At New York Comic-Con, capes, cowls and … microchips?

The last time I graced the halls of the Jacob Javitz Convention Center for New York Comic-Con, I was single, childless and had my sights on being an indie comic writer. I set up a meeting or two with a few entry-level comic folks and bought a few collectibles. Fifteen years later, I was not prepared for the cosmic shift I experienced last weekend.   

Walking through the halls at the 2024 New York Comic-Con with my teenaged son, I couldn’t help but notice how much the event has evolved and matured. With about 550 exhibitors across the 410,000- square-foot show floor, it featured such tech giants as TikTok, eBay, Samsung, Konami and Capcom, publishing houses Scholastic, Simon & Schuster and Penguin Random House, and entertainment juggernauts Paramount+, Nickelodeon and HBO. According to show organizers, the con attracts roughly 200,000 attendees consistently — to think this is the little brother of the San Diego Comic-Con.

What used to be a haven strictly for comic book fans, collectors and cosplayers has now turned into an all-out tech and pop culture showcase. And wandering from booth to booth, it became plain as day: Geek culture and tech are no longer just partners — they’re becoming inseparable. No longer are we simply reading comic panels or watching movies. Now, technology lets us live these stories, bringing them to our lives in ways we couldn't have imagined a decade ago.

At one point during the show, I wandered into HBO’s booth touting its new comedy “The Franchise.” Its activation featured “Tecto: Eye of the Storm,” the fictitious franchise from the show’s fictitious Maximum Studios. The show parodies the tribulations of superhero moviemaking, and it was fun to dive into its goofy world featuring behind-the-scenes photos, superhero props, and playful references to classic superhero tropes and trademarks. I was able to design and name my own superhero, complete with custom digital movie poster created in front of a green screen and sent to my iPhone within an hour.

But it wasn’t just about green screens and QR activation codes. Around every corner, you can feel the tech integrated into the fan experience — whether it was the use of 3D printers to create hyper-realistic cosplay costumes or rows of gaming PCs set up for demos of the latest incarnation of “PUBG: Battlegrounds.” The tech wasn’t an afterthought at Comic-Con; it was center stage.

Anyone else remember those frighteningly flammable Halloween costumes bought from your local  five-and-dime? Times have changed. I was mesmerized by how cosplayers are embracing tech. Impressive sewing skills and makeup aside, programmable LED lights, voice modulators and even robotics are taking cosplay to the next level. My jaw dropped when I saw a life-sized Iron Man suit that looked straight out of the franchise — complete with a faceplate that flipped up and a glowing Arc Reactor in the chest.

One thing that really struck me was how geek culture is no longer just absorbing tech — it’s helping to drive it.

Online marketplace and auction site eBay, which revolutionized the collector community ever since launching in 1995 as Auction Web, let collectors and merchants connect with like-minded enthusiasts through live streamed auctions and appearances from the comic elite, including DC Comics Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee and Robert Kirkman, the creator of “The Walking Dead.”

It was obvious that these companies weren’t just there to show off whose booth could be biggest, loudest and baddest. They were there to listen. Comic-Con attendees are tech-savvy and passionate,  and the feedback these companies receive at an event like this helps shape our next generation of tech toys, apps and platforms.

Leaving Comic Con, it was clear that geek culture and tech are on a collision course that’s only going to intensify. We’re already seeing the early impacts of AI on art and storytelling. The rise of NFTs and blockchain tech is creating new ways for fans to interact with their favorite properties. And the next time I attend, who knows? Maybe I’ll be able to buy an entire digital cosplay outfit on the blockchain or step into an augmented reality version of the con, right from the living room.

The con wasn’t just a celebration of fandom — it was a glimpse into the future of how technology and geek culture will continue to shape and inspire each other. No longer are all these toys at the fingertips of Tony Stark or Bruce Wayne. And honestly, I can’t wait to see where it goes next.