In a normal year, the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan would now be preparing for throngs of attendees looking to take part in the annual New York Comic Con celebration of pop culture. However, with the coronavirus pandemic forcing the cancellation of all kinds of large gatherings, the convention made the decision to go entirely virtual.
"We're a global company that runs global events, so we really wanted to take the tactic of: 'New York Comic Con is truly for everybody this year'," said Kristina Rogers, event director for ReedPOP, the company combining the New York convention with the MCM London Convention in a single online event dubbed Metaverse.
"It's been an interesting exercise in creativity, but such a fun project to take on," she said.
Some celebrities who will be appearing at this online event include names like Keanu Reeves, Woody Harrelson, Daniel Dae Kim, Lupita Nyong'o, Jodie Whittaker, and Neil Gaiman, according to Rogers, along with a variety of panels and screenings that make up the typical content at a pop culture convention.
"There are live chat and community features that are going to be open and running all weekend to really help fans give a sense of togetherness," Rogers added.
Part of that experience will also be featured in the virtual meet-and-greets. Typically, events like New York Comic Con would feature artist tables, autograph booths, and live panels where celebrities, creators, and other media figures would have an opportunity to connect with their fans and followers. This year, they're planning to bring that experience online.
"You purchase your meet-and-greet experience, and then you get a link to a private Zoom," explained Rogers. "And you're basically just hanging out with the celebrity of your choice for about five minutes."
She also explained there will be other paid panel opportunities that will further "replicate the autographing experience on the show floor," and will be downloadable so participants can keep them for posterity.
Forging a sense of community for 2020 is a challenge within a virtual space, but ReedPOP's event director said that they looked very closely at using YouTube's features and creating an interactive website at FindTheMetaverse.com to help foster "togetherness," including a virtual show floor, a normally pandemic-unfriendly, immensely crowded common area of merchandise hawkers and exhibitions in real life, that goes live on Thursday.
However, one feature of a live comic book convention that Rogers described as a hurdle to add to the virtual festivities was the cosplay, the act of dressing up as favorite figures in pop culture.
"This was the biggest challenge for us to figure out how to replicate and one of the most important ones because cosplay is next level at New York Comic Con," she said. "So the team has moved our cosplay competition digital and with a really great focus on how to make this feature shine in a completely different way." She also pointed out casual cosplay meetups throughout the weekend to also put a spotlight on the community's creativity.
Rogers also noted FindTheMetaverse.com will feature a virtual tribute that fans can add to in honor of Chadwick Boseman, the Black Panther actor who recently passed away from cancer.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
Starbucks’ AI barista aims to speed service and improve experience. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune Business Editor, explains its impact on workers and customers.
As Big Tech reports Q3 earnings, investors await proof that massive AI and cloud investments from Meta, Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet are driving real growth.
Eric Trump joins us to discuss American Bitcoin’s mission, market strategy, and why he believes the U.S. must lead the next era of digital currency innovation.
