Comic fans of all ages converge for New York Comic Con
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York Comic Con is taking over the city as thousands of die-hard fans converge on the Jacob Javits Center on the West Side of Manhattan to meet movie and TV stars, greet artists and snap up the latest comics, books, toys and other goodies.
There are signs at the venue urging fans to "please help prevent gridlock," and the warning is warranted. Seeing so many people in costume, one might conclude Halloween had come early this year. But for attendees, Comic Con is more like Christmas.
Third-grader Parker Devine and his sister Samantha are missing a day of school -- with their parents approval.
"You get to have a fun family trip," he said. "To something you love."
WATCH: Backstage LIVE at New York Comic Con
There is an opportunity to buy all sorts of merchandise at the convention, and while some of the stuff is pretty pricey, you don't necessarily have to pay to play.
Comic Con is a community of like-minded people geeking out over random things, but it's a lot of fun for those who look forward to visiting each and every year.
The guy in charge is a comic book fan by the name of Mike Armstrong, who gave us a tour of the showroom floor.
"To a lot of the fans here, those are the rock stars," he said. "They're the celebrities, so they want to go meet the person who drew their favorite issue of Batman."
New York Comic Con runs through Sunday, October 7, and roughly a quarter million people are expected to attend. That's double the amount of fans who turned out just four years ago.
For more information, visit NewYorkComicCon.com.
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