It’s a busy weekend for us here at JSA central, as a number of our team members are making the trip down to New York this weekend for the Reed Exhibitions New York Comic Con. This will be the fifth NYCC and I’ve been to every one of them since the event launched way back in 2006. Joining me this weekend are Associate Director Robert Haines and Publisher Liaison Allison Covey, as well as Comics for Kids sponsor and co-coordinator Jenn Stewart.

This is an important show for us in that almost all of the industry’s major publishers will be at the event and it’s our chance to touch base with them about upcoming projects as well as keep them in the loop on our plans for 2011.  As an industry-centric award that recognizing the achievements of people who create comic books and graphic novels (both are commercial art formats), the NYCC is the closest event of this size and scope to our home base that provides us with the opportunity to connect with the American publishers that pay the livelihoods of many of our Canadian creators. Certainly we get to do this to a smaller extent at TCAF and Fan Expo, but NYCC and SDCCI have the largest representations of comic publishers in attendance.

So far the publishers have been very encouraging and supportive and we hope to continue working with them in the future. They understand that they benefit from the exposure that Joe Shuster Award nominations bring to their products and you will see that many publishers and creators have been including information on Joe Shuster Award nominations and win in their creator biographies.

As well, as you’ve probably noticed in some of our posts over the last couple of weeks that a good number of Canadian creators are appearing at the NYCC in various capacities. From Darwyn Cooke, Jeff Lemire, Francis Manapul, Faith Erin Hicks, Camilla D’Errico, Todd McFarlane, Cameron Stewart, Karl Kerschl, Ramon Perez, Eric Kim, Tory Woollcott, Andy Belanger, Anthony Del Col, Conor McCreery, Dave Ross, Attila Adorjany, Ken Steacy, Agnes Garbowska, Bernard Chang, David Finch, Jim Zubkavich, Craig Yeung, Lar De Souza, Ryan Sohmer, Bobby Chiu, Kei Acedara, Doug Sneyd, Kalman Andrasofszky – I’m probably missing some! Not to mention the many creators who will just be walking around and checking out the event.

Bryan Lee O’Malley has an event at the Barnes and Noble in Union Square tonight along with Neil Gaiman and others – October 7th from 7pm to ? Bryan writes: I will not “officially” be attending New York Comic Con, but will hover for a bit on Friday (EARLY) if I can. So if you want to see me and can’t go to B&N, come to Oni booth immediately when you get into the convention and we can do hugz.”

So tonight I must decide which books I’m taking down to the show to get signed. Do I bother trying to get Frank Miller to sign a hardcover or two? Probably not. I do have a few hardcovers for John Romita Sr., Joe Kubert and Gene Colan… plus I can add another 7 or 8 signatures to my Stan Lee Meets… hardcover. I see Jerry Robinson is going so I’ll get him to sign my copy of his biography… I could fill boxes of stuff but I only have so much room in my luggage.

On behalf of everyone here at the Awards Association, we would like to wish you all a great and happy Thanksgiving weekend… and if you are traveling this weekend (to New York or elsewhere), safe travels!