This Food Truck Is Serving 'Stranger Things' and 'Rick and Morty' Treats at New York Comic Con
Starting today, passionate geeks, devoted fans and pop culture enthusiasts will spend four days sampling the latest and greatest in comics, books, film, gaming, and TV at New York Comic Con. For yet another year, they'll also get a chance to try a selection of tasty geeky and pop-culture inspired foods, courtesy of Fandom Fest.
Organized by Fandom.com—the Wikia portal connecting fans to their fan communities—and held in and around the Jacob K. Javits Center, Fandom Fest offers an entire slate of programming for those itching to geek out. Part of that programming is its Fandom Food Truck (not to be confused with the general convention food trucks) which will be serving a specially crafted menu of snacks and desserts based on some of pop culture's most popular properties. As fans stop by Hall 3E, Booth 274, they can "nom" on treats inspired by Rick and Morty, The Walking Dead, Star Wars and Stranger Things.
That includes the Lucille Bat Pretzel, a salty snack based on Negan's infamous Walking Dead bat, the Upside Down Waffle, inspired by the Netflix hit Stranger Things, and the Porg in a Blanket, a Star Wars snack modeled after porgs (creatures from the upcoming Episode VIII). As the only food truck allowed on the NYCC show floor, con attendees lucky enough to get a ticket to the event can wash down those fantasy foods with the Pickle Rick Soda, a green soda pop inspired by Rick and Morty.
Each treat is sample-sized and this year the entire menu is vegetarian. According to Vanessa Ford, the Senior Manager for Events at Wikia, the idea for the menu came internally, from a group consisting of people from various parts of the company. Using their love for different fandoms and perspectives, they selected shows they believed would appeal to the most fans at NYCC.
"After we decided upon those fandoms, we took inspiration from iconic characters to develop creative interpretations for our foods," Ford said. "Presentation is equally important as taste. We designed our foods so that it is obvious in the final presentation that they embody their respective fandoms."
Designing food inspired by a fandom can be challenging, according to Ford, "but it's also very open to creative interpretation and fun." The food designs fans will see when they stop by the truck this weekend were the result of a collaboration between Ford and NYC-based caterer, Scoozi Events.
"They are super creative and have a naturally whimsical style, which makes them a great partner for our fantasy foods," Ford said. "We've worked with them for the past four years on our fantasy food treats for NYCC."
The Food Truck is very much capitalizing on a growing trend within the last decade. As fandom and geekery have become more mainstream, there's been a spike in the fandom food art scene. Molding your pop culture passion into something edible is a new way to show appreciation and to satisfy your hunger.
"It's another creative outlet for fans to express their love for their favorite fandoms," Ford said. "The foods can remind a fan of specific iconic characters, storylines, moments, and memories. People enjoy it incredibly whether it be in-person, via social media or even by recreating it at home."
While you can recreate plenty pop-culture edibles, don't expect to find this food anywhere else. Fandom is the only brand serving up free fantasy food and the entire menu will only be available during the con. Those interested in chowing down will be required to get a ticket at Booth 274, and can stop by the truck every day starting at 11 a.m. Quantities will be limited though and fans will only be able to enjoy these great food fantasies every other hour starting at 11 a.m. each day and ending at 4 p.m. on Thursday and Sunday, and 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.