Word came down yesterday that NYCC's sister show Special Edition: NYC will not be happening in 2016 (or maybe ever again). According to an interview with ReedPOP's Lance Fensterman over at comicbook.com, the show is being cancelled because the energy and resources are being put into making NYCC a city-wide event, growing even more beyond the Javits Center than we've seen in previous years.
The evolution of NYCC was pretty evident this past year, with the programming held at the Hammerstein (including that awesome Evil Dead panel), and the growth of Super Week. It's clear that NYCC isn't about the Javits anymore, its location is New York itself. And that's not a bad thing.
BUT, Special Edition: NYC was about comics, and it's sad to see that go away, as NYCC will never be a purely comics-focused show again. We had a blast at Special Edition the two years it did happen. With NYCC really going beyond the Javits now though, there is definitely potential to highlight comics more at NYCC by moving some things out of the Javits entirely. Maybe create a separate venue for gaming, or partner with MoCCA for a weekend of comics-related panels at Metropolitan West, the site of this year's MoCCA Fest?
Whatever happens, we will miss Special Edition: NYC. It was a nice experiment while it lasted.