CGC Brings the Ultimate Collector Lineup to New York Comic Con: Exclusive Variants, Celebrity Signings, Live Grading, and More

From Absolute Batman and Dungeon Crawler Carl exclusives to John Cusack, Famke Janssen, Scott Snyder and Jock, CGC gives fans plenty to hunt, grade, sign and take home October 8–11

SARASOTA, Fla., Sept. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New York Comic Con is about the hunt: the rare cover, the perfect signature, the collectible fans cannot get anywhere else. This year, CGC^®, the world leader in professional comic book certification, is putting it all within reach.

Returning as New York Comic Con’s Official Grading and Authentication Services, CGC and JSA are bringing a packed four-day lineup to the Javits Center, October 8–11, including three CGC-exclusive variant covers, celebrity and creator signings, live grading and authentication panels, limited-edition giveaways and on-site submissions across comics, cards, video games, home video collectibles and autographed memorabilia. Fans can find CGC at Booth #2805 and CGC Signature Series & JSA at Booth #HB906.

 “New York Comic Con is where our community shows up in full force, and we wanted to give collectors a reason to stop by our booths every single day of the show,” said Shawn Caffrey, CGC’s Vice President of Comic Book Grading. “Whether you’re picking up an exclusive Absolute Batman or Dungeon Crawler Carl variant, getting a book signed by Scott Snyder and Jock, or watching us grade a comic live on stage, this is the most complete way to experience CGC all year.”

Only at NYCC: Three CGC-Exclusive Variants
For collectors who love a true convention exclusive, CGC is bringing three covers available only at New York Comic Con. Fans who make an eligible grading submission at the show can choose one for free, while supplies last:

•  Absolute Batman #24 Jock Cover C — limited to 1,000 copies (Blue Background)
•  Absolute Batman #24 Dexter Soy Cover C — limited to 1,000 copies (Red Background)
•  Dungeon Crawler Carl #0 “Day Variant” — by artist Doug Mahnke and colorist David Baron

Variants are limited to one per person, per eligible submission, per show, while supplies last. CGC’s new Dungeon Crawler Carl custom label, introduced September 22, is also available for Dungeon Crawler Carl comic book submissions.

Get It Signed: A Four-Day Celebrity and Creator Lineup
CGC Signature Series witnesses and JSA authenticators will be on hand throughout the weekend as actors, voice actors and fan-favorite creators meet collectors at Booths #2805 and #HB906. Highlights include John Cusack, Famke Janssen, Charisma Carpenter, Jason Mewes, Scott Snyder, Jock, Doug Mahnke and David Baron.

Thursday, October 8

•    Doug Mahnke and David Baron, 2–3 p.m., Booth #2805
•    Jason Douglas, 4–5:30 p.m., Booth #2805

Friday, October 9

•    Jason Mewes, 10 a.m.–12 p.m., Booth #HB906
•    Kent Williams and Jill Harris, 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m., Booth #2805
•    David Matranga, 12:30–2 p.m., Booth #HB906
•    John Cusack, 1–3 p.m., Booth #2805
•    Benjamin Su, Tom Whalen and Connor McConnell, 3–3:30 p.m., Booth #2806
•    Monica Rial, 3–4:30 p.m., Booth #HB906
•    Doug Mahnke and David Baron, 5–6 p.m., Booth #2805
•    Scott Snyder and Jock, 6–7 p.m., Booth #2805

Saturday, October 10

•    Kent Williams and Jill Harris, 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m., Booth #HB906
•    Famke Janssen, 12–2 p.m., Booth #2805
•    Charisma Carpenter, 1–2 p.m., Booth #HB906
•    Mariya Ise, 3–4 p.m., Booth #HB906
•    Martial T. Batchamen, 3–4:30 p.m., Booth #2805
•    Doug Mahnke and David Baron, 5–6 p.m., Booth #2805

Sunday, October 11

•    Mariya Ise, 11 a.m.–12 p.m., Booth #HB906
•    Doug Mahnke and David Baron, 12–1 p.m., Booth #2805
•    Scott Snyder, 2–3 p.m., Booth #2805

Signing fees vary by guest. Complete pricing and pre-sale details are available at CGCgrading.com.
Collectors can save time at the show by preparing items in advance with the CGC Signature Series online submission form.

Go Behind the Grade — and Test Your Collector Eye
CGC is also taking fans behind the slab with interactive panels and face time with the experts who grade and authenticate collectibles every day:

• From Raw to Slab: The CGC Grading Experience - Thursday, October 8, 11–11:45 a.m., Room 1C03. CGC Comics President Matt Nelson and Vice President Shawn Caffrey break down the grading process with live demos, tips for spotting pressable defects and restoration, a guess-the-grade challenge with prizes, comic book trivia, and an open Q&A.
• Meet the Graders - Thursday, October 8, and Friday, October 9, 12:30–1 p.m., Booth #2805. Collectors can talk one-on-one with Nelson and Caffrey at the fan-favorite booth session.
• Why Authentication Matters: Protecting Your Autographs with JSA — Friday, October 9, 5:30–6:15 p.m., Room 1C03. JSA’s Ryan Spence and Chris Fisher reveal what goes into autograph authentication, followed by trivia and prizes.
  
  

Free Swag for Collectors Who Submit

• Limited-Edition NYCC Pin — CGC’s popular pin giveaway returns with an all-new NYCC design, one per submitter, per show, while supplies last.
•  Card Submission Bonuses — Collectors who submit cards at the show can receive one of two CGC x Mercari Mike promo cards and one One-Piece Cybercel card, one per person, per show, while supplies last.

Bring the Collection: On-Site Submissions and Express Drop-Off
Collectors can bring comics, magazines, trading card games, sports cards, non-sports cards, video games and home video collectibles to the show for CGC authentication and grading. Those who want more time on the show floor can use CGC’s Express Drop-off Service by creating a free CGC account, completing an online submission form and bringing both copies of their printed packing slip. Submissions will be transported to CGC’s Sarasota, Florida headquarters for authentication, grading and encapsulation.

JSA will offer same-day Basic Certification (COA) for autographed memorabilia, as well as Letter of Authenticity (LOA) submissions observed on-site, with final documented results sent by mail.

For full show details, including signing prices, pre-sales and submission instructions, visit CGCgrading.com.

About CGC
Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for a vast variety of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for sports cards, TCGs and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation and more. CGC Home Video provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of videocassettes, DVD, Blu-ray and more. CGC also offers seamless solutions for autograph collectors with CGC Signature Series and JSA Authentic Autograph services.

CGC is part of the Certified Collectibles Group, a global provider of expert and impartial authentication and grading services for collectibles. Since 1987, the Certified Collectibles Group companies have certified more than 120 million collectibles, including coins, banknotes, comic books, cards, autographs and stamps.

CGC
Shannon Encina
sencina@collectiblesgroup.com

Trujillo Public Relations
Heather Krug
Heather.Krug@trujillopr.com

Sara Trujillo
Sara@trujillopr.com