the Land of Joy and Sorrow: Comic-Con: Be Your Own Superhero!

Last Friday, Troy and I attended our very first San Diego Comic-Con and had the best, most amazing time, while surrounded by all sorts of boisterous, good-natured craziness! And when I say "craziness", I mean serious, honest-to-Gods-and-Monsters, no-facepaint-barred insanity!

In addition to attending the convention's many panels (and there were MANY: anything from the discussions titled Steampunk 101 and U.S. Pop Culture Abroad, to lectures focusing on the Comic Theory, to seminars on designing beautiful covers for graphic novels, to workshops on proper pitching etiquette or creating your own super hero, to the two seriously awesome show-and-tell panels by Maxwell Alexander Drake, who treated his audience to the detailed anatomy of a guts-gore-and-adrenaline fight scene!), in addition to marveling at the busting creativity of the artists' alley or drooling/swooning at the equally creative setup of the vendors' booths (I see, therefore I want!), Comic-Con is all about people-watching.

People-watching, or rather people-gawking was the most satisfying, fun-filled experience the event offered. I mean, where else would you find thousands upon thousands of grown ups dressed in spandex jumpsuits and steampunk goggles, outfitted in futuristic helmets and laced up in elaborate Victorian corsets, sporting deadly crossbows and flouncy, lacey petticoats, sometimes all of these simultaneously? Where else would you see noble elves and scythe-wielding demons, sleek, silver-faced robots and scowling comic book villains, gorgeous warrior maidens and desiccated, battered zombies strolling side by side, all equally dazed by the sheer amount of things to see? Where else people can dress as their favorite superheroes, beloved video game characters, action movie heroes, literary inspirations, or crime-fighting alter-egos, and not only look perfectly sane, but actually fit in?

The event was great fun! A colorful playground for the lovers of comic books, anime, fantasy, science-fiction, video-games, horror, cartoons and everything in-between. Everyone joined in the spirit. Everyone dressed up! We saw Mad Hatters and Wonder Women, biker bulldog and Storm Troopers of varying ages and genders, Jules Vernian divas and auburn-furred wolves, we even found Waldo!

Here are some of the amazing, creative costumes, Troy and I had spied in the hallways, on the pavilions' floors and by the streetside teaming with creatures!