meet and greets, and autograph sessions.
Exclusive Global Model Unveilings included: Iron Man Mark 85, and Ferrari F1-2000 Michael Schumacher Edition.
Fanhome collections for NYCC included:
- Batmobile 1989
- Star Trek™ Ships Collection
- Fast & Furious™ Toyota Supra Mk. IV
- John Wick 1969 Mustang
- World of Warcraft® Lich King
- Red Bull RB19 F1 Race Car
- Star Wars Darth Vader
- Marvel Iron Spider
Mondo, the premium collectibles brand, held panels at the convention which showcased exclusives not limited to: Marvel’s Daredevil and Fantastic Four, Superman and Clark Kent’s favorite punk rock band “The Mighty Crabjoys”, and horror franchise Jaws collectibles, posters, and vinyl records “for all types of fans”.
The Fantastic Four Immersive Pop-Up Experience ran as an off-site event at Hudson Mercantile in conjunction with the comic con weekend and featured the film’s well-known Baxter Building. Fans had the opportunity to explore the team’s headquarters and participate in photo ops in a dedicated photo lounge!
Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now available at digital retailers (Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango), and arrives on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD October 14.
And with that last entry, I think that’s a great stopping point for this very lengthy NYCC coverage. Despite only covering a fraction of the events I knew about and even attended, there was so much to see and do at New York Comic Con, and I couldn’t have been happier to attend as press.
I want to thank the convention for the opportunity that allowed me to share all of this with you, my readers ☺ and let me know in the comment section what you found to be the most interesting, or fun activities you saw or did if you attended the event!
Leave your thoughts in the comment section below, we’d love to hear from you! Also be sure to follow us for more New York Comic Con news and Interviews!
☆ In Asian Spaces ☆ Romans 12:21☆
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