Now in its 27th year, Big Apple Comic Con Hosts A Seasonal Celebration for Geeks and Nerds — The Christmas Con

Preview by Brad Balfour

Event: 4th annual Christmas Con
When: Saturday, December 16th, 2023
Where: New Yorker Hotel
doors open 10 am – 7 pm (early admission 9 am).

Founded and owned by comic book maven Michael “Mike Carbo” Carbonaro, the show began in 1996, filling the auditorium of Manhattan’s St Paul’s Church on 10th Ave. In the late ‘90s, BACC moved to the Metropolitan Pavilion, and for the 13 years was at the Pennsylvania Hotel on 33rd St. and 7th Ave. across from Madison Square Garden.

Since 2018, BACC’s home is in the amazing, iconic 1929 Art Deco New Yorker Hotel (fully restored by Wyndham) at 401 8th Ave — across from MSG on the west side. The BACC is an essential NYC comic book and pop culture collectible event, a national hub for collectors and traders, with some of the greatest collectible books are exhibited, and traded.

Over its 27 years, the BACC has evolved and changed taking the reins from previous comic con masters such as the late Phil Sueling. It’s also experimenting with promoting rock collectibles and sports cards.

Big Apple Comic Con, NYC’s original comic con, presents the 4th annual Christmas Con, a party convention with loads of gifts, prizes, and special events to celebrate Christmas and NYC’s all season love affair with the world of comics and pop culture collectibles with our fans. It’s a Christmas Party.

Through the central theme of comic books, the convention features a large range of pop culture elements including original artwork, science fiction/fantasy, film/television, cosplay, animation, anime, manga, toys, horror, collectible card games, video games, and fantasy novels.

The show invariably includes  panels, seminars, and workshops with our guests and professionals from various fields along with feature previews of upcoming films.

Of course there’s its renowned main event Cosplay contest, always packed full of the most outrageous NYers. From its beginnings cosplay has been an integral and vital part of our heritage. We love the art and celebrate the way cosplayers have revitalized conventions by creating a dynamic link between the worlds of comics, animation, cinema, and real life.

The BACC Christmas Con features over 100 exhibitors, plus artists, guests, and cosplayers, with a special focus on talented up and coming artists from the NYC area.Guests including:

Jim Steranko, pantheon author and artist, whose real surreal imagry transformed comic book visual art,
Ink Pot award winning Artist, Actor, Author, Larry Hama, (G.I. Joe, The ‘Nam, and Bucky O’Hare)

Eisner Award winner Jim Rugg (creator of Street Angel) (Street Angel kicks butt, the coolest stuff ever).

Eisner Award winner Ed Piskor (creator of the world phenomena Hip Hop Family Tree Omnibus) (Every modern family should have a copy,. A great gift and get it signed too). Rugg and Piskor host the super popular You Tube program Cartoon Kayfabe! (If you ain’t listening you ain’t thinking comics.
The inimitable award winning. Bill Tucci creator of Shi (4 million copies sold) A Child is Born (perfect gift for Christmas)

Alitha Martinez 2018 Eisner Award, and GLAAD Media Award winner (World of Wakanda). Innovative, versatile (Iron Man, Moon Girl, Black Panther, Nubia, Archie), a complete master of the craft and culture, Alitha’s unique style and humane vision emerge whatever subject she creates.

Underground Comic artist/author legend Paul Kirchner (Awaiting the Apocalypse, Dope Rider, The Bus)
Indie comic cult icon Ken Landgraf New York City Outlaws, Strangers, Blind Justice, Ink Zeitgeist, Apocalypse 5000, Atomic Hercules. (If you think out of the box, you gonna find Ken been there for time).

Master artist and inker of hundreds of comics, from Marvel to DC and back Keith Williams.

When Artist and editor Sean Chen worked for Valiant he produced X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Harbinger, and Rai and the Future Force (RFF #9, sold over 900,000 copies). The for Marvel he drew Iron Man for over three years, along with Wolverine, Elektra, and the maxi-series X-Men: The End.. (The next master blaster!).

Lou Manna who did Thunder Agents, The Young All Stars, Infinity Agents, is a consummate stylist.

Mahdi Khene, indie publisher, musician, is the creator of the remarkably alternative Bootleg Spiderman, and Steel Streets (Ho Ho Ho, new stuff happinin’)

Spy vs.Spy Eisner Award winner Peter Kuper (Anyone ever read Mad needs to meet this man).

Skateboard legend, author, actor, and musician for Black Flag Mike Vallely, will be signing your deck and his new graphic novel bio Blvd of the Eagles

And yes, the rumors are true, Santa Claus will arrive at the 40th floor of New Yorker Hotel and slide down the chimney (elevator) with a huge bag of gifts for our little fans.

Of course, ther’s famous Cosplay contest, and an Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest, with prizes by partner Ultimate Wireless.

The BACC is an essential NYC comic book and pop culture collectible event, a national hub for collectors and traders, where some of the greatest collectible books are exhibited, and traded. As noted, BACC has now been transformed into the Christmas Con — the perfect place to grab all your current and classic comics for gift giving galore. For fans of any genre films, music mags, action figures, and much more , go to BACC‘s Christmas Con, as I will be doing.