FANTASY ISLAND
Comic Con heroes in droves
WELL, IT’S all geek to them.
A record-breaking number of Spider-Men, Wonder Women and preteen titans crammed in to the Javits Center for the four-day New York Comic Con — many of them in their costumed finest.
Organizers expect the attendance to surpass 150,000 by the time the convention wraps up on Sunday. “It’s the worst day to wear body paint in the rain,” Susan Li, 29, who was covered head-to-toe in pink as X-Men superhero Blink, said Saturday.
“But when you have some hardcore fan recognize you as your character, that makes the two hours of painting yourself worth it.”
“It allows me to be who I am inside” Cici James, 30, who owns her own sci-fi bookstore, Singularity, in Brooklyn, said of the chance to dress up in her very form-fitting costume.
Queens resident Julian Keller, 22, spent more than 200 hours with his father to create the perfect General Zod costume, which would have made Superman do a doubletake.
Joanna Miranda, 22, had an interesting walk to Javits in her costume as a severely wounded Wonder Woman.
“You get lots of looks,” said the LIU student through her bloody makeup. “Some people will look worried and come up and ask meif Iam OK.”
Even the geek-culture celebrities on hand were shocked by the turnout.
“I wondered what the draw was that brought thousands and thousands of people and after much reflection it dawned on me that it was because of me,” deadpanned “Star Trek: The Next Generation” vet Brent Spiner. “And I am humbled by it.” New York Comic Con has come a long way in its first nine years, hurtling toward the size of San Diego Comic Con, which began in 1970 and now draws a quarter-million attendees over four days by bringing in major movie stars to promote their sci-fi and superhero movies.
The upstart didn’t do so badly this year: George Clooney surprised the audience during a Thursday panel and cast members from shows like “Gotham,” “The Walking Dead” and “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” made the pilgrimage.
Hanari Solomon, 21, traveled from Florida to show off her elaborate blue-skinned, fourarmed getup based on an obscure character from a Cartoon Network show.
Though she was getting plenty of ogling from the guys in the crowd, Solomon said she dresses up to see the wide-eyed wonder from the kids.
“Society tells them that they have to be professional when they grow up,” said Solomon. “I’m here in my blue body paint to tell them, ‘No, you do not.’ ”