Danica Davidson
October 13, 2022 
The publishing news outlet Publishers Weekly featured an article titled “Manga Wins New York Comic Con 2022.” Its writer, Deb Aoki, who is known for her writing about manga, posited that “the overall impression was that manga, anime and Japanese pop culture are now overwhelmingly embraced by American fans and have claimed their place in North American popular culture.”
Aoki noted that New York Comic Con 2022, compared to NYCC before COVID, has seen a boom of manga. She remarked that the biggest booths that are found near the entrance (which would be the most expensive spots for companies to get) housed Bandai Namco, VIZ Media, and Konami, and the dragon from Dragon Ball Z hung overhead.
Anyone going to a comic convention knows how often people dress up in DC and Marvel costumes, but Aoki said that cosplay for series like SPY x FAMILY and Demon Slayer were just as popular. She also pointed out that Marvel Comics made a point of cohosting signings for Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi, the creators behind the Ultraman manga. There will be crossover comics with Ultraman and The Avengers.
Another big thing was how Times Square — not part of the Jacob Javits Center where the con took place, but nearby — had half its billboards go red in advertisement for the anime movie One Piece Film: Red. (Across the country, One Piece Film: Red also got plugged by the USC marching band this year.)
When Chainsaw Man won a Harvey Award, this brought more attention to manga. Not to mention the fact that NYCC was where the Chainsaw Man anime adaptation got its first sneak peek. The debut of the new Bleach anime arc was also at New York Comic Con.
NYCC saw an increase in comics from other Asian countries, too, especially South Korea. Yen Press, mainly known for its manga, was plugging its new manhwa imprint, Ize Press.
Source: Publishers Weekly
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
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