NYCC: The Toy Industry Takes Over New York Comic Con 2026

New York Comic Con (NYCC) turns 20 this year, and the toy industry is coming to the party.

When the show takes over the Javits Center Oct. 8-11, toys, collectibles, trading cards, games, licensing, retail, and the business of fandom will be threaded throughout the weekend. Hasbro, Bandai Namco, McFarlane Toys, Funko, Kayou, Jazwares, and a long list of manufacturers, retailers, publishers, and entertainment companies are among those planting flags at the show.

And while NYCC remains a fan-first event, ReedPop continues to build out the convention as a place to do business. Its expanded Professional Programming lineup extends into the River Pavilion, featuring panels, networking events, legal sessions, retailer programming, and discussions on marketing, licensing, entertainment, and the changing ways consumers engage with fandom.

For toy industry pros making the trip to New York, here’s some of what should be on the radar.

Before the main show floor opens Thursday, the third annual NYCC Retailer Day gets things moving today, Wednesday, Oct. 7.

The professional event includes publisher presentations, retailer conversations, networking, creator signings, and keynotes from Stephanie Phillips and Todd McFarlane. Dark Horse, eBay, Ignition, Universal, Women in Comics Collective, and others are also represented in the program.

The business conversation continues throughout the week.

On Thursday, ICv2 will host its Insider Talks and Comic Industry Social Hour in the fourth-floor River Pavilion. The social hour runs from 3-4 p.m., followed by two hours of rapid-fire sessions beginning at 4 p.m.

Marvel veteran Dan Buckley will discuss the future of comics; Kadokawa Retail Ventures and Yen Press President Kurt Hassler and Manga Spot Director of Retail Operations Jim Killen will dig into the future of manga; GlobalComix CEO Henrik Rydberg will explore what digital reader behavior says about fandom, merchandise sales, and content revenue; and ICv2 President Milton Griepp will present the latest ICv2 White Paper examining the comics and graphic novel market.

The free event is ticketed and limited to qualifying industry professionals and press with eligible NYCC badges.

On Friday, marketing moves to the front burner. The Syndicate’s Marketing Art with Art session will examine visual identity and brand-building, while Experience12’s Popcultr Marketing Summit tackles changing fandom behavior, the trading card boom, live experiences, and the increasingly competitive battle for consumers’ attention.

Licensing pros may also want to take note of NYCC’s Legal Masterclass Series. Friday’s session, Navigating Licensing Pitfalls in Media and Merch, zeros in on a subject with clear crossover relevance to toys and consumer products.

On Saturday, Universal Studio Group executives and Dungeon Crawler Carl author Matt Dinniman will use the upcoming Peacock adaptation as a case study in taking established stories from books, comics, games, and other formats to television — territory that increasingly overlaps with licensing and consumer products.

For the first time, ReedPop is also opening select Professional Programming sessions to general attendees through its Aspiring Professional Program. Industry badge holders can walk into participating sessions without reservations, while fans can reserve a limited number of seats through the NYCC app.

The professional track may be talking business, but plenty of business will also get done in front of the fans.

Toys That Made Us, Star Trek, Judge Dredd & More — Nacelle’s 2027 and Beyond
12:45-1:30 p.m. | North-Room 406.2

Nacelle CEO Brian Volk-Weiss and team will offer a look at what’s next for the company, including The Toys That Made Us, The Center Seat, and its expanding slate of entertainment and consumer products.

Chase the Magic — Celebrating One Year of Kayou & My Little Pony
3:15-4 p.m. | North-Room 406.2

Kayou marks its first year in the U.S. with artists, creators, and fans looking back on the growth of its My Little Pony collectibles while teasing what comes next.

GUNDAM Showcase 2026 @ NYCC — Feat. SEED FREEDOM ZERO
3:30-4:30 p.m. | Hall 1D, Main Stage

Bandai Namco will put Gundam center stage with new information on Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM ZERO, upcoming initiatives, fan experiences, and giveaways.

Hasbro Toy Panel — Action Brands
7:15-8 p.m. | North-Room 406.1

Hasbro turns its attention to two collector-heavy pillars with updates from Transformers and reveals for the G.I. Joe Classified Series.

