New York Comic Con expands the professional programming track for the 2025 edition of the annual event. We also feature velvet ropes.
The professional lineup begins with the NYCC 2025 opening night on Wednesday, October 8th, with programming taking place on October 12th through the end of the convention. Events range from events to Experience Marketing and Event Agency Experience 12 to brands including Masterclass and Warner Bros Animation, Kickstarter and the New York Public Library, led by author and podcaster Josh Horowitz.
NYCC has revealed its mainline programming schedule for August 14, 2025. This includes panels from the new Game of Thrones television series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and the prequel to “It,” “Welcome to Derry.”
The professional programming track for the four-day convention created by Lead Pop will be set up in a dedicated space at the River Pavilion at Javits Center and open only to “industry experts.” This includes the following badges and ticket types:
According to Reedpop, “Industry experts in the comics, entertainment, retail and literary spaces, as well as NYCC sponsors will be able to participate in professionally curated and expert-led programs with the goal of reaching those looking to increase industry knowledge, hone their skills and expand their network.”
Professional participants will also have access to Press & Pro Lounge, rental media suites and private on-site office spaces. Applications for the NYCC 2025 Professional Badge will be open until September 5th on the New York Comic Con website.
“New York Comic Con has always been a place where many industry experts exposed to the Comic Con community can take part in high-quality panels and networking sessions,” Brien McDonald, Vice President of Content at Reedpop, told Variety. “The successful introduction of Wednesday Comic Book Retailer Day in 2024 has shown us a strong demand to continue expanding. This year, we are excited to provide professional, exhibitors and artists’ alley badge holders with dedicated Javits Center space for this, and expand to five full days covering timely topics of pop culture, critical industry discussions and multiple networking opportunities.”
See the list of highlights from this year’s professional programming lineup.
Wednesday, October 8th
Comic Book Retailer Day: Jim Lee, known for Batman, Justice League and Suicide Squad, and Image Comics co-founder Todd MacFarlane chat with comic shop retailers. There is more than four hours of comic publisher presentations and discussion among industry veterans who blend storytelling, mentorship and industry stories.
Thursday, October 9th
Comic Sketch Art Publisher (sponsored by bar Yen Press sponsored by IDW Publishing and Event Bags): 7:45pm, starting with drinks, food and presentations by the owners of Challengers + Conversation (Chicago) Tom King (Supergirl) Tom King (Supergirl: Female) and Courtney Menard (Production Director). This mixer is for professionals in the comic industry.
The New York Public Library will once again present day programming for librarians, educators, and other professionals of interest. The highlight of the NYPL program is WEPA! Puerto Ricans in the world of cartoons. Misogynoir and Multiverses: A guide to black girls to Fandom Culture. And creepy and crafty & curriculum-adeady: eerie stories from classrooms, libraries, and more!
Friday, October 10th
Reedpop will collaborate with the first Popcultr Marketing Summit Global Experience Marketing and Event Agency Experience 12, held in NYCC. The session includes:
Live Engagement and Events – With digital attention spanning fragments, audiences are craving authentic connections as they learn why live experiences are a key marketing strategy. Tabletop Games – Learn how TTG and TTC create brands that people belong to, and strategies to drive passionate communities. Anime – While flying under the radar of traditional marketing, you will learn how anime has become a dominant cultural force, and what other industries can learn from it.
Backyard Sports Revival: Celebrate the Joy of the Game: Panel explores the creation of multi-generational storytelling in a multi-platform, endlessly destroyed media environment. Playground Productions purchased the rights to the backyard sports franchise in 2022 and was a huge success after resuming classic titles for modern consoles. The panel seeks to understand how to leverage the original audience while expanding to new, evolved audiences. Panelists include James Deighan (CEO, Mega Cat Studios), Lindsay Barnett (Founder and CEO of Playground Productions) and Chris Waters (Chief Product Officer of Playground Productions). Jenny Maas (senior writer, gaming, entertainment, variety) moderated
Harvey Awards (Invite only): One of the oldest and most prestigious awards in the comics industry since 1988, the Harvey Awards recognizes outstanding achievements in multiple categories. This year, the Harvey Awards will return to New York Comic Con, shining the spotlight on comic books, graphic novels, comics and more. Industry Awards are chosen by the whole body of comic and publishing experts. This year’s candidates will be selected by hand-picked terms of industry voice and voted by qualified experts.
Voice Voice: Art of Horror Audiobook: Join a cold lineup of sound actors and creatives and pull back the curtains about what you need to terrorize yourself with the sounds alone. Why is horror uniquely suitable for audio? How does a narrator embody a character of fear, tension and monsters with his own voice alone? And how do producers use pacing and sound design to amplify fear? Expect behind the scenes stories from the recording booth that even the narrators are surprised. Whether you’re a longtime listener or simply love a good fear, this panel invites you deep into the darkness and wonders what’s lurking right next to your headphones.
Art Night: Batman of Animation: For over 30 years, Warner Bros Animation has defined the animated legacy of the Dark Knight, from Batman: Animation Series and Justice League to Batman and Bold, Batman: Cape Crew Sadder, and countless DC animated films. The WBA’s top artists and creative all-star panel includes Jame Stacker (Executive Producer & Showrunner, “Batman: The Crew Sader in the Hat”), Juan Mezaleon (Director, “Aztec Batman: The Clash of the Empire”), Micros (Executive Producer & Showrunner, “Batman”), Executive J. Smith (Producer, “Batman”), “Batman”) and “Batman”), artistry, creative process, and their bold new and new things, inspiration to acquire one of the most iconic characters in comics and pop culture.
Saturday, October 11th
Kickstarter 101: Join Oriana Leckert, publishing director of Kickstarter, to learn about the tips, tricks and strategies behind literature’s successful crowdfunding campaigns. Building your community through crowdfunding and learn about the benefits of fundraising, the Kickstarter publication landscape, and the most important elements of building and running your projects.
Writing a workshop: Carve your niche: Writers, grab your pen and notebook and join the author Matt Diniman (“Danjoe Crawler Carl”), Jim Butcher (“Drescent Files”), Alexandria Belfleur (“The Devil She Knows”), Kimberly Lemming (I was attacked by Roma (“Play Nice”) As they delve deep into writing your niche. The panel features insights into the creation process: exercise tips for bending your writing muscle, and advice on finding your voice as a writer.
Comedy Fandom: How Viewers Are Build in 2025: As the comedy landscape evolves, it’s becoming more important for comedians to build their own audiences. Gatekeepers seem less relevant, so comedians no longer have to break through late-night sets, buzzy festival performances, or network-produced specials. Today’s comedians are using new tactics to reach and nurture viewers. Whether it’s social media, YouTube, or podcasts, comics are building their own new ways of doing it, and there’s no way to a single success. This panel explains how comedians are building an audience today, how the industry is evolving to support them, how clubs are booking, and how things will look in the future.
How influencers drive music discovery: Influencers are becoming tastemakers driving streaming spikes, chart placement and even tour demand. This panel brings together influencer marketers, artists and creators to explore new gatekeepers of music discovery. We dig into how songs go viral, the blurry boundaries between promotion and reliability, and what it takes to build a lasting impact beyond the trend cycle. Whether it’s a field you want to connect with your audience in a fresh way, this session offers a behind-the-scenes look at strategies, successes and stumbling that will shape the future of influencer marketing. Panelists include Josh Bernstein (Z2 Comics + Records President), Sean Rameau (Digital Marketing Director, MNRK Music Group), Sky Sweetnam (Samp Psycho + Influencer singer), Pablo Duzogro (VP, Beggars Group Marketing Director), and Josh Goldfeder (Senior Marketing Manager).
The art of interviewing Josh Horowitz. Join the creators and host of the acclaimed “Happy Sad Complused” podcast to participate in the interview masterclass. Josh covers topics such as finding a voice as an interviewer, DOS that helped him, and finding a voice as a DoS, as well as building podcasts and explaining practical tips for creating a career in the entertainment industry.
Sunday, October 12th
What’s coming next? : How to view nonfiction insiders publish: Joining nonfiction literary agent Aria Hannah Habib (“Take it from Me”), she provides some tips, insights and behind the scenes tools to help writers decipher what happens when they have a pitch, suggestions, or book.
Everything you need to know about indie publishing: Are you ready to publish your book? One option chosen by the ever-growing authors is self-publishing. Join this panel of experts as you discuss the processes, challenges and opportunities presented by independent publishing.
Beyond the Mask: Vtuber, Creating Identity and Content in the Digital Age: Creating content online today can be exciting and tiring, and everything in between. Whether you’re building the brand behind Twitch, YouTube, Tiktok or Vtuber Avatar, this panel jumps into the reality of growing as a creator in a space that never slows down. Join streamers, video creators and businesses to find your voice, have conversations from the planet about building your brand, growing your community, and actually creating meaningful content. We’ll talk about starting from scratch, dealing with platform shifts, staying consistent, and staying sane while doing everything in public.
