I love comic conventions.
As San Diego Comic-Con returns for its first major in-person event since Covid-19, I want to say how grateful I am these events simply exist. While the Californian gathering is considered the most popular of its kind, as it's one of the oldest, there are plenty of other variations that take place around the world.
Colourful cosplay, celebrity meet-and-greets and charming artisan stalls are just some of the reasons why I enjoy them. However, it wasn’t until I began attending some myself that I started to understand just how much of a haven they can be for some people.
Scroll through the gallery above to see images from Middle East Film and Comic Con 2022
The first time I went to such an event I went as any other fan, joining the crowds at the Boston Comic Con in 2013. While I’d always wanted to go, the idea of showing up alone felt daunting at the time, especially since they're normally attended by groups of friends or families.
However, I was offered free tickets and had the day off work, so it seemed like a good time to just do it. I quickly learnt whether you're there by yourself or not, it's easy to make a new friend or two. In the end, everyone is there to share the same pop culture experience, without judgement. It's all about having fun and finding like-minded people.
A few years later, now as a journalist, I attended WrestleMania Axxess during WrestleMania 35 weekend at Pier 12 in Brooklyn, New York, in 2019. Although it doesn’t officially have the word “comic con” in it, it’s the same type of affair — a convention for fans to come together to celebrate the thing they love most. In this case, professional wrestling.
As WWE’s biggest weekend, it wasn’t surprising to see the amount of fans who cosplayed as their favourite wrestler. Even though there were long lines for meet-and-greets, they moved fast and plenty of people were left with huge smiles on their faces. During one of the days I was there, I needed somewhere to sit and made a new friend as we bonded over the weekend's festivities. We still follow each other on Instagram to this day.
Throughout the four-day event, I also met fans from China, Japan, Finland and Kuwait, who were enjoying themselves. Even if we didn't speak the same language, we were there for the same reasons and proudly unabashed about it.
In March, I went to my first Middle East Film and Comic Con in March when it was hosted in Abu Dhabi. This time, I attended as both a journalist and a fan. It felt a little bit like stepping into a different world. The moment I got out of my car, I saw people dressed up, cosplaying as their favourite video game, anime or movie character.
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A woman in cosplay poses with Batman at the Middle East Film & Comic Con 2022 in Abu Dhabi. All photos by Antonie Robertson / The National, unless specified otherwise -
The judging panel of the cosplay competition. -
A woman in cosplay performs on stage. -
A cosplayer with a horