Why New York Comic Con Is Good For Our Mental Health!

By Caroline Cao | October 7, 2018 | Entertainment, Gals On The Town

New York Comic Con has been in full force! Geek Gal Caroline Cao shares why it’s good for our mental being!

New York Comic Con is a medicine for a depressed soul like me. ItΓÇÖs not a one-size-fits-all medicine for my depression but itΓÇÖs effective.

Across the four days, I brought a $20 bill with me to buy something from an artist to support. I make a goal of souvenir spending with only paper money or else go too wild with my credit card. I was here to have fun without going on a spending spree.

I skimmed through all the booths and stands. I think, “so much to do, so much I will miss.” I think of all the graphic novels, plushies, action figures, comics, food and autographs I canΓÇÖt afford and it overwhelms my depressed mind. The ADHD gal in me wants to run as fast as Pinkie Pie from My Little Pony and try everything, but I need to save up for meds and groceries.

But the more I attended panels, the more the ache faded away. I visited the Women of The Galaxy Panel regarding the upcoming book. I met voice actress Ashley Eckstein, the voice actress of Ahsoka Tano on The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, after the panel. SheΓÇÖs a sweet hugger. She apologized for wearing her Doctor Who costume to a Star Wars panel, which okay, no we still love you.

I attended a Creator Connection Networking event hosted by comic author Buddy Scalera. I expected I would pass a few business cards out, but what I did not expect is the vigilant coaching. After all the panel advice-giving, we stood up and we mingled around the room. If you were not talking to somebody, someone will try to talk to you and attendants will guide you to somebody. Speed networking, basically. Soon, I was chatting with artists and writers, one at at time and feeling a surge of happiness of meeting people with the same aspirations of making art and telling stories. I brought home about 25 business cards.

I got autographs from comic writers artists like Marjorie Liu, of the Monstress comics, who’s repping for the Asian American comic writers (pictured up top), and Pepe Larraz of Marvel.

My experience is just one in a sea of many. Many others will have different experiences, different joys. Fantasy lovers, sci-fi geeks, filmmakers, writers, and cosplayers all make up the wonderful world of communities. At fandomΓÇÖs best, everyone is welcomed, including a depressed person like me. IΓÇÖm very likely to have the blues after all is done. At Comic Con, I was surrounded.

–Caroline Cao is our resident Geek Gal of Diva Gals Daily. SheΓÇÖs a screenwriter, playwright, poet, and film critic studying for her Nonfiction MFA at the New School and working on her first memoir. She has contributed her wit to Birth Movies Death, Film School Rejects, The Mary Sue, Bitch, and Reverse Shot. YouΓÇÖll often find her writing Star Wars fanfics.

Follow her: Twitter: @maximinalist nstagram: @amaximinalist!