For 19 years, New York Comic Con (NYCC) has been the East Coast's most celebrated gala of geekdom. In 2024, the convention welcomed more than 200,000 attendees. In 2025, that number swelled by 50,000, making it the, or one of the, most highly attended conventions in the U.S.
From novice nerds to masters, every October, the Javits Center teems with enthusiasts attending author, actor and production company panels, autograph signings and fandom meetups. They play console and tabletop games, enter contests and spend their precious gold and silver coins on NYCC exclusives and trinkets. But, arguably, the most exciting thing about the event is seeing the thousands of people who bring their favorite book, comic, movie, television show or video game character to life through cosplay.
Cosplayers are a community unto themselves, and at NYCC, the likelihood of passing by a fully functioning DIY transformer costume is as great as passing someone on the street who had a bodega bacon, egg and cheese sandwich for breakfast. Characters from classic horror movies, the DC Universe and Marvel are always popular choices, as are those from the Star Wars and Game of Thrones franchises. The anime community is well-represented too; fans in Chainsaw Man, Dan Da Dan, Demon Slayer and My Hero Academia costumes can be seen sauntering down the halls, snapping selfies together.
Finding your tribe within the denizens of cosplayers, when that tribe is a minority group often not expected to engage in the activity, is especially heartwarming. While it's true that these types of events are generally considered safe spaces that welcome geeks and nerds of all heritages, many Black and Caribbean cosplayers say the community at NYCC is nothing short of thrilling.
The mutual excitement is contagious, because more often than not, they tell NPR, they grew up isolated from their community at large because of their geeky and nerdy interests — as well as from cosplayers of other backgrounds. The people featured here hail from, or have roots in Barbados, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Haiti, the U.S. Virgin Islands, The Bahamas, Dominica, Saint Lucia and the Dominican Republic. Many speak of cosplay's power to build or strengthen family bonds and friendships or how it provides an outlet for escape. Seeing others, of all ages, who look like them at NYCC, takes an already electrifying experience to new heights. For four days, Black and Caribbean cosplayers can find each other. Their joy is a powerful affirmation of how glorious it feels to be seen by your scene.
Isaac "Soup" Campbell is a photographer based in New York City. You can see more of Isaac's work on Instagram at @moresoupplease.
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