Ian and Kris are done with a whirlwind two weekends straight of conventions, and they have a lot to say about it! First up, this year’s Flame Con, held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square, a new venue for the event. They discuss how the new space compares to previous locations, the show floor, innovative cosplay, free beauty products, the feel of the con compared to other comic conventions, and of course, panels attended. This includes a full slate of panels run by The Graymalkin Lane Podcast, including their Mutant Fashion Review, and a sit-down with Gregory Wright and Terry Kavanagh on queer characters at Marvel in the 80s and 90s.
They then discuss Anime NYC 2026 in full, including this year’s Netflix showcase of upcoming anime series, GKIDS distributing Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust to theaters in the US, the growing disdain towards Crunchyroll and their diminishing presence at the con, how to attempt to read subtitles in a crowded room, managing industry presence at the end of a con season, awkward placement of 18+ exhibitors, where the heck Artist Alley should be in Javits, Kris’ return to running panels, attending an anime Masquerade for the first time in years, the ongoing saga of where to pee in Javits, and so much more!
Shownotes:
Flame Con: 0:05:24
Anime NYC: 1:02:38
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Follow Ian on Bluesky, and on Instagram at http://instagram.com/i_am_scifi. Kris is lampbane on Bluesky, and you can check out her various other works at http://linktr.ee/krisnaudus, which also has her slides for the panel up for a limited time.
Thanks for listening, we’ll catch you next time, and as always, there’s always time for comics!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:17:07 — 126.8MB)
