NYCC 2026: Professional Panels/Industry Day Press Release & Info

Posted on 08/27/2026 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

NEW YORK COMIC CON 2026 REVEALS PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMMING LINEUP

Offerings for Industry Professionals to Include Panels, Interactive Programming, Private Signings, and More

NORWALK, CT – August 27, 2026– ReedPop, the world’s leading producer of pop culture events, today announced the return of professional programming for New York Comic Con’s 2026 show. NYCC will kick off for industry professionals on Wednesday, October 7, with Retailer Day and continue with programming throughout the weekend. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, NYCC returns to the Javits Center in New York City on October 8-11, 2026. 

This year’s professional programming builds on last year’s success, featuring a broad range of panels for professionals across industries, including comics, film & TV, book publishing, education, content creation, journalism, marketing, and more, taking place over five days in the River Pavilion. New programming for 2026 includes a series of film industry masterclasses for aspiring film and television professionals taught by masters of their craft.

All Professional programming is available to the following badge types: Artist Alley, Writers Block, Pro Thursday, Pro 4-Day, Press, Content Creator, Panelist, Exhibitor, and Sidekick. 

For the first time, select Professional Programming panels will be available to fans through our Aspiring Professional Program on Saturday and Sunday to help support aspiring industry professionals. Available sessions be noted in the panel listing. Fans with Single Day or 4-Day Weekend tickets can reserve a limited number of spots for participating panels. Reservations open one week before the show and are available while supplies last. Pro and Industry badge holders do not need a reservation for these panels. 

Professional programming at NYCC 2026 includes:

  • NYCC Retailer Day 

Join us for the third annual NYCC Retailer Day. This exclusive professional event features publisher presentations, keynotes from Stephanie Philips and Todd McFarlane, retailer conversations, industry discussions, and select creator signings. Speakers from Dark Horse, eBay, Ignition, Universal, Women in Comics Collective, and more. 

Wednesday, October 7, 11:00 AM to 6:30 PM, Pro Stage 1, cocktail party to follow

  • ICv2 Insider Talks and Comic Industry Social Hour
    Since the first New York Comic Con in 2006, ICv2 has hosted industry conferences as part of the show, bringing together the leaders of the comics and graphic novel industry to discuss the issues of the day. This year’s event will be a special 20-year anniversary edition, looking ahead to the future in the three segments that changed the industry during that history: graphic novels, manga, and digital. And the Comic Industry Social Hour is a great opportunity to meet, mingle, and network with other leaders of the industry.

The ICv2 Insider Talks will kick off with the Comic Industry Social Hour and registration, followed by two hours of programming, including the ICv2 White Paper and panelists from across the comics and graphic novel business. This is a free, ticketed event (via ICv2) for industry pros only.
Thursday, October 8, 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM, Pro Stage 1

  • Industry Summit and Mixer presented by Comics Sketch Art

An evening networking event with keynote speakers, light food and beverages, and sponsor-supported activations. Open to all Industry Badge holders such as Artist Alley, Writers Block, Pro Thursday, Pro 4-Day, Press, Content Creator, Exhibitor, Panelist and Sidekicks.

Thursday, October 8, 7:00 PM, Pro Stage 1

  • Innovative Professional Development Programming for Educators and Librarians Throughout the Weekend

Curated panels and professional development for librarians and educators, in partnership with the New York Public Library’s Center for Educators and Schools and the NYC Department of Education’s Civics for All Comics Group.

Programming highlights from the NYC Department of Education include:

o   Weaving LGBTQ+ History into the Narrative with Hidden Voices and Comics!
Friday, October 9, 11:00 AM to 11:45 AM, Pro Stage 2

o   Hard History Through Comicsfeaturing Eisner Award-winning author and political cartoonist, Ben Passmore
Thursday, October 8, 12:15 PM to 1:00 PM, Pro Stage 2

o   Know Your Rights: New York City’s Innovative New Comic Book
Thursday, October 8, 2:45 PM to 3:45 PM, Room 1B02

Programming highlights for the NYPL and its programming partners include:

o   Panels, Pages, and Patients: Teaching Empathy Through Graphic Medicine
Thursday, October 8, 11:00 AM to 11:45 AM, Pro Stage 1 

o   CENTRO Library & Archives’ Lunch Hour Live: Brown Gay Ink Featuring Ivan Velez Jr.
Thursday, October 8, 1:30 PM to 2:15 PM, Room 1B02

And so much more! While most of this content will be in the River Pavilion on the Pro Programming stages, select programming will also be available to all badge types on fan-facing stages throughout the Javits Center. Please check the schedule for more information. 

  • The Syndicate NYCC Panel Series
    Fueled by passion and a relentless curiosity for what’s fresh and new, this exclusive panel series curated by The Syndicate will level up your marketing and live event game. 

Panels include:

o   Marketing Art with Art: Visual Identity as World-Building

The best way to sell a piece of art is with more art. This panel brings together marketing creatives across film/TV, music, comics, and consumer products to unpack how visual identity and consumer-facing branding function as extensions of the work they’re promoting. Panelists will break down the specific choices behind identities that feel inseparable from the art itself, offering concrete process, cross-disciplinary comparisons, and industry insight along the way.

