Contributed by collector and Overstreet Advisor Art Cloos
Photos by Alice Cloos

For over 25 years Big Apple Conventions have been a centerpiece of the comic and popular culture convention scene in New York City. Founded and owned by Mike Carbonaro in 1995, the con started at the auditorium of St. Paul’s Church in Manhattan and has continued to draw crowds in different locations. But as with most of fandom’s cons the pandemic brought Big Apple to a sudden and unexpected halt in 2020 right before its scheduled March show. Now the first edition of the Big Apple Comic Con since December 2019 was held on Saturday, July 17, 2021, at its new home at the New Yorker Hotel. The con was billed as a prequel expo to its upcoming big 25th anniversary show in September. 

As of this writing New York City had removed most COVID-19 restrictions so there wasn’t a limited number of people allowed into the show at any one time. Masks were not required nor was using hand sanitizers, but despite, that many people did wear masks.

The best way to describe Big Apple is to say it is a big time show in a small setting, held in New York, which has a long and strong history in the evolution of modern comic fandom. There was a strong representation of Golden to Modern Age comic dealers and also original comic art. This was coupled with all the other hallmarks of a modern comic con such as apparel, toys, and various other comic-related items for sale along with some all-star comic and artist guests and an array of panels. It is a show that really does not disappoint. Most importantly the crush and overwhelming intensity of shows such as SDCC is not there despite it being a well-attended con.

The dealer line up was strong with many of the Big Apple’s traditional sellers in attendance along with some first timers. They included Dave & Adam’s Card World, Metropolis Comics, Anthony’s Comic Book Art, Gary Dolgoff Comics, Superworld Comics, Alex Needleman, Dylan Young, Gary Platt, Harley Yee’s Rare Comics, Nostalgic Investments, Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find and Silver Age Comics, Joe Koch Warehouse, St. Mark’s Comics, Yasu’s Collectibles, and many others.

One thing I noticed as I walked the aisles was that Marvel dominated the dealer’s walls. In particular there were lots of Bronze Age and Modern keys, which are just exploding in value. Every dealer Allie and I spoke to reported strong sales and I found some nice goodies myself.

There was a nice media guest list including Diane Salinger, John O’Hurley, Steve Cardenas, and Jason David Frank, among others.

Artist Alley included Jim Steranko, Al Milgrom, Jim Starlin, Brian Kong, Marat Mychaels and Billy Tucci, among others.

Despite the relatively narrow window to get the show organized after the virus restrictions were lifted, there was a nice selection of panels. They included one on the 80th anniversary of Captain America, one on the history of the Big Apple show, a talk with Jim Starlin and many others.

There were many cosplayers in attendance with some really cool costumes shown off on the con floor and in the costume contests for adults and kids.

As Allie and I walked the aisles it was also like old home week because everywhere we turned we ran into old friends among the dealers and guests. Many were people we had not seen in over a year and a half and Allie remarked on how many of them seemed so very happy to finally be back at a real comic con. In fact Allie described it as a carnival atmosphere. I always enjoy talking to my old friend, dealer Harley Yee, to get his insights into the state of the vintage comic book marketplace. I met up with my comic book collecting buddy Paul Zuckerman. I also had a really pleasant surprise when I ran into Corinne Munoz a former student of mine who I had not seen in over four years. Allie got to see her friend and noted Wonder Woman collector Susan Natoli.

As we left for the day, Allie and I agreed that the show really was a big success and we both are looking forward to the 25th anniversary Big Apple convention which will be held in September. 

Since the con is located in the heart of Manhattan there was a wide variety of transportation options from subway lines to the PATH trains out of New Jersey, the Metro North line from Westchester and Connecticut, and the Long Island Rail Road from Queens, Brooklyn, and Long Island. There are choices of taking a bus or ferry and multiple parking lots for those who want to drive to the show. Not to mention the famous taxies of New York all of which make getting around town pretty easy.

Finally, fans did not go hungry at The Big Apple con. From street carts to fast food to world class (and I really mean world class) food, there were lots of places to eat. To give one example, Saturday we had lunch with a group of friends at the Tick Tock diner which is a New York institution, serving an all-day breakfast menu and famous sandwiches which is located on the lobby level of the New Yorker. Beyond the diner, The New Yorker also hosts both a world class steak house and an amazing Italian trattoria. The convenience of eating in the hotel during the con cannot be overstated. 

The date for the 25th Silver Anniversary Big Apple show is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, September 25-26. It will be at Big Apple’s new home at the New Yorker Hotel located at 401 8th Avenue in Manhattan. Fans should check in to the Big Apple Comic Con website for the latest updates on the con.