Finding Inspiration in Unexpected Places: The Magic of NYCC Panels...and Godzilla

Godzilla vs NYCC Panel, NYCC 2024

Okay so first, I know including "Godzilla" in the title may have thrown you off...but let me explain...after I discuss the significance of attending panels at comic cons.

If you've followed my socials, or know me outside of the world wide web, you'd know that I've been cosplaying since my first Storm (Ororo Munroe) cosplay at Grand Rapids Comic Con back in 2015. That was a very prominent year for me. Not just because it was my first time attending a comic con, but also because it was the year the water source switched in Flint, MI, and the year I had my myomectomy (my first major surgery, and the first procedure I had to address fibroids). 2015 was a year where I needed to do something fun, exciting, and inspiring, and Grand Rapids Comic Con definitely delivered.

It was at that convention where I was introduced to the idea of independent comic creators, or comic creators/writers that elf-publish their work. Interestingly enough, comic cons explore more than just comics (who knew lol). While some of my favorite panels did cover comics (like "The History of American Comics from WWII to Modern Day), there are many panels that discuss topics seemingly unrelated to comics, but maybe adjacent to comics and/or the entertainment industry. Then there are some seemingly completed unrelated (Intro Self-Defense for Blerds). A lot of what I learned actually helped me when I decided to publish my first book.

Now....what does this have to do with New York Comic Con (NYCC) and Godzilla?

Soooo....as stated in a previous blog, I'm a part-time evening law student. The struggle...is real....but more so, I had a bit of challenge narrowing my interests....I like business, government contracts, trademark law, etc...but how do I pursue it all? Well....unbeknownst to me, there's a legal panel that's on the NYCC panel schedule every year....topic: Copyright and Contracts for Comic Book Creators....I sat through this panel last year, even spoke with a few of the panelists at the beginning...let's just say that that one panel summed up everything that I am interested in for law school....what I learned there is that it is possible to pursue all of my areas of interest...government procurement aside, entertainment law is a bucket with all my favorite things combined: business law, contracts, intellectual property, etc. I felt so inspired that I planned out my future class schedules with courses that align with entertainment law, and it has been the best decision for me school-wise (still hard yall...but I'm enjoying all that I am learning!). I appreciate that panel and am glad I attended NYCC that year. I've been able to follow some of the attorneys from that session via social media and am constantly learning how I want to curate both my academic experience and my career. It was an unexpected spark of joy that has helped me stay focused and motivated during this season.

Now...what does this have to do with Godzilla?

Welll, that same year, I attended the Godzilla Minus One panel where the writer and director of the film was interviewed. Disclaimer: my family and I are huge Godzilla fans and we tend to draw toward anything Godzilla! So me attending this session was inevitable :-). But...what made this panel different was that I was surrounded by so many people who appreciated Godzilla just as much as my family and I do. Godzilla was celebrating 75 years of existence...originally intended to be seen as a sort of "villain" (the consequences of the atomic bomb), he's become more of an anti-hero in some respects. And it's not just that this "giant king of the monsters" has been around for generations, but that his films (yes his, he's the main character) always carry messages of community, collaboration, and hope in way or another. Godzilla Minus One was the first Godzilla film to win an academy award, and it was very deserving!

Godzilla at Bandai Namco booth, NYCC 2024

Moral of this writing, you never know where your inspiration will come from, and you never how your art, your work, will effect the world. Take a leap of faith and pursue what's in your heart to do. Do it for your own joy, not for reward. Rewards may never come. Or they'll come, but not in your life time. It took 70 years for Godzilla to win an Oscar. But in that 70 years, many people have come together to share the positive impact his films have had on their lives and their worldview. And I'm sure those attorneys at that panel had no idea that I was still trying to find my way in navigating law school, but them choosing to sit with us for an hour at NYCC may have positively changed the trajectory of my life.

Lastly, go places and do things that stimulate your creativity and reinforce your purpose. Life is already difficult. Don't add to the heaviness by carrying self-doubt, fear, and lack of motivation. We as humans tend to feel more alive when we're doing what we enjoy. And oftentimes, our breakthroughs are linked to that joyful thing.

Stay encouraged, and stay inspired.

Blessings,

~Royalty