Friday, October 9, 1:30 PM to 2:15 PM, Pro Stage 2

o   Level Up the Fanbase: Music Marketing in the Age of the Superfans

Superfans don’t just happen. They’re built, one touchpoint at a time. This panel pulls back the curtain on the intentional mechanics behind fan loyalty. How marketing tactics like influencer seeding, brand partnerships, and experiential moments work as a system to turn casual fans into stans. Our panel of marketing experts and artist strategists breaks down real campaigns, not just theory, so you can see the playbook behind the fandom.

Friday, October 9, 2:45 PM to 3:30 PM, Pro Stage 2

o   Comedy Gatekeepers in 2026: Are They Still Around? Do They Still Matter?

The Comedy industry is ever-changing and the historic mechanisms that once anointed comedians no longer exists. It’s not a network, it’s not a Late Night set, nor a festival. Modern comedians need to be everything from marketing specialists, media talent, podcasters and business owners in addition to just being funny to make it. This panel of club owners, comedians, managers, and marketing pros will have a frank discussion about how they are constructing the careers of tomorrow’s superstars.

Friday, October 9, 4:00 PM to 4:45 PM, Pro Stage 2

  • Popcultr Marketing Summit

Brought to you by Experience12, this B2B summit focuses on one question: what earns people’s time?

Sessions cover entertainment, games, anime, publishing, tabletop, licensing, consumer products, community, creators and the brands that want to reach those audiences.

 The panel lineup includes: 

o   Fandom Doesn’t Sit Still – What changing audience behavior means when discovery, identity, and community cross every boundary.
Friday, October 9, 11:00 AM to 11:45 AM, Pro Stage 1

o   Cards on the Table – The boom, the seasons, and the marketing underneath both.
Friday, October 9, 12:15 PM to 1 PM, Pro Stage 1

o   IRL: The Feed is not Enough – Nothing online feels like being in the room.
Friday, October 9, 1:45 PM to 2:30 PM, Pro Stage 1

o   The Popcultr Edit – The marketing that earned people’s time, and what comes next.
Friday, October 9, 3:00 PM to 3:45 PM, Pro Stage 1

  • From Page to Screen: How TV Executives Acquire and Produce the Next Hit Series – Like Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl

From novels and comics to podcasts, games and articles, compelling stories can emerge from anywhere. But what does it take for a story to translate to television?

Universal Studio Group executives Jordan Moblo (EVP, Creative Acquisitions & IP Management, USG), Kelsey Balance (EVP, Scripted Series, Universal Global Television) and Vivian Cannon (EVP, Drama Development, Universal Television) – the creative leaders behind shows including The Day of the Jackal, All Her Fault, We Were Liars, Cape Fear, The Five Star Weekend and the upcoming DIG and The Dream Lands – share how they discover projects, evaluate creative potential, develop relationships with creators and guide stories through the development journey.

Moderated by author Matt Dinniman, whose bestselling Dungeon Crawler Carl series is being adapted by Universal Global Television for Peacock, this conversation offers a rare look inside the decision-making and collaboration that drives series adaptations today.

Saturday, October 10, 1:30 PM to 2:15 PM, Pro Stage 2

  • Ask Us Anything: Confessions of Celebrity Interviewers

Happy Sad Confused host Josh Horowitz takes you behind the scenes of the celebrity interview, joined by fellow entertainment journalists including Collider’s Perri Nemiroff. They’ll swap stories about dream guests, awkward encounters, interviews gone wrong, and what it really takes to get a great conversation out of Hollywood’s biggest stars. 

Then it’s your turn to ask the questions. The majority of the panel will be audience Q&A, putting Josh and his fellow interviewers in the hot seat.

Sunday, October 11, 2:00 PM to 2:45 PM, Pro Stage 2

  • NYCC Film Industry Masterclass Series
    New for 2026, NYCC’s Professional Programming lineup will take aspiring film and television professionals behind the scenes with a series of industry-focused masterclasses led by professional prop makers and practical effects artists Robin Careless and Ian Campbell. The three-part series explores both the careers and craftsmanship behind film and television, with sessions covering breaking into the entertainment industry, practical sculpting and effects, and special effects for independent horror.
    • Breaking Into the Industry
      From building a portfolio and networking to freelancing, unions, on-set expectations, and finding a path into film and television, Robin Careless and Ian Campbell share practical advice for aspiring professionals across costume fabrication, props, practical effects, writing, directing, and more.

Saturday, October 10, 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM, Pro Stage 1 

o   Practical Sculpting

A live, hands-on look at sculpting techniques used for film and television. Ian will demonstrate the process of creating a sculpt from the ground up, sharing professional techniques, materials, and practical advice for artists interested in developing their skills for character, creature, prop, and special effects work. 

Saturday, October 10, 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM, Pro Stage 1

o   Introduction to Gore: Special Effects in Indie Horror
Explore the world of practical effects for independent horror and learn how filmmakers can create memorable on-screen effects while working within the realities of indie production.

Sunday, October 11, 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM, Pro Stage 1 

  • Content Creator Collective

This exciting panel series is built for creators (and inspiring creators) who want to create better content, grow their audience, build their brand, and connect with their community. These panels provide practical tips on everything from fast, effective video editing to building a brand without quitting your day job – and discovering how creators are turning their passions into careers. 

