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Hundreds of Super Fans Line Downtown Streets for NY Comic-Con Tickets

By Irene Plagianos | August 8, 2013 3:20pm | Updated on August 8, 2013 3:21pm
 Six blocks of fans lined up for Comic-Con tickets at the Midtown Comics location on Fulton Street Thursday.
'Super' Fans Line Up for Comic-Con Tickets
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FINANCIAL DISTRICT — Sometimes, even Wonder Woman has to wait in line.

Hundreds of fans dressed as their favorite fictional characters lined up — some waiting for more than 20 hours — for a chance to get first crack at tickets for this year’s New York Comic-Con, a convention of all things Sci-Fi, comic book and fantasy.

Midtown Comics offered up an early sale of Comic-Con tickets, which range in price from $30 to $85, at its 64 Fulton St. branch starting at noon Thursday — but some of the most dedicated fans arrived the day before to secure their spot in line.

Richie Molano, 27, who was first in line, planted himself in front the shop at 3 p.m. Wednesday just to make sure he was first to buy tickets.

Molano — dressed as Casey Jones, a character who's the human pal in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book and cartoon series — said he realized he was pretty early, but liked the idea of being at the very top of the line.

"Right away someone posted on Facebook that I was waiting in line, then a group of people soon followed," said Molano, a student at St. John's University, who lives in Long Island City. "It was fun, we spent a lot of hours playing charades. It wasn't too bad waiting."

"And, I guess I thought maybe I'd get something free for being first," Molano added, after finally buying his three-day pass for the October convention. "That didn't happen, but it was still fun — people keep taking pictures of me, since I was the first guy — that's cool."

Comic-Con tickets sold out very quickly online, numerous fans in line said, so they wanted to show up in person to ensure that they didn't miss out.

Jay Justice, a self-described "starving artist' who was dressed as Wonder Woman while waiting since 9 a.m., said, "Comic-Con, it's just the best. I've been to countless Comic Cons, wouldn't miss it."

Despite the long lines that wrapped around six blocks in FiDi, Thor Parker, a marketing director for Midtown Comics, said he didn't think they'd sell out anytime soon.

The shop will start selling tickets from its Midtown branches tomorrow, and will continue selling until they are sold out, Parker said.

"There's something fun about waiting in line for tickets," said Nelson Martinez, 30, who was dressed as Marvel comic book character Dead Pool. "It's kind of old school, there's a sense of camaraderie, like wow, all these people like the same thing."