Amidst all of the ever-changing panels, presentations and special guests year over year at Comic-Con, the only element that remains constant and ever-present is the slew of dedicated, junk-food-fueled fans that attend.

As mentioned in a previous blog, I consider myself to be a pretty big fan of all things sci-fi, fantasy and horror. I’ve got original posters for films such as Empire of the Ants, The Dark Crystal, The Evil Dead (signed by Bruce Campbell!), John Carpenter’s The Thing (signed by John Carpenter!), etc. I even have copies of the film 12 Monkeys on every format it was released, including both laserdisc versions. When visiting conventions, I make it a point to wear shirts with fake companies from films, such as OCP (the Robocop franchise), Cyberdyne Systems (the Terminator franchise) and Weyland Industries (the Alien franchise). I could mention much more, but it’s probably best to stop there.

And despite all of this, my fanboy love is nothing compared to the mass quantities of fanatics that trek to San Diego every year for Comic-Con.

Try to think of the best places one could go to do some serious people watching. There are malls, theatres, sporting events, big cities, amusement parks, etc. Now, multiply the amusement and fascination one could gather from watching people at these places by one hundred, and it still wouldn’t quite equal the awesomeness that is San Diego Comic-Con. And that’s not a slight. It’s a testament to the uniqueness and fascinating nature of the attendees.

Bumblebee

What is it that makes the Comic-Con crowd so unique, you may ask? It’s their intense and deep dedication to what they love, manifested in the form of detailed costumes, energetic nature and heated debates on anything and everything related to their passion.

Walking anywhere in or around the convention center during Comic-Con offers a feast for the eyes of anyone wanting to see some of the most creative costumes this side of October 31. If there’s a film, comic or video game that’s sci-fi, horror or fantasy related, someone attending Comic-Con has turned an element of it into a costume. From well known characters such as Jack Sparrow and Batman, to less popular roles like the cenobite Chatterer from Hellraiser, Comic-Con attendees have all bases covered.

I remember going into a nostalgic frenzy when I came across a guy dressed as Trap-Jaw from the classic 1980’s animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. The detail put into bringing that character to physical form was amazing!

Trap Jaw

One of my favorite fan-related memories was during one of my first years at the con. I was sitting in the back, outside area of the convention center, munching on a decent size portion of nachos and slurping on a Coke. When, out of nowhere, one of the greatest live choreographed sword fights I’ve ever seen broke out!

Two fans dressed as pirates, no doubt influenced by the recently released Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, were chasing each other up and down a set of stairs, all while swinging and making contact with each others mock-up swords. Many a grunt and “Argh” where had during the account, as the two continued to slash and dodge. The duel lasted for close to three minutes, until the two participants conceded that the other was their equal in battle.

It was a blast to behold! Moments such as this are what make San Diego Comic-Con a truly unique beast. And the convention organizers are well aware of this.

Every year, the organizers hold what has become a Comic-Con staple, the Masquerade. It’s a time for fans who have registered to get on a stage in front of thousands of their Comic-Con brethren and display their creativity and dedication. Those on stage show off their carefully crafted costumes and, sometimes, perform reenactments of some of their favorite moments from films, comics and games.

The last year I attended, a group actually played out a scene from Flash Gordon! (See my previous blog to get a better understanding of why that is so fantastic in my mind).

When the stage is taken, and all the creativity in a person’s being is put out on display for an audience of their peers to see, the room almost always seems to explode with extreme gratitude in the form of excited applause and hollering. It’s easy to lose yourself in the many moments the Masquerade tends to produce.

When one breaks down what makes Comic-Con the special event it has become, there are several elements that can be taken away without affecting the overall convention. However, without the dedication, love and fanaticism of those in attendance, Comic-Con would have no real essence, and would have fizzled into obscurity instead of becoming one of the most talked about and anticipated events of the year.

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