Plus, meet your next collab partner! Whether you’re a seasoned creator, aspiring influencer, gamer, cosplayer, editor, or just getting started, these panels are packed with real-world advice, fresh ideas, industry insights, and opportunities to connect with fellow creators. Panels include:

o   Video editing for Content Creators

Join us to learn some tips and tricks on how to get your content into everyone’s algorithm! From editing techniques to literal camera pointers, let us help get your content rolling!

Saturday, 11:00 AM to 11:45 AM, Pro Stage 2

o   Content Creators, find your next collab

Step into the ultimate creator session where community, creativity, and good vibes collide! This lively networking session is all about helping fans and creators connect in a fun, low‑pressure space. Whether you’re a seasoned editor, a cosplay storyteller, a TikTok comedian, or someone who just loves making things, you’ll find people who get your style and maybe your next collab partner!

Saturday, 12:15 PM to 1:00 PM, Pro Stage 1

o   The Power of Play: How Games Build Worlds, Fans, and Creators

This panel brings together iconic voices from the gaming world and creators who transform gameplay into stories, communities, and viral content. Fans will get a behind‑the‑scenes look at how legendary games are built, how creators turn gameplay into careers, and how both sides work together to shape the future of digital entertainment.

Saturday, October 10, 1:30 PM to 2:15 PM, Pro Stage 1

o   The 15-Minute Creator: Building a Brand Without Quitting Your 9-to-5

Most social media advice is written for full-time influencers with professional editors. This panel is for the rest of us. Whether you’re a parent, a student, or a professional, you don’t need a 40-hour work week to transition from a “fan account” to a “business account.” This session focuses on the Micro-Content Blueprint: a system for filming, editing, and posting high-engagement content in the “pockets” of your day. We’ll show you how to leverage AI tools for scripting, use mobile-first editing hacks to cut production time by 70%, and pivot your hobby into a brand. Joining the conversation is a 13-year-old co-creator who will provide the “Gen-Alpha Reality Check”, revealing what younger audiences actually want to see versus what parents think is trending.

Sunday, 12:45 PM to 1:30 PM, Pro Stage 2

o   Staying Sane in the Content Game: Mindset, Boundaries & Balance
In a world where everyone is online and anyone can be a star, things can get a little overwhelming. Join a panel of voice actors, a YouTuber, and a very qualified psychologist as we explore the age-old question: how do you exist as a creative person online without having a menty b? 

Sunday, 3:15 PM to 4:00 PM, Pro Stage 2

  • The Harvey Awards

The Harvey Awards are one of the comic industry’s oldest and most prestigious awards. Recognizing outstanding achievement in multiple categories, the Harveys have been a fixture of the comic industry since 1988.

The Harvey Awards are once again taking place at New York Comic Con on Friday, October 9th in the River Pavilion. The event is invite-only, but find out more at https://www.harveyawards.com/. 

“The response to last year’s expansion of Professional Programming was overwhelmingly positive and we wanted to create even more opportunities to bring our community of professionals and aspiring professionals together this year,” said Kristina Rogers, VP of ReedPop, Star Wars Celebration and US Comics Portfolio. “For 20 years, NYCC has offered industry pros a space to gather to network, introduce new work, and celebrate their wins, and we look forward to continuing to grow those opportunities in the years to come.”

Industry professionals looking to attend NYCC’s professional programming can apply for a Professional Badge on New York Comic Con’s official site.  For partnerships and sponsor opportunities, please reach out to Mike Negin at MikeNegin@ReedPop.com.

Stay up to date on the latest New York Comic Con news at NewYorkComicCon.com and on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

Posted in Conventions, Events & Expos, New York Comic Con | Comments Off on NYCC 2026: Professional Panels/Industry Day Press Release & Info

Nerd Notes + Rabbit Hole 8/26/26

Posted on 08/26/2026 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

PCS is saddened to have to start this post with reflecting on the passings of two major icons of the world and the LGBTQ+ community but they happened and on the same day. A godspeed sent to Dolly Parton and Tim Curry.

Dolly’s music made the world go round, even a non-fan knows 9-5, Jolene and of course I will Always love You. Movies like The Best Little Whorehouse and Steel Magnolias. Her empire with Dollywood and soon to come hotel and museum in Nashville. An endearing spirit of love, equality and trust.

For many Tim Curry will always be Dr. Frank-n-furter and to others the original Pennywise, but he was so much more. Be it LEGEND, Clue, The Worst Witch, his voice work in cartoons, live action series (Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad) and video games, or even his short lived sitcom with Annie Potts & Steve Carrell, he was a consumate performer and entertainer with a legacy that will last forever.

In other news, after becoming an independent studio again and sadly doing a major lay-off to stay afloat, Double Fine is on the way back with a Kickstarter for a new Amnesia Fortnight and an appearance at PAX West where they’ll reveal a new game. [Would love to go PAX again this year, but have seen what is on display and Double Fine is not enough to quantify the two 6 hour train trips + hotel, food and any purchases costs at this time]

Gamescom is happening now so video game trailers will NOT be in this Nerd Notes, but in a seperate post.

