NY Comic-Con: a glimpse at the Industry of Delight

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VIDEO: My brief swan around just a tiny corner of the cavernous Comic-Con convention at the Javitz Center. 

PHOTO GALLERY on Facebook

Oink la Rouge by Goran Lelas
My lighthearted,  recent FastCompany post on Executive Toys drew a nice little perk: Tenacious Toys, online purveyor of little G-rated adult toys in plastic, vinyl and plush, invited me to the final Sunday mayhem of Comi-Con 2010, a sprawling frenzy of comic and toy fantasy and fandom attracting thousands of strangely dressed people.

Believe it or not, while some executives are having board (bored?) meetings about C&C machined parts on combine harvesters, others are passing around models of a plastic Labbit (Chinglish/Japlish for "rabbit") with a smoke drooping from its non-existent mouth. Or baby vampire dolls drinking blood from bottles. Or strange animals made from what looks like a fluffy toilet seat cover, with impossibly giant noses. That kind of thing. 
Slander Snake by Joe Ledbetter

I saved myself $45 on the entry fee thanks to Benny Kline (Tenacious Toys) kindly offering a "Professional pass" but ended up blowing $130 on stuff I have no room for but couldn't resist. Like a pig with a giant cerise nose by StrangeCo/MOMA/Goran Lelas for $5. And a small snake called Slander by a Joe Ledbetter that opens up to reveal the mouse it ate for lunch. And a t-shirt that read "Drama Free Zone, 50 meters ahead", sold to me by a man wearing a thong down the middle of his face that he claimed was to protect Zombies from eating your brain. That kind of thing. Plus a cool dress from Animated Closet that I plan to dazzle my next client with.

May The Thong Be With You: Zombies will not eat my brain! 
 It seems that with a lot of toys under $10, they are a little treat - like a manicure - most people can still afford - even in the thick of the recession. Hell, I bought an affordable little painting last week too. Am I descending into some kind of second - or maybe first - childhood? Bring it on!

Speaking of recession, I'd like to issue a challenge to toy designers - how about designing a little good luck amulet for jobseekers?  One to take to an interview tucked inside your handkerchief pocket, or perhaps brazenly on your zipper pull: "May The Force of Gainful Employment Be With You." I bet you would sell a bunch. Well, at least a few benefit check's worth...

G-Ra akak Gayle Middleton of Vamplets.com
I also want to thank Gayle Middleton aka G-Ra of vamplets.com (pictured right) for letting me store my pink folding bike in the pizza-shaped space behind her booth. It was so very tightly packed in the aisles, the parking space was a godsend. Perhaps the princess pink color swayed her, which matched her bambino-vampire-Goth getup perfectly ..




Comments

tenacious toys said…
Lynette this was a GREAT video! I appreciate your enthusiasm and your in-depth coverage! I may have to invite you back next year for more of the same! I have reposted my facebook feed!
October 11, 2010 at 5:47 PM
Unknown said…
I really like this video, gives a great glimpse into NYCC for those that have never been there! Also great to have a little understanding into the designer vinyl toy world; I wish I can say a lot more on the video, but I'm just glad to get my point across! Thanks Lynette for adding me in the video!

As for your challenge of designing a good luck amulet for job seekers, that would be a cool idea; perhaps a small lucky cat figure or good luck kanji symbol. I'd love to explore that more and if any company wants to produce it, holla at me!
October 13, 2010 at 10:32 PM
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