Big Apple Comic Con
New York City comics & pop culture convention / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Big Apple Comic Con is a New York City comic book convention, the longest-running comic book/speculative fiction/pop culture convention in New York City. It was started by retailer Michael "Mike Carbo" Carbonaro in March 1996 in the basement of the St. Paul the Apostle Church.[3] During its heyday from 2001 to 2008, the Big Apple Comic Con often featured multiple shows per year, with a large three-day "national" convention held in November, usually held at the Penn Plaza Pavilion. The show was owned by Wizard Entertainment from 2009 to 2013, but was reacquired by Carbonaro in 2014.
| Big Apple Comic Con | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Comics Popular culture |
| Venue | New Yorker Hotel (2019-present) Penn Plaza Pavilion (2004–2019) Metropolitan Pavilion (2000–2003) St. Paul the Apostle Church (1996–2003) |
| Location(s) | New York City, New York |
| Country | United States |
| Inaugurated | March 2, 1996 |
| Most recent | March 26, 2022 |
| Next event | March 25-26, 2023[1] |
| Attendance | 10,000 (2018)[2] |
| Organized by | Michael "Carbo" Carbonaro (1996–2009, 2014-present) Wizard Entertainment (2009–2013) |
| Website | Official website |
Over the course of its history, the convention has been known as the Big Apple Convention, the Big Apple Comic Book Art, and Toy Show, and the Big Apple Comic Book, Art, Toy & Sci-Fi Expo; with the larger three-day November shows known as the National Comic Book, Art, Toy, and Sci-Fi Expo, the National Comic Book, Art, and Sci-Fi Expo, and the National Comic Book, Comic Art, and Fantasy Convention. In 2014, the name "Big Apple Convention" was revived by Carbonaro for its March 2015 show.
Though it primarily focuses on comic books, the convention features a large range of pop culture elements, such as books, cinema, science fiction/fantasy, television, animation, anime, manga, toys, horror, collectible card games, video games, webcomics, and fantasy novels. Along with panels, seminars, and workshops with comic book professionals, the Big Apple Comic Con often features previews of upcoming films, and such evening events as the costume contest overseen by "Captain Zorikh" Zorikh Lequidre.[4]
The convention regularly hosts hundreds of artists, exhibitors, and film and television personalities in a huge floorspace for exhibitors. The show includes autograph and photo op opportunities with all of the guests, as well as the Artists' Alley where comics artists can sign autographs and sell or do free sketches.