Anyway, here’s some new music videos, some new m/vs to older songs:

And now fun stuff and trailers:

I watch these knowing what the turtle’s handler is like <they’re a friend of mine> and guffaw with love.
I’m ready for more
The fact they even do this is hilarious.
Two of my favorite humans talking. You’ll enjoy this even if you don’t love wrestling.
If you DO love wrestling though, you have to watch this. Although Atticus’ views fit entertainment and being placed in a spot and owning it as well.
What? Motherfucker.
This looks fun.
He won’t kill you…. or he will.
We have a title for the David Fincher directed sequel to Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Zuckerberg, from protagonst to antagonst, in the hands of the same person.

RABBIT HOLE

The final season of Facts of Life was a weird one indeed, but during it there were two back door pilots that would’ve been really good shows with amazing casts. The series finale (yes SERIES), ended with a two part backdoor that had Mayim Bialick Juliette Lewis, Seth Green and others. It would have been a second coming of the school that the show had abandoned to be about the 4 girls. The OTHER one was had Natalie go to NYC, it was called Big Apple Blues and introduced a possible show with David Spade as a snarky student doctor, Richard Grieco as an actor and two other female room mates (a dancer and a modern hippie). It predated Friends by four years, but it didn’t happen.

One of the streamers I watch (bionicbenbo) is playing through Spy Fox and it made me think about other games from Humongous which later became Hulabee. Turns out Moop & Dreadly is on the Internet Archive as abandonware. I loaded the ISO, hit install and it worked right away no problem on a Windows 11 machine.

I went on a search for pilots and shows that didn’t last or lasted a short time or just didn’t get the attention they deserved. Here’s some:

fuck this was ambitious
This series is ridiculous, impossible and dumb, but Evan Handler and Cleavant Derricks are great. I think maybe if they fed into the sci-fi harder and the rest of the cast had as much dynamic screen presence as those two it could have been something. Still somehow it survived 10 episodes in 1992.
Andy Griffith and the dad from Silver Spoons are astronauts sorta. Somehow this also become a series and lasted 18 episodes over two seasons in the 80s. https://archive.org/details/Salvage-1-Series/Salvage+1+(20+of+20)/S01E00+-+Pilot.mp4

Before the Prime adaptation of William Gibson’s The Peripheral by Jonathan Nolan way back in the 90s was this show VR.5 which was totally different but also super the same.

and finally on a different rabbit hole I was lead to this:

Before Zoey 102 happened it was proposed as a TV show with the pitch being an updated music video to the origial theme song.
Posted in Kickstarter, Music, Nerd Notes, Tributes to the Fallen, TV and Movies, Wrestling | Comments Off on Nerd Notes + Rabbit Hole 8/26/26

There’s a dog (Theropods review)

Posted on 08/25/2026 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

Pixel art point and click games are becoming rarer and rarer. They exist, there are some amazing ones still being developed all the time but they still are rare. Games like this are even more rare though. A wordless, use intuition from purely visual cues game with no hints or anything to guide you other than hotspots and abstract thinking is not something one sees or hell ever sees, but it is exactly what Theropods is and when it does it well, it does it better than most things.

The pixel art is really enchanting. It’s so amazing how pixel art like any art is so pass/fail, but it is, and the art in Theropods just hits. Although I must admit that if there wasn’t a hotspot button some of the puzzles would truly be luck instead of figuring out what to do. This isn’t truly in the art itself I think but a combination of coding and pixels, as there are sections later of gameplay where it is truly poorly done enough to be criticized.

For most of the game the gameplay is wonderful. I love it. No complaints. It works, it makes sense in the end, but the hidden dog achievement has no reason to exist cause you have no reason or clue to even look for it unless you spoil it and then consider what/how. Then there’s the battle with one of the dinos later. Spoiler free it is repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat solve that really is tedious and could’ve been done much better. Beyond those two complaints though I loved everything about this game and it’s gameplay.

The story is wonderful, enriching, surprising and while short, full and lush and nearly epic inside a small package. To speak of it at all spoils it even though launch trailers and the steam page does ruin the sci-fi twist, it still comes unexpectedly and in enchanting ways.

Theropods is out NOW on Steam.

(disclaimer: P-CS recieved the game for review, but as you can tell, it didn’t get a glowing review, as wonderful as the game is, it has flaws)

Posted in Video Games | Comments Off on There’s a dog (Theropods review)

Theropods OUT NOW

Posted on 08/21/2026 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

This Wordless, Hand-Animated Point-and-Click Adventure is OUT NOW on Steam and GOG

August 20, 2026 – Lost Token and publisher Dionous Games have launched Theropods, the wordless, hand-drawn point-and-click adventure, on Steam and GOG. After ten years, a journey that began as a 2015 game jam idea, the dream Kostas Skiftas and Sarah Duffield-Harding chased for a decade and the programmer, Matt Frith, is finally live.

Theropods is a retro pixel art point-and-click adventure set in a prehistoric world with a sci-fi twist, told entirely without dialogue, subtitles, or text, built entirely around visual logic. There are no dialogue trees, no walls of text, no subtitles. The world itself is the puzzle. Players watch how creatures behave, how characters react and how each scene shifts as they poke, prod and experiment their way through it. Instead of fighting through danger, you solve your way through it, distracting predators, avoiding enemies and finding clever routes past situations too deadly to face head-on.

