New York Comic Con is under way at the Jacob Javits Center in New York, happening October 6 to October 9. Television has a growing presence at the show, with exhibits set up for Nickelodeon's Spongebob Square Pants and Monster High, Fox’s Animation Domination, Paramount Plus's Teen Wolf–The Movie, MeTV and a few other networks and shows.
Julie Plec, creator of Vampire Academy on Peacock, was interviewed at the event October 6, and the cast and an executive producer of CBS comedy Ghosts held a panel that day too.
Fans of course dressed up in costumes, ranging from Ghostbusters, to Steve and Robin from Stranger Things in Scoops Ahoy attire, to Star Trek, Super Mario, and a vast range of superheroes.
Attendees were invited to audition to be on MeTV’s Svengoolie, and work alongside the horror host in a campaign the network calls Spawn of Svengoolie. “It’s been constant since we got here,” said a worker of the auditions.
Also there to represent MeTV was Marta Kristen, who played Judy Robinson on Lost in Space.
“We want to take a picture with the robot–and with Marta Kristen,” said Gretchen Jellett of Calverton, New York. Her favorite show on MeTV? Hogan’s Heroes.
She comes every year to Comic Con with her husband. “I married a big kid,” she said. “And he married a big kid.”
Things were a little quieter at the SpongeBob booth. “I don’t like SpongeBob either, to be honest with you,” a father said to his son as they passed.
Fox’s Animation Domination booth featured upcoming Dan Harmon show Krapopolis and the Jon Hamm show Grimsburg, along with old standbys like The Simpsons. Asked about their favorite Fox animated shows, a woman said "Bob’s Burgers" and her partner said, "Family Guy…when it was good."
Michelle Ozone of Brooklyn said she was curious about Krapopolis. “I like Dan Harmon specifically,” she said. “I look forward to the Community movie.”
Julie Plec, who co-created Vampire Diaries, and is working on Vampire Academy for Peacock, sat for a session. “Peacock bought the show even though I hadn’t written a word yet,” she shared. “It was a really hard show to prep and a really hard show to cast.”
The book franchise split time between Montana and the Poconos of Pennsylvania. Plec wanted it all in one setting. She needed a castle to shoot in, and found the perfect one in Spain.
Plec said she was drawn to vampires because all of her favorite shows growing up were “character stories and romance stories and friend stories,” and they all got canceled. Character and romance and friend stories with supernatural elements, on the other hand, seem to last.
“This show is about class and intolerance and friendship…and it’s about vampires too,” she said of the new project.
Down on the Main Stage, the cast and a producer from Ghosts sat for a panel after the audience watched a good chunk of the October 6 episode, "Alberta’s Podcast". Asher Grodman, who plays pantless ghost Trevor, had his seat break underneath him. “It’s because I’m wearing pants, man,” he said.
Exec producer Joe Wiseman explained how the writers room likes to put two characters who haven’t interacted much in a scene together, and see what kind of humor pops up. That happens when Flower and Hetty share some scenes in the October 6 episode.
Utkarsh Ambudkar, who plays Jay, said he hopes Jay will eventually get to see and hear and interact with the ghosts. “Hopefully we have many seasons to explore these storylines,” he said. “But for now I get to treat them like my children–and ignore them.”
Back on the floor, Comic Con veteran Hamex Quispe of Queens showed his friends, and Comic Con first-timers, around the floor. He’s there to take in the animation, consume some “exclusive stuff,” and meet people like him.
His friend Kailey Ortiz of the Bronx had a big smile on her face. “I love superheroes and I love comics and I love anime,” she said. “I love to see it all come together.”
On Friday, October 7, Dan Harmon presents Krapopolis, Prime Video presents Good Omens and the cast of USA/Syfy’s Chucky sits for a panel, among other TV stuff. Saturday has a Smallville cast reunion, a peek at Netflix’s Wednesday and a session for AMC’s The Walking Dead.
Sunday features a screening and Q&A for The CW’s The Winchesters, and the SpongeBob crossover event The Tidal Zone, among other TV happenings, before the Javits clears out. ■
