Good news, Pokéfans. If you missed BALLS The Monster-Catchin’ Musical Comédy last year, it’s going to be put on stage again! This time, it’ll be part of New York Comic Con’s after-hours event schedule, with a one-night interactive screening on Saturday, October 10. The event will premiere the production’s so-called “leaked bootleg” before the filmed musical receives a free worldwide release on YouTube later that month. Brandon Zelman and Harrison Bryan’s effort has been hailed as Avenue Q for Pokémon enthusiasts, while other outlets have called it a must-see. As a parody, its joy and humour say it all.
The show follows an ambitious young monster catcher on a journey involving friendship, competition and presumably a few uncomfortable questions about making creatures fight for personal glory.
The “bootleg” stars Stuart Zagnit, best known to Pokémon fans as the original English voice of Professor Oak. Rather than being a conventional movie remake, the release captures the musical’s 2025 stage production and expands it with new animations, additional footage and hundreds of special features. The fact that anyone can catch it from anywhere shows why this franchise has become what it is. At the panel titled “World Premiere! The Leaked Bootleg,” Professor Oak himself will introduce it!
Attendees can also collect NYCC-exclusive trading cards because no monster-catching parody would be complete without something else to collect. Last year’s panel was moderated by Veronica Taylor, the original English voice of Ash Ketchum, and featured teasers from the show. This year, even more is being offered alongside the video cut. The panel will take place at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 10, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. New York Comic Con runs from October 8 to 11 and celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2026.
Afterwards, those who cannot make it won’t have to globe-trot very far. The official bootleg will make its free YouTube debut on Sunday, October 25.
Tickets and convention information are available through the official New York Comic Con website. For the latest updates, please subscribe to the official BALLS YouTube channel ahead of the premiere.
BALLS The Monster-Catchin’ Musical Trailer