Todd McFarlane Spotlight
1:30-2:15 p.m. | North-Room 406.3

Todd McFarlane discusses a career that has stretched from comics and entertainment into one of the collector aisle’s most recognizable toy companies.

Tamashii Nations Showcase New York Comic Con Special Panel — Ignite Your Soul
2:45-3:45 p.m. | North-Room 409

Bandai Namco’s Tamashii Nations team is promising world-premiere reveals, product announcements, upcoming releases from Japan, and previously unannounced initiatives. Atsuhiko Suzaki and Kazuya Okamoto of Tamashii Nations R&D join host Jacki Jing for the presentation.

Transformers & G.I. Joe — What’s Next for the Energon Universe?
11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. | North-Room 406.2

Skybound and Hasbro’s shared Energon Universe continues to connect publishing and classic toy properties. Robert Kirkman, Dan Watters, Tom Reilly, Jason Howard, and Conor Hughes will preview what comes next for Transformers, G.I. Joe, Void Rivals, and M.A.S.K.

30 Years of Tamagotchi
2-2:45 p.m. | North-Room 406.2

Bandai celebrates three decades of its virtual pet phenomenon with a look back — and promises at least a few peeks at what’s ahead.

McFarlane Toys — Unreleased, Unannounced, Unleashed
3:15-4 p.m. | North-Room 406.2

Todd McFarlane and the McFarlane Toys team will reveal upcoming products spanning properties including Fallout, God of War, Marvel, and Spawn, along with giveaways and a few promised surprises.

Hasbro Star Wars & Marvel Panel
11-11:45 a.m. | North-Room 406.3

Hasbro closes out its NYCC collector programming with updates and product reveals for Star Wars Black Series, The Vintage Collection, and Marvel Legends.

Dark Horse and Mattel Make Comics!
4-4:45 p.m. | North-Room 406.3

Dark Horse editors and creators will look at new and upcoming comics based on two Mattel powerhouses — Barbie and Masters of the Universe — and offer a glimpse at projects still to come.

Jazwares is thinking bigger than a booth activation.

The company, an official costume partner for Marvel’s Spider-Man, is joining Disney Consumer Products for an official Guinness World Records attempt to assemble the largest gathering of people dressed as Spider-Man.

The mark to beat is 685.

On Thursday, Jazwares will distribute complimentary Spider-Man costumes in adult and kids’ sizes, while supplies last, from its fan zone on the Javits Center Inner Roadway, beginning at 1 p.m. Participants can also bring qualifying costumes of their own.

Fans begin lining up in the Main Stage Queue Hall at 6:30 p.m., with the official record attempt scheduled for approximately 8 p.m. An official Guinness World Records adjudicator will be on hand.

Jazwares President Jeremy Padawer is set to host the event, which is open to attendees holding a Thursday or four-day NYCC badge. Participants will also receive commemorative enamel pins while supplies last.

The event represents the increasingly experiential side of toy and licensing marketing — putting a licensed product directly onto hundreds, and potentially thousands, of fans and turning those consumers into the activation itself.

Adventure Media & Events is getting into the action, too.

The Pop Insider, sister publication to The Toy Book, is returning to NYCC with a larger activation at Booth No. 1935. Both publications are produced by Adventure Media & Events.

The booth will function as a rotating showcase, retail stop, giveaway destination, and — importantly for anyone logging serious convention mileage — coffee station.

The Pop Insider’s Tap2Win promotion will distribute hundreds of prizes daily from toy, game, and collectibles companies. The first 500 players each day will also receive an Entertainment Earth tote bag. Prizes include products from McFarlane Toys, Great Eastern Entertainment, Kayou, Craniacs, Deddy Bears, The Op, Restoration Games, PMI, Blokees, Goliath, and Just Play.

Just Play’s Happy Haul is sponsoring free coffee throughout the show.

