{"id":314638,"date":"2026-08-05T21:20:29","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T21:20:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/314638\/"},"modified":"2026-08-05T21:20:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T21:20:29","slug":"i-want-people-to-keep-coming-into-the-bronx-the-bx-anime-comic-expo-showcases-the-bronxs-growing-creative-scene-bronx-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/314638\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I want people to keep coming into the Bronx\u2019 The BX Anime & Comic Expo showcases the Bronx\u2019s growing creative scene \u2013 Bronx Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cosplayers, comics and collectors riddled the halls of St. Helena\u2019s Roman Catholic Church on August 1 as people from all over the city attended the annual BX Anime & Comic Expo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In 2020, Jose (Jcee) Esteva, owner of Lone Wolf Comics, questioned why there was no comic convention in the Bronx\u2013 he and other vendors regularly had to travel outside of the borough to places like Long Island or Manhattan to find their community.<\/p>\n

\u201cI rented a Banquet Hall on East Tremont Ave. I paid for everything. and I gave everybody a free table. It was a trial run to see if people wanted it. I invited a few people, a few vendors; everybody showed up and there was a good response by the community,\u201d Esteva said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As the turnout suddenly increased, he realized how much the borough needed an event like this.\n<\/p>\n

Cosplayer Isaiah Suero \u2013who attended the expo dressed as Cloud Strife from \u201cFinal Fantasy VII\u201d\u2013\u00a0 is a Bronxite at heart, despite currently living elsewhere in the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a saying you can never take the Bronx away from the kid. Always. So I just come, support my community, support the people and support some good friends,\u201d Suero said.<\/p>\n

Esteva said the best part of creating the expo has been the response from the community.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody loves it. Sometimes it\u2019s a lot of work, but when you see a show like this, you see everybody say it was a great show, it makes my day. I\u2019m really grateful that I took that first step, and now we\u2019re all one big family,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Thanks to support from the community and local organizations like World Wrestling Extreme \u2013who performed at the event, eliciting many cheers from attendees\u2013 Esteva no longer has to worry much about selling tickets or securing vendors\/guests.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"As the turnout suddenly increased, Jose Esteva, the creator of the annual BX Anime & Comic Expo realized how much the borough needed an event like this. Photo by Maurice Burbridge<\/p>\n

The biggest concerns are the grunt work of setting up tables before the event, and scheduling a good date for attendees.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t want to do it the same week the New York Comic Con is happening, then no one\u2019s going to come,\u201d Esteva explains. Be that as it may, attendees, vendors, and performers alike all seemed to enjoy the festivities, which included a cosplay competition, as well as signing opportunities with returning special guests voice actor Jennifer Silverman and artist Keith Williams.<\/p>\n

Returning for the third time to the event, local cosplayer Arelis \u2013dressed as \u201cMy Hero Academia\u201d characters Deku and Bakugo with her daughter\u2013 highlighted the importance of community and happiness to the event, rather than pure competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s bought, it doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s made, it doesn\u2019t matter where you got it from. We just want positive energy and to see you be your character,\u201d Arelis said, before hosting the cosplay competition.<\/p>\n

The expo also included a performance from husband-wife metal band Flarecore. Ryan Grim said Flarecore began when he and his wife started collecting Flareon Pok\u00e9mon cards.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love conventions in general. It\u2019s really been an outlet for us to meet new fans, get in front of people that we never would have. When you play a club, it\u2019s a lot different than playing a convention. So we love playing conventions, we really do seek out many opportunities to play at whatever Comic-Cons or conventions in general,\u201d Grim said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He continued, \u201cThe experience here is awesome. We have wrestling. We have so many artists. We have Pokemon collectors. The energy\u2019s electric and we\u2019re having a great time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clean Plum owner, NYC artist Jenny Li, primarily does commissions for fan art based on anime and games that she loves, including one very loyal customer that commissions her twice a month for art of a game they both enjoy: \u201cGoddess of Victory: Nikke.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI started when I was a kid, I think that\u2019s like a lot of other artists. I\u2019ve been doing art, seriously, since middle school, and then I went to art high school, and I went to art college at School of Visual Arts (SVA) and then I worked at a vitamin company, but then I chose to start doing freelance after I quit the job,\u201d Li said.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cI love the positivity that they bring to the Bronx and providing for the community, these types of shows,\u201d Felix said. Photo by Maurice Burbridge<\/p>\n

Ray Felix, founder of the Bronx Heroes, creates books and merchandise related to superhero stories about the Bronx, after previously running a Bronx Heroes Comic Convention of his own.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love Jcee and Yasu [Jcee\u2019s wife and co-organizer]. They\u2019re great people. I love the positivity that they bring to the Bronx and providing for the community, these types of shows. I\u2019m here to support and also to advertise my business as a comic book publisher in The Bronx,\u201d Felix said.<\/p>\n

Esteva makes it a point to ensure all of his vendors have a good experience; he estimates about 90% of vendors ask to return the following year at the immediate end of each convention.<\/p>\n

\u201cI take care of my vendors. I buy food for every vendor, I make sure that someone cannot leave the table because they don\u2019t have nobody [buying]. I give them pizza, give them water. I don\u2019t treat them like vendors, I treat them like family,\u201d Esteva said.<\/p>\n

Owner of SFU illustration, Godfrey Leung, enjoyed his first time attending and vending at the BX Anime & Comic Expo. He appreciated the nice atmosphere. After a more than two decade break, Leung \u2014who primarily creates detailed anime fan art\u2014 returned to creating a few years ago. Now every day, he draws like it\u2019s his last.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat got me into art is very much down to manga: the \u2018Slam Dunk\u2019 manga. The illustrator\/creator from \u2018Slam Dunk,\u2019 his name is Inoue Takehiko. His work is pretty much god tier, and it inspired me in any sense to express myself through his style. SFU, in Japanese Kanji is \u2018tamashii\u2019; it means \u2018soul.\u2019 I want to use my soul to put my work out there and hopefully I can touch somebody\u2019s soul as well,\u201d Leung explained.<\/p>\n

\"\"Peter, part of the brand Syren Ink Creations. Photo by Maurice Burbridge<\/p>\n

Peter, part of the brand Syren Ink Creations, is a huge anime fan himself, particularly fond of \u201cZoids\u201d and sells custom clothes, footwear, and prints with anime art.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe like to make sure our clients are happy. We go back and forth, praying on some mockups to make sure that they are satisfied, and we do our best to make sure our products are best can be,\u201d Peter said.<\/p>\n

One attendee, Julio Vasquez who cosplayed as Goku Black from \u201cDragon Ball\u201d described a sentiment that surely many would echo.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI just love coming here, meeting new people. I think it\u2019s really important to have a con in the Bronx because I feel like most of the con is always in Manhattan and Brooklyn. So expanding in the Bronx would be amazing,\u201d Vasquez said.<\/p>\n

Esteva echoed a similar mindset.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI want people to keep coming into the Bronx, I don\u2019t want them to leave the Bronx. I want to keep the business, the people, everything here, and I want to bring more here. It\u2019s not just for me, I also want my borough to grow,\u201d Esteva said.<\/p>\n

Maurice Burbridge is an intern at the Bronx Times. He can be reached at mburbridge@schnepsmedia.com<\/a>. For more coverage, subscribe to our\u00a0newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n