Comic-Con is a yearly pilgrimage for fans of fantasy, anime, comics, and other arts. Out of the over 30 conventions held around the United States, the biggest is always in San Diego.
From July 20th to the 23rd, the San Diego Convention Center will get a dose of elaborate costumes and Fanspeak. Last year, over 135,000 people attended Comic Can, which is on par with the overall increase the event has seen since the 70s. Originally, the convention mainly showcased comic books and sci-fi related materials but has since added more popular culture to the mix.
Some notable guests and events at this years event include a Battlestar Galactica reunion, a first look at the upcoming eighth season of The Walking Dead, Wonder Woman‘s Gal Gadot, and the iconic Stan Lee.
And yet it’s the attendees who get most of the praise for their elaborate costumes, also known as cosplay, which fans can spend hours to months making in advance. One memorable attendee at the New York Comic-Con in 2015 was Tom DePetrillo. He spent 10 months on his HulkBuster costume, which had an aluminum frame and is made of EVA foam and cardboard. All together it made him 9 ft. 6 in. tall.
For those of us unable to attend, click through the gallery above to get a bit of the experience and wonder that is the San Diego Comic-Con. We will update the gallery as the event proceeds.