The booth will also double as a product preview space. Playmates Toys will display its upcoming Dungeon Crawler Carl collection on Thursday and Friday, including Princess Donut plush, loot boxes, and articulated figures. JAKKS Pacific’s Doll Haus of Dread will be displayed throughout the show, alongside Hasbro products from The Legend of Zelda, Street Fighter, Transformers, and G.I. Joe.

Deddy Bears is bringing an interactive coffin in which fans can open packs of its new AR-enabled trading cards, while AirConsole will demonstrate in-car gaming that turns a vehicle into the screen and a smartphone into the controller.

The lineup rotates throughout the weekend.

TOMY will sell Momiji mystery figures and plush on Friday and Saturday. BigMouth and the Royal Canadian Mint join the booth Saturday, and YuMe Toys takes over part of the space Sunday with an NYCC-exclusive Kaiju No. 8 Hero Box, PlayStation Hero Boxes, and Sanrio plush bag charms.

Craniacs artist Joe Simko will sign cards at 1 p.m. Sunday, while Tetris Co. Founder Henk Rogers is also slated to appear for a signing.

And at 6:45 p.m. each show day, the booth will host a raffle featuring higher-value prizes, including JAKKS Pacific’s Doll Haus of Dread dolls, DesignerCon exclusives, and a Craniacs skate deck signed by Simko.

Walmart Collectibles is connecting the show floor with the screen at NYCC, pairing its presence at Booth No. 2821 with four days of programming featuring toy companies, creators, collectibles specialists, and retailers.

The lineup touches nearly every corner of the collectibles business, with appearances from Hasbro, Bandai, NECA, Super7, CultureFly, Boss Fight Studio, Mighty Jaxx, Handmade by Robots, JAKKS Pacific, YuMe Toys, and more. Todd McFarlane, Usagi Yojimbo creator Stan Sakai, and artist Arthur Adams are also on the schedule.

Here’s the rundown:

Walmart’s NYCC push puts its growing collectibles business squarely in front of the enthusiast crowd while bringing manufacturers, artists, specialty sellers, and collector-focused brands together under one banner. The breadth of the lineup also offers a snapshot of just how wide the modern collectibles market has become — from action figures and designer toys to comics, cards, protection products, and emerging brands.

A few exhibitors are going particularly big this year.

Funko heads to Booth No. 4515 with a slate of NYCC exclusives and limited-edition collectibles spanning Marvel, DC, anime, and other licenses.

Kayou is celebrating its first anniversary in the U.S. at Booth No. 1143 with its “Walls of Fandom,” an immersive walk-through featuring KPop Demon Hunters, Naruto, Demon Slayer, tokidoki, My Little Pony, and other properties. The company is also debuting Winx Club trading cards and previewing its upcoming Monster Jam collection. Talent appearances include KPop Demon Hunters voice actor Arden Cho, tokidoki Co-Founder Simone Legno, and My Little Pony artist Andy Price.

Nickelodeon turns Booth No. 1523 into the “Fun-ergy Factory,” an interactive installation built around SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, complete with games, photo ops, and a nearly 20-foot Slime Surge.

Whatnot is mounting its biggest NYCC activation yet. The live-shopping platform is taking more than 5,000 square feet for the Whatnot Liveplex at Booth No. 1000, a shopping-mall-inspired collector marketplace with an arcade, live programming, exclusives, and celebrity appearances.

Fanhome will showcase its subscription-based build-up models and collectibles at Booth No. 1445, with live assembly sessions, special show pricing, and licensed products, including Star Trek, Spider-Man, Top Gun: Maverick, The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Harley-Davidson.

Monogram International is headed to Booth No. 1201 with NYCC-exclusive collectibles, including bag charms, licensed lanyard-and-pin sets, and a Doctor Doom vinyl bank.

Looking to walk the floor? Here’s a curated alphabetical list of toy, game, collectibles, licensing, retail, and adjacent companies to put on the schedule:

For toy industry attendees, NYCC has increasingly become more than a place to sell exclusives or unveil another action figure. It’s a live look at how entertainment, toys, collectibles, retail, publishing, and fandom feed one another — with tens of thousands of consumers standing right there to tell companies, in real time, what connects.

And sometimes they’ll do it dressed as Spider-Man.