The game began life as a small Flash project in a 2015 game jam. Players connected with it, so the team turned it into a fully-realized prehistoric journey, funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign and built over years of frame-by-frame animation. Through switched engines, a global pandemic and long stretches of spare-hours work, what carried the two-person studio was a quiet, persistent belief in the game’s unique voice. Every character, dinosaur and environment is hand-drawn frame by frame, then handed to the pixel artists to color and convert. The result is an expressive, cinematic world that speaks entirely through movement, gesture and sound, in the spirit of Amanita Design classics like Machinarium and Creaks.

“Theropods took ten years to make, and honestly, the game it became is exactly why it took that long,” said Kostas Skiftas and Sarah Duffield-Harding, co-founders of Lost Token. “We could have shipped the little 2015 jam version and moved on. Instead we kept rebuilding it until it was the wordless adventure we always wanted it to be. Seeing it live today, on Steam and GOG, is the dream we held onto the whole way through.”

Theropods is a prehistoric adventure with a sci-fi twist. A young hunter sets out to free her tribe from the barbarians who took them. On the way, she finds a stranded spaceman with a broken pod and a reason to head the same direction. What starts as a rescue slowly unfolds into a bigger mystery, as subtle science fiction elements emerge and reshape everything the world seemed to be. It is a story of survival and an unlikely friendship, carried by two travelers who cannot share a single word.

Despite containing no dialogue, subtitles or on-screen text, Theropods supports 103 languages at launch, covering menus and interface across every major market.

KEY FEATURES

Wordless storytelling. No dialogue, no subtitles, just animation, sound and gesture.
Hand-drawn pixel art. Animated frame by frame, then pixel-converted.
A prehistoric world with a sci-fi twist. Dinosaurs, barbarians and a mystery from the stars.
Think, don’t fight. Every predator is a problem to solve. Outsmart predators instead of fighting them.
An unlikely friendship. A story of bravery, trust and survival.
A striking soundtrack. Tribal rhythms blended with eerie sci-fi synths.


AVAILABILITY

Theropods is out now for PC on Steam and GOG. Console and mobile releases are to be confirmed. Theropods is priced at €17.49 and launches with an additional 20% launch discount for the first two weeks.

Get it on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1091870/Theropods
Get it on GOG: https://www.gog.com/en/game/theropods

Posted in Video Games | Comments Off on Theropods OUT NOW

Celestial Return: A Game I WOULD review

Posted on 08/21/2026 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

I recieved a key for this but the key was already used by someone else somehow. I have checked my steam library. it’s not there. Here’s a trailer, cause I woulda loved to play it and maybe i will on my own bill at some point.

Posted in Video Games | Comments Off on Celestial Return: A Game I WOULD review

Nerd Notes 8/20/26

Posted on 08/20/2026 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

D23 gave a lot and since it there’s been even more so even though it’s only 10 days since the last Nerd Notes it’s time. Actually since the last Nerd Notes I’ve been to a Physical Media Art Fair where I picked up some great movies and CDS, got comics at Desert Island, bumped into an old friend, watched some amazing wrestling and life while still difficult in the new chapter is going along. Still so much cleaning to be done. Organizing, life stuff, but things are good. Let’s get to the trailers and music.

This interview is worth your time.
Did not expect a “sequel”.
Woah another sequel.
This is my kind of story, love this.
Network procedurals can still be cool and different. I’m sure there are parts of this where it’ll be dumb, but it still looks good. I’m a pure cynic and I’m excited.
okay

MUSIC

RABBIT HOLE

I was mentally curious about theme songs written for shows that had full versions. Here’s two of them.

I also had gotten curious if the HBO Westworld ever had a video game and it turns out there’s a VR game that looks pretty great. It’s PC Link only and a $30 experience, but tempted.

Posted in Music, Nerd Notes, TV and Movies, Video Games | Comments Off on Nerd Notes 8/20/26

NYCC 2026: Early look at Panels

Posted on 08/20/2026 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

P-CS will be attending New York Comic Con 2026 this year as Press. While the most exciting part of con for us is always the show floor, panels matter. We can’t focus on ALL panels though, just what catches OUR personal interest. There’s already overlap and press sessions and any show floor appointments might end up trumping any panel or signing. Just how schedules go. Off the bat though, Thursday has a wild amazing announcement, so this is exploration is in order of announcement on the panels page. If you want full details or all the panels go to the Panels and Screenings page yourself and get lost in the wildness.

THURSDAY

Alice Cooper in Conversation with Stevie Van Zandt, Thu, Oct 8, 2026,  11:00 AM – 11:45 AM: This ticketed event will be presenting Alice’s memoir and buying the book gets you into the panel for sure.

Form Your Con Crew: Find Your People IRL – Thu, Oct 8, 2026,  1:15 PM – 2:00 PM: We have needed to find NEW people as our people have passed on, moved away or turned toxic. This might be a perfect thing to attend if you are in the same situation and would love to find a new friend to come to future events with or as it is on Thursday be your crew for the weekend.

DC’s Vertigo + Black Label, Thu, Oct 8, 2026,  2:30 PM – 3:30 PM: The Vertigo and Black Label books have been excellent. If time allows I’d want to attend for not just info, but hope of promotional items.

Up Next From Marvel Television and Marvel Animation, Thu, Oct 8, 2026,  4:15 PM – 5:45 PM: This Empire Stage panel will be where almost everyone will want to be. Having it be on the Thursday afternoon is pretty wild, but it would also be the perfect way to make sure the convention is making the news circuits, which is as important as attendance in terms of everything.

