As I wrote about yesterday, my wife and I went down to the New York Comic Con last Sunday and took our darling daughter with us. Em’s been down twice before, but the first time she was pretty sick and the second time she was pregnant, but overall, I think she got the gist of the event: lots of lookeeloos wandering around aimlessly, sometimes dangerously so, who are just as likely to smell your hair (actually happened to her) as they are to bonk into you with their giant hammer (happened to me). Knowing the general vibe of the area, plus the huge numbers that had already been there that weekend (the above picture is from Saturday) and the high noise level that comes from all those people, I was pretty worried about taking Lucy down with us. Like ready to call the whole thing off, nervous. I had seen people with babies at the show, but most of them were obnoxiously pushing their kids in strollers, but my wife thought it would be fine because she just got an Ergo Baby Carrier. Plus, she had made plans with a friend for lunch and I had been telling everyone that Lu was coming down, so we went with it. The trip started off with her first train ride, which she mostly slept through, even when we had to unexpectedly transfer trains. She then went on her first cab ride, which my wife did some research on because we weren’t sure about car seat laws in cabs. In New York City, it’s legal to be in a cab with your baby not in a car seat. Em still had Lucy in the carrier and kept her hand firmly on the strap. It helped that we didn’t wind up going more than 20 MPH at any time on our trip from Grand Central to the Javits center. Getting into the show itself wasn’t so bad. One of the benefits of a press pass is that you can mostly go where you need to and don’t have to wait in lines to get into the show. It also helped that the awesome CBR Tiki Room was up and away from everything else, so we could go up there, change the baby in one of the hallways and get ready before heading on to the show floor to introduce Lu to some of my friends. I should explain that I used to work with a lot of amazing people at Wizard, many of whom have moved to other states to continue working in comics or just to get away completely (or move back home in some cases). So, this show can be like a reunion for us and this is the first time most of them have been around to meet the baby.

Walking the show floor was pretty bad. I mean, it was cramped and crowded and vaguely foot-smelling the day before, but the day before I didn’t have a baby and a wife to watch out for. My poppa bear levels were up to eleven and I almost tore a kid’s head off for stopping right in front of my wife and daughter so he could take a picture of someone in a costume. I used to be the kind of guy that would say “I almost tore his head off” but being a dad changes things. My wife calmed me down and we moved on to show off our little bundle of joy. I had to go cover a panel for about an hour (longer if you count waiting in line, I’m not super impressed with how they handle press at these things, but more about that over on UnitedMonkee) so Em and Lu were on their own. After the panel we met back up, tried to find a few more people, said a few hellos and then bolted for lunch. All in all it was a fine experience, but one that definitely had me overly hyped up. I mean, that’s my job, right? To protect my family? I know I’m not fighting off a dinosaur with a bone or anything, but I did see a few people in dino costumes that I didn’t want bumping into me, my wife or my kid. I’m sure that feeling with chillax a little bit over time, but it’s still in my head a lot and will be for a while (probably forever, really).

I really wish I had taken a picture or two of her on the show floor or even up in the CBR booth, but I just forgot. It was way too crazy on the floor and I really didn’t want to be one of those people who are constantly stopping to take pictures. So, that’s why you have one of the back of her head on an elevator with a guy’s butt in the background. On the other hand, I absolutely love the untrustworthy glance she’s throwing at the cab driver. Always be wary kid, especially in the city!