NYCC 2021 Brought Back the Magic with Witches, Graphic Novels, and “Harry Potter” Ornaments
New York Comic Con was open for fans to attend this year, and MuggleNet was there virtually and in person. We were completely spellbound by the experience. It was incredible to not only be there in person but also watch so many panels virtually across the country.
These cartoon soda cans could be found in the showroom of NYCC 2021.
The showroom had everything a person could imagine: comic books, rows of Funko Pop! figurines, sculptures, magnets, paintings, drawings, soda cans, and even a giant ice cream truck for the new television show Chucky. Truly, it was every pop culture fanatic’s dream.
This Godzilla face-off sculpture could be found at NYCC 2021.
In Thursday’s screening of Welcome to Earth (with Will Smith), we were tantalized by our world’s hidden magic. We are now eagerly awaiting its debut on Disney+ this December.
We spent Friday attending “Pop Goes Your Christmas Tree with PopMinded by Hallmark,” where we got to see the Harry Potter ornaments released for the year. Is it too early to put our tree up tonight?
On Saturday, we were bewitched by panels like “Total Eclipse of the Witch,” which featured authors Rachel Griffin, Ann Aguirre, Rebecca Mock, and Scarlett St. Clair speaking about their witch-themed books. They discussed why witches are so popular and how they each chose the specific types of magic and witch tropes in their novels.
This is the main room of Comic Con 2021.
We also got to explore the importance of using heroic teen characters in graphic novels to captivate a young audience with Kami Garcia, E. Lockhart, Shannon Hale, and LeUyen Pham. Visions of creating a Fantastic Beasts graphic novel are dancing in our heads.
We couldn’t think of a more perfect way to end our time at NYCC than attending the “Women Who Built Fandom” panel with Anika Dane, Karen Walsh, and Sue Kisenwether. It was so great to hear about the women over the years who loved and appreciated science fiction and pop culture like we do and paved the way for fandoms today.
Some of us found it easy to attend virtually, whereas others had difficulty finding what we were looking for online. Overall, however, we don’t think the panels lost their magic. Even though some of us couldn’t be in the room or hall with everyone else, we could still feel the excitement and electricity.
Though there weren’t nearly enough Harry Potter or Fantastic Beasts panels, the other panels we watched and attended gave us a new perspective on the magic we’ve come to know and love. We were introduced to new authors, illustrators, game developers, and others in the industry, which is one of the greatest parts of attending a con. Despite watching some of it virtually from home, the event was still magical through our Potter-fangirl lens. We are looking forward to next year to see what it brings!
What was your favorite part of NYCC 2021?