The Art of Imagining: A conversation with Disney Legend, Imagineer Joe Rohde, Thu, Oct 8, 2026,  5:30 PM – 6:15 PM: Followed by a book signing, this panel will be perfect for those who couldn’t get into MCUTV panel, didn’t get to go to D23 and/or those who love the Disney Parks.

Crystal Lake: Exclusive First-Look Screening, Thu, Oct 8, 2026,  6:30 PM – 8:00 PM: Another HUGE Thursday panel for the newest in the F13 franchise. Empire Stage means they expect a huge crowd for this A24 screening and Q&A.

ABRAMS Spotlight Panel, Thu, Oct 8, 2026,  6:45 PM – 7:30 PM: Major overlap here for me as Abrams is one of my favorite publishers and this will be a focus on 2027. Lots of decision making to be done, and s mentioned in the opening paragraph, show floor schedules and press sessions will change everything for us.

3rd Annual NYCC Poetry Slam! Thu, Oct 8, 2026,  7:45 PM – 8:45 PM: As this at 7:45 and I do have a little history with the host and a LOT of history with the NYC Poetry Slam scene (albeit it being a long time since I was deep in) I feel I’ll need to squeeze this in. Maybe my seasoned veteran status will help.

Coney Island Variety Show, Thu, Oct 8, 2026,  8:00 PM – 9:00 PM: Yet, overlap conflict right here. The Coney Island theme was a big part of even attending this year’s 20th Anniversary. Them bringing the side show to the Javit’s is not miss. There are other sessions, but we shall see. This is going to a convention.

FRIDAY

WAYNE BRADY: IMPROV NERDVANA (18 and up), Fri, Oct 9, 2026,  11:00 AM – 11:45 AM: A mind-blowing, music-fueled improv experience starring Wayne Brady, blending the chaos of Comic-Con fandom with the genius of unscripted comedy. It’s part concert, part sketch show, part cosplay love letter, and 100% made up on the spot.

IDW Publishing: You’ll Want to Be in This Room, Fri, Oct 9, 2026,  11:15 AM – 12:00 PM: New Title announcements and more. Scheduled for the panel-Christopher Cantwell, Mariko Tamaki, Matthew Rosenberg, Patrick Horvath, Tony Fleecs

SUPERGAY with Frankie Grande, Fri, Oct 9, 2026,  12:00 PM – 1:30 PM: Frankie in the Pride Lounge with his book in talk with Michael Musto with a book signing to follow. ERHAGAWD.

Inside Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, Fri, Oct 9, 2026,  12:45 PM – 1:30 PM: Creative Supervisor Jason Weber, the Shop Director Melissa Crichton, and puppeteers and builders from the Shop’s newly launched tour will talk about the history of this iconic must-see hub of imagination. The panel will also share a peek into the Shop’s exclusive location and answer the burning puppet-building questions we all have: How does a monster eat all those cookies? How does a Fraggle swim in a pond? And many more!

Rocky Horror Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again! Fri, Oct 9, 2026,  1:45 PM – 2:30 PM: They haven’t named who from the Broadway show is on the panel but I am definitely intrigued.

Celebrating 50 years of Interview with the Vampire, Fri, Oct 9, 2026,  2:00 PM – 2:45 PM: This event is ticketed through getting the anniversary edition of Interview, but Anne’s son Christopher knows the lore and J.R. Ward knows vampires so this should be a very cool talk. It was also one of the first things NYCC locked down on announcements.

The Cast of Clair Obscur, Fri, Oct 9, 2026,  2:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Ben Starr, Jennifer English, Ashley Robinson, Rich Keeble and Kirty Rider talk working the award winning video game.

PAC-MAN: Snack Breaks | Fri, Oct 9, 2026,  3:00 PM – 3:45 PM: Behind-the-Scenes of the New Animated Series with Exclusive Screening, plus promised giveaways

20th Century Studios and Imagine Entertainment present “Whalefall”, Fri, Oct 9, 2026  3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Director/co-screenwriter/producer Brian Duffield and author/co-screenwriter Daniel Kraus join Austin Abrams for a deep dive on the epic and emotional survival thriller about a young man’s encounter with a massive sperm whale. Based on the acclaimed novel, the visceral, immersive, cinematic event of The Fall opens exclusively in theaters October 16.

Marvel Comics: Bullpen Bulletins! with Stephen Wacker, Fri, Oct 9, 2026,  3:30 PM – 4:30 PM: This page in Marvel comics was/is always great. Can’t imagine what it’ll be like live, but intrigued.

Skybound Comics: Vision for the Future, Fri, Oct 9, 2026,  4:00 PM – 4:45 PM: A great line-up- Stephen Graham Jones, Leandro Fernández, Tate Brombal, Matt Emmons , Doug Mahnke, Ben Abernathy and Alex Antone present what’s coming for Skybound.

The Harvey Awards Presents the 2026 Hall of Fame, Fri, Oct 9, 2026,  4:15 PM – 5:15 PM: As the title of the panel states. More details to come but a panel to keep an eye on. The overlap here is extreme especially with the next panel.

Oni Press: The Loudest Thing in Color Since 97, Fri, Oct 9, 2026,  4:30 PM – 5:15 PM: Oni Press is turning 30 next year and they start the celebration here!

