The Javits Center doors swung open on Thursday, October 8, and booth 1771 came to life. Day 1 of New York Comic Con 2026 is in the books, and I am grateful. Grateful for the crew, grateful for the community, grateful for every single person who stopped, spun the wheel, picked up a mystery box, or just came by to say what's up. One love.
Booth 1771 taking shape at the Javits Center — setup day. Photo: Ronnie Desiderio
The whole booth runs through Tenacious Toys — Benny Kline and the family hosting the entire booth and the Tenacious Collective. Sucklord set the tone with a 3 PM signing that pulled the crowd in, and my man Leon Ramondi held the floor down on sales all day. The handmade dioramas, the mystery boxes, the toy-photography prop packs — they were moving. And the 12-slot prize wheel? Spinning all day long.
Day 1 was about the people. Finally met @manyakfunks in person at the booth — been building together online, and there he was, right there in the family. Met Tori Meisler of SoKo Cat (@soko_cat), a killer customizer working right out of the Tenacious booth. And James stopped by to talk "the whole music thing" — he'll be back Saturday and we're just getting started. If you're at the show, come through booth 1771. We family.
The booth 1771 build-out — setup day. Photo: Ronnie Desiderio
And the music does not stop for the con. War Journal (Gun Beat) by Artetoyscol is out now — the track everyone was asking about at the booth — and The Darkest Reign Vol. I by Epic Toy Sound dropped too. Full streaming links and the story behind both are in yesterday's Day 8 morning report.
The biggest surprise of Day 1: Gabriel Balda's one-of-one custom Skeletor Jimmy, revealed right here at booth 1771 and available only at the show this year. The reveal is all here: NYCC Day 1 Surprise Reveal. Catch the community's toy-photography drops from Day 1 — Darc Reign, KIDULT, Gabriel Balda and more — in Today's Drops: October 8.
Art toys on display — setup day. Photo: Ronnie Desiderio
We're here through Sunday. Find us at booth 1771 — the Tenacious booth — make a reel with Epic Toy Sound audio, tag the account, and get a free spin on the wheel. Follow along at @zillionmarketplace for the weekend, and keep it locked at toysandbeats.com for everything dropping next. Day 2, we go again. One love.
— Ronnie D