Last week, New York Comic Con brought its A-game to the NBA and Fandom booth to celebrate Tip-Off on October 22.
Against an illustrated backdrop of NBA players, attendees jumped into action and tipped off against their favorite NBA players while Tula Lotay’s live art experience made superstars leap from the page as she drew a new poster each day of the con.
Lotay’s work on titles such as Batman, Star Wars, Archie, and Tomb Raider has appeared across all of the major comic book publishers, and she also runs the renowned Thought Bubble Festival every November – the United Kingdom’s largest comic art festival.
It came as no surprise that fans of both comics and basketball gathered to watch her bring super-powered players of the NBA, including Steph Curry, Anthony Davis, Zion Williamson and Kawhi Leonard, to life in a dynamic display.
But where did all the work go once Lotay was complete? So glad you asked, because the other aspect of the activation allowed fans to show their skills in an NBA Tip-Off Challenge photo booth — and potentially win Lotay’s art.
Thousands of fans lined up for the daily opportunity to capture their very own mid-air tip-off photo while competing for the highest jump of the day. Their jump attempts to reach the hanging basketball on the replica NBA court were captured by a photo in front of a green screen, then animated into a GIF.
The energy was high as throngs of con-goers gathered to compete or cheer on participants. Among the competitors were Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, Freddy Krueger, and other cosplayers. There were likewise a few social media stars who came by and stuck around for a shot at the ball, including Harlem Globetrotter Mani Love. Additionally, influencers Josh Horton, Legendary Shots (Carson Stalnaker, and John Massey), Adam Kudeimati, Greg Fuller, Buster Scher, and Maxwell Pearce all jumped at the chance to tip off.
However, while many superheroes and notable names brought the style — and more importantly, the height — it was mere mortals who won each day of the con.
The first day, Thursday, saw a high jump record of 41” (Roland G.) with 36” (Olivier P.) rounding out the Top 5. Sunday was close behind with 37.2” (Dyland D.) being the highest leap of the day, but it was Friday’s impressive 42.2” peak from Ryan T. that held the title for the con.
Overall, there was a winning feel to the proceedings, no doubt aided by the fact that the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy was on display between Lotay and the tip-off photo booth. In addition to showing their own jumps and soaking up the daily artwork, fans posed for pics with the NBA trophy.
Check out our photos from the event to relive the action and experience the super powers activated when New York Comic Con, NBA, and Fandom connect. And don’t miss the NBA season tip-off on October 22 on TNT, ESPN, and NBA TV.