BLUMFEST 2026, Fri, Oct 9, 2026,  5:30 PM – 7:30 PM: A HUGE Empire Stage presentation. Violent Night 2 will be highlighting and then surprises.

TITMOUSE Spotlight, Fri, Oct 9, 2026,  5:45 PM – 6:30 PM: Chris Prynoski, Ben Calina and who knows. Titmouse works and has worked on your favorites and are working on a cartoon I am super excited about. Hoping maybe they reveal more here on it.

Cyanide & Happiness, Fri, Oct 9, 2026,  6:45 PM – 7:30 PM: One of two announced sessions from the crew. This one is 18+.

Common Side Effects: Season 2, Fri, Oct 9, 2026,  7:00 PM – 8:00 PM: World Premiere Screening and Panel with the creators and cast.

PRH Presents: Buzzy Books 2026, Fri, Oct 9, 2026,  9:00 PM – 9:45 PM: An after hours presentation from Penguin Random House of a variety of the books that are attracting the most attention from readers and more.

SATURDAY

Bob’s Burgers and Futurama Animation Panel, Sat, Oct 10, 2026,  11:00 AM – 12:30 PM: Take notice here, this is two panels back to back on the Main Stage with no clearance in between. All of Bob’s Burgers will be there, all of Futurama too. This is one of the biggest ones of Saturday that is of TV/Movies, just know it’ll be a long ride.

DC’s Next Level & Beyond, Sat, Oct 10, 2026,  11:00 AM – 11:45 AM: This is a big one too. DC has other panels among the convention and I’m sure will have stuff in booth but they may be keeping some still unannounced series for this.

Nicolas Cage Spotlight, Sat, Oct 10, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12 PM: And not to be outdone, this is also at the same time as the other two panels. No announcement on moderator, but who knows what stories Nic might choose to span over the over. It could be anything from Vegas to Treasure to Spider Noir to MADDEN.

Murray Hill in Conversation with Peppermint, Sat, Oct 10, 2026,  12:00 PM – 1:30 PM: All those panels are at the same time and then there’s this. Murray Hill is someone I have seen perform in the past and love them getting this great opportunity at NYCC.

Cyanide & Happiness, Sat, Oct 10, 2026,  2:45 PM – 3:45 PM: The other session with the team. This one is not marked 18+.

Kyle MacLachlan’s Fictional Selves (Book-with-Ticket), Sat, Oct 10, 2026,  2:45 PM – 3:30 PM: I want to read Kyle’s memoir and am a fan of his career so I may need to make time for this.

Marvel Comics: House of Ideas, Sat, Oct 10, 2026,  5:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Marvel will be dropping their news series here.

“BALLS: The Monster-Catchin’ Musical Comédy” (leaked Bootleg World Premiere), Sat, Oct 10, 2026,  8:30 PM – 10:00 PM: A screening of last years major panel, this is your Saturday night part. Hosted by Stuart Zagnit. This should be a blast!

SUNDAY

NCIS: NEW YORK Panel, Sun, Oct 11, 2026,  11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: LL Cool J and Scott Caan, the NCIS veterans who are the cast of the new show will there and Byron Balasco, the show runner as well.

The Baby-Sitters Club: 40 Years of Friendship, Sun, Oct 11, 2026,  11:00 AM – 11:45 AM: This panel being overlapped is really going to make NYCC hard. Raina Tegelmeier and Gale Galligan will be on it and I’m sure will talk their history with the series as much as the new GN they made together.

EINSTEIN Screening & Panel, Sun, Oct 11, 2026,  1:45 PM – 2:45 PM: I love me some Matthew Gray Gubler, he was a sweet heart when I met once for his children’s book, he was such a performer. This show is gonna be fun, love the chance to get on the ground floor.

25 Years of Artemis Fowl, Sun, Oct 11, 2026,  2:00 PM – 2:45 PM: The overlap here is really hard. I’ve met Eoin Colfer and seen him talk a few time and it’s always great, one of my favorite writers and there’s a book signing after.

There’s a bunch of unannounced panels that may throw ALL of this out wack. The show floor could too. For anyone who was looking the Autographing and Photo-Ops list for NYCC and going where’s the big stuff? It’s here In the panels. After this write up I started looking at the panels even more and noticed tons I missed. NYCC 2026 has it all and this isn’t even close to everything. So much to come.

Posted in Books, Comics, Conventions, Events & Expos, Culture, Events, Music, New York Comic Con, TV and Movies | Comments Off on NYCC 2026: Early look at Panels

Nerd Notes 08/10/26

Posted on 08/10/2026 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

Nothing special to report. Attended NY Now at the end/start of August. Things will be quiet for a bit here beyond that, but there’s enough trailers and music in the last week and a half to make a Nerd Notes so here we go.

Real Life Meccha Chameleon. The artist known as Yellowspoongirl has been going around making sculptures and renacting the new viral co-op game Meccha Chameleon in which you hide your blank figure by painting it and manevering it to basically become one with its surroundings like a chameleon.

Takeshi Miike.
This isn’t what the ignorant commenters think it is. It is about the diversity of life and belief.
Did NOT see this coming!
Buddy can teach me whatever he wants.
:dropout adding this to the channel is big.
I will believe.
Looks lovely and interesting
This saga never ends.
This saga also never ends.
Odin is good dog.
Oscar bait? Who cares, looks cool.
Also Oscar bait? Maybe but looks even cooler!
Travis definitely has a documentary worthy story.
Gotta love Conan
Good movies good.
Journeys has some really weird ads
More Road 96
No release date yet, but the game still looks wonderful. The demo from way back has had me wanting this and now I just want it more. one day I guess.
Great writer/director, great cast

MUSIC

all of this is new. Even the recording of Semi-Charmed Life that starts things.

While MCMG have signed with All Elite Wrestling I really think GRPPLNG should be their focus. Good ass fucking music indeed.
This is sort of a Rabbit Hole recc. I heard it on a ad on Twitch for Meta and the little bit I heard made me wanna find the whole song for this band I don’t know but now like.

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Nerd Notes 08/1/2026 + Rabbit Hole #2

Posted on 08/01/2026 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

Things in the life have started to settle in. Still so much cleaning, organizing, setting up the new chapter to do, but things are flowing. Many expos and conventions and possibly events on the horizon including a return to NY NOW, the White Label Expo AND NYCC.

For now a collection of book, movie, comic, video game and tv trailers, plus music and more.

Also the Rabbit hole wasn’t big so I thought I’d throw it on here at the end.

Very excited since they got the most the voice actors and creators to work on this in some way.
Totally unexpected and maybe wasn’t needed, but they did and it looks fun. Also a modern Jumanji video game done by a AAA developer would be cool.
Who doesn’t love The Sandlot?
No one saw Ted Lasso coming back. Everyone was excited to find out and it looks funtastic.
While Tomi Adeyemi has disowned this adaptation, I feel it is still noteworthy. Also, authors shoudn’t ever have a lot of control of an adaptation unless they understand that adaptation should be like creating something new. I have no idea what or if that was the issue with this cause Tomi has given no details other than saying she had no control.
Also a book adaptation of a totally different kind.
Just this small teaser screams the DNA of the creators.
I don’t even know FALL, but this looks thrilling.
A movie based on a movie based on a movie but probably just in name and Thomas Crown being a rich dude who steals and has an investigator chase him who he seduces.
If it’s funny, it’s sunny.
Very nice anecdote about Rutger.
Delayed from worldwide debut at SDCC because of sudden distribution pick up. This looks freaking amazing.
Buddy is my buddy till the end.
Not connected to The Wicker Man is any way, a weird romance or… I don’t know. I don’t know what this, but it looks interesting and intriguing.
Anime and Manga are major gaps by choice of over stimulation in my pop-culture absorbtion but this convention/expo shows that a show can be crowded, controlled and have multiple booths that cater to fans of all types at major levels within a convention center.
Great plot, great art, great trailer for the coming soon Oni Press comic.
I’ve posted trailers before of the upcoming Ryan Murphy adaptation of The Shards that Bret Easton Ellis himself signed off on.
I got to read this awesome back and forth SUPER special with work from both Raina Tegelmaier AND Gale Galligan earlier in the year and loved seeing both their versions speak to each other quite wonderfully.
I felt I should share something wrestling and whatever better than something that has a violent Shazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzza Mackenzie as the thumbnail. This show also has EFFY, Allie Katch, HOSS WAR, Kody Lane, and much more.

Disturbing and great
A NEW Gregg Alexander song.
A great cover!
A playlist of Collective Soul’s 2026 Touch and Go
A playlist of everything petal from Ariana Grande.
a Playlist of everything in from NIMRODS on YT.

RABBIT HOLE

Neato randomly ear wormed me for no reason, so to destroy the ear worm I had to listen to it again. Be reintroduced to the rap group featuring travel streamer/poker player Andy M., film star Simon Rex (as Dirt Nasty) and Riff Raff.

Hearing the ice cream truck playing The Entertainer made me wonder about how and when that happened. Here’s a short story on Ice Cream Truck Music History

While trying to find out more about New Radicals new track on the One Night Only soundtrack I found out that Gregg Alexander as “New Radicals” also did a new version of the Santana/Michele Branch classic “The Game of Lover” earlier this month.
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Nerd Notes (Post SDCC 2026 Edition)

Posted on 07/26/2026 by Pop-Culture Spectrum

There was definitely enough video game, movie and TV trailers and also new music to make a Nerd Notes just after the last one.

First off, STUART FAILS TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE episode one was fantastic and the footage I saw of the SDCC outside convention activation was total FOMO. Would LOVE to have that comic… also would love to get my hands on the Marvel’s Wolverine comic. May check ebay, etc. after and if prices are reasonable.

In coming weeks/months I have the following conventions as Press. NY NOW, White Label Expo AND New York Comic Con. I would love to go to PAX West again but the hotel/airfare cost was quite high last year and there are so many other experiences I want.

and now the stuff.

MOVIE/TV/COMIC/VIDEO GAME TRAILERS

Ryan Gosling joins the MCU in Marvel Studios’ Ghost Rider, directed by Shawn Levy. Only in theaters 2028.

MUSIC (unrelated to SDCC, just stuff that dropped)

Posted in Comics, Conventions, Events & Expos, Music, Nerd Notes, TV and Movies, Video Games | Comments Off on Nerd Notes (Post SDCC 2026 Edition)