HawkTalk
Cameron Haffner Featured Posts Part of NYC The Freshman Experience

The Quest for the Con (Comic Con 2014)

A long time ago in a state far, far away from New York, there lived a young, somewhat blonde boy by the name of Cameron Haffner. He spent most of his nights in his little island home watching Netflix, ordering pizza and dreaming of a life outside of his tiny microcosm.  Many of Cameron's friends had told him many tales of the great city lights, myths of parallel parking, and the famous, legendary Land of Con (or, the New York Comic Con).

IMG_1010
Ancient folklore document

Invigorated with enthusiasm, drive and a sense of purpose, the young lad ventured off into the world in hopes that he might one day find the utopian city of New York, home of the legendary Land of Con. Along his journey, Cameron came across a small yet mighty liberal arts college, the famous Wagner College of New York, where he decided to rest his bones and enrich his mind for 4 years.

The next morning, Cameron Haffner and his roommate unknowingly wandered into the grandiose marvel of the Javits Center, home of the New York Comic Con 2014.

And in that moment the wee boy, Cameron Haffner, had reached the ends of the earth, only to realize that his adventures had just begun. The blonde lad was familiar with the stories of passionate cosplayers, avid comic book fans, and notable celebrities that existed within this mesmerizing emporium, but he had no clue just how significantly large the Land of Con really was.

IMG_1005
Thousands of gatherers waiting to pass through the gates of the Land of Con

With lines that stretched for mile upon mile, Cameron was pleased that he and his roommate had arrived two hours early for the opening of the second day of the 4-day extravaganza.

Folks disguised as many mystical creatures -- Mario, Batman, Night Elf, Imperial Troopers, Iron Man, Ghostbusters, Wonder Woman, zombies and many other special characters -- roamed, gathered and paraded through the halls of the Javits as the gates welcomed us in.

Cameron was a mere naïf in the eyes of these legendary heroes. These were the stories of his childhood, come to life right before his eyes. This was the place where dreams and adventures could co-exist and unite the youthful souls that nobody ever knew were around them and ...

"Sorry to interrupt your insightful narration here but, ummm ... "

Right, my apologies, fair reader. So where was I? Ah yes, the crowds of characters all mingling and sharing admiration for each other's intricate cosplay. Every one of them was migrating to a different place. Where were they going? How did they know what to do in a place with endless things to do? Cameron was determined to find out.

Cameron moved past plenty of overpriced bagel and coffee stands, around the interactive entertainment tables, over the D.J. floors, and through the character photo booths to reach the heart of Comic Con: Artist Alley.

IMG_1018
A typical Artist Alley cosplayer

Stretching from end to end of the Javits Center, Artist Alley was equivalent in scale to a royal wedding or Taylor Swift concert. Tables filled every square unit of space, each table representing a different comic, video game, mini-story, technical service or souvenir shop for fans and adventurers alike. The wee lad Cameron was in the middle of the largest independent and industry comic center in the world.

Throughout the day, Cameron engaged himself in the many panels, discussions and special appearances that the land of Comic Con offered to him, including a main panel featuring the demigod himself, Dan Harmon, creator of TV shows "Community" and "Rick and Morty."

There was an adventure for everyone. Want a picture with Batman and his autograph? Venture over to the Autograph lot (and also have $60 on you). Curious about what the writers of "Game of Thrones" have in mind for the new upcoming season? Trek across the food court to get in line for the Main Stage room (and be prepared to wait an hour before the actual panel starts).

IMG_1012
Main Stage glory with Dan Harmon is well worth an hour wait

In a city of strangers that abide by a concrete work schedule and constantly busy lifestyle, Cameron had pondered whether all these different humans had time for heroic stories of fantasy, adventurous characters and the art of comics. And to the young boy's surprise, he found that there was an entire culture and world of characters that existed within each fellow city dweller.

So, to all you readers who have yet to discover this, Cameron invites you to join him in the quest for the con in the many years to come so that you may see this whole new place of wonder, stories and comics yourself, because there's a world of adventure waiting to be explored in New York Comic Con 2015 next year.