Recapping Zenescope’s Journey to New York Comic Con 2023!
, by Jake Abbate, 7 min reading time
Another New York Comic Con in the Books!!
Just over a week ago, members of Team Zenescope set a course for the Empire State to attend New York Comic Con, where we spent the next four days slinging comics and collectibles, catching up with familiar faces, and making a ton of new friends in the process. It was a busy weekend filled with too many good memories to count, and while it’s a daunting task, I’ll try to run through as many highlights as I can. So whether you couldn’t attend the festivities in person or simply want a recap of our most recent trek to the Javits Center, read on for a look back at everything we got up to in the Big Apple this year.
I’ll be honest–I’m relatively new to the convention circuit, so being a mere 20 paces away from Bill Sienkiewicz and watching industry titans like Rob Liefeld and Marvel editor-in-chief C.B. Cebulski casually stroll past our booth was pretty surreal. But you know what? It felt great to interact with hundreds of fellow nerds and bond over our mutual love of comics and pop culture (along with our utter DISDAIN for the Javits Center's lousy Wi-Fi setup). Thanks to the NYCC exclusives we brought with us, including new contributions from Zenescope mainstays like Drax Gal and Eric Basaldua, our display generated quite a bit of foot traffic, particularly from a few notable members of our VIP Program. As always, special props go out to Kenny, Harlan, Josh, Paul, Eric, Joe, and others for being some of the best fans in world. And to all the new VIPs who purchased a Bronze Membership at the con, welcome! We’re thrilled to have you aboard as well.
Obviously, the collectible covers weren’t the only reason to check out our booth. Some of our top artists were kind enough to grace us with their presence between Friday and Sunday, including Carla Cohen (pictured above), Mike Krome, Jay Anacleto, Mike DeBalfo, and Elias Chatzoudis. Carla also happened to be sketching a Wonder Woman cover in between signings, and I can’t even begin to describe how cool it was to watch her talents unfold in real time. As a bonus, guests were able to meet Zenescope co-founders Ralph Tedesco and Joe Brusha, the latter of whom can be seen here giving an aspiring writer, Lloyd, tips on how to jumpstart his own storytelling career.
Aside from reconnecting with seasoned Zenescouts, NYCC is also a great place to induct some fresh blood into our ranks, and I’d like to thank anyone who humored me over the long weekend and let me sign you up for our mailing list. Granted, many of you were enticed by the promise of a free comic and the chance to win a Nintendo Switch. But even if you didn’t take home the grand prize, we still hope you’ll dive a little bit further into our Grimm Universe and explore our colorful cast of heroes and villains. Who knows? Maybe discovering us was the real grand prize all along ;)
Speaking of prizes, congratulations to Vanessa Anders for being the lucky duck who won the Switch!! We’ll get ready to send that out to you as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, if you participated in our Swag Hunt and entered to win one of 10 CGC-graded comics, have patience...the winners of those issues will be announced in the weeks to come.
Fans who stopped by our booth also got a small taste of Holmes & Houdini, a new three-issue limited series we’ll be launching in 2024. Written by Honor Vincent, the series pairs Spencer Holmes (who previously headlined her own one-shot back in September) with Erica Houdini, a brand new character making her Grimm Universe debut in the first issue.
As her name implies, Erica comes from a prestigious family background, something Spencer knows a thing or two about herself. But when a loved one’s mysterious death brings them face-to-face for the first time, Erica and Spencer will learn striking truths about the link that ties their famous ancestors together as they team up against an ancient secret society armed with technology that’s advanced beyond either of their wildest imaginations.
If you picked up one of our Holmes & Houdini promo cards at NYCC, there’s still time to solve the puzzle on the back and submit a photo to info@zenescope.com for a $5 webstore coupon. You can also view the covers for issue #1 below.
Holmes & Houdini #1 of 3 (On Sale January 2024)
(L-R: Cover A - Igor Vitorino & Ivan Nunes, Cover B - Ivan Tao, Cover C - Igor Lomov, Cover D - Sonia Matas & Cocoaspen)
Thankfully, this wasn’t the only upcoming release we could premiere at NYCC. In addition to the new series announcement, our booth proudly showcased a 58-cm. Robyn Hood collectible made by our friends at Divine Statues, along with their new sculpture of Witchblade (co-created by Zenescope editor-in-chief David Wohl back in the mid-’90s). Although still in the prototype stage, the statues received a very positive reception from convention attendees, with many passersby (whether they were familiar with Zenescope or not) stopping to take pictures. Divine CEO Giorgio Szepan even flew all the way from Germany to help us unveil the statues and answer questions from those who were interested in learning more. You can expect both figures to arrive next year, so be sure to stay tuned to our mailing list for further updates!
By now, most of you have probably heard that Zenescope is developing a live-action film based on our Grimm Tales of Terror anthology series. And last Friday night, we hosted a panel devoted to sharing new info about the movie’s production. Our very own Noah Mitchell moderated a discussion between Joe, Ralph, and producer Chris Mangano, all of whom recalled their initial experiences on the set of the film, which began shooting over the summer at Four Aces Movie Ranch in Palmdale, California (a location famously used by modern horror staples like The Devil’s Rejects and The Forever Purge).
Throughout the conversation, the guys showed behind-the-scenes photos, videos, and storyboards illustrated by Danny Donahue, who directed the film’s “Killer Hook” segment and, according to Joe, “elevated” the original story that was first published in Grimm Tales of Terror #9. After screening some early footage for the audience, Joe and Ralph confirmed that their goal is to shoot three additional 20-minute segments based on classic Tales of Terror issues, including “Off the Menu” and “Dead Girl Walking.” Plus, it's official: there will be a “thread story” featuring everybody’s favorite Goddess of Death, Keres!
The panel also gave everyone the chance to talk about their introductions to the horror genre, with Joe and Ralph citing Stephen King, Tales from the Crypt, and The Twilight Zone as major influences on their work. Chris, on the other hand, booked his first job in Los Angeles as an assistant to the legendary Wes Craven, which makes his involvement with Grimm Tales of Terror all the more exciting. And yes, if the film does well (fingers crossed for a theatrical release!!), it could eventually lead to more live-action adaptations of Zenescope content.
Overall, NYCC '23 was a blast for everyone here at Zenescope HQ. Thanks again to all of you who paid us a visit, and if you’re a VIP who purchased anything from our booth, remember to forward me your invoices at vip@zenescope.com to receive credit for your transactions.
We’ll see you at the next con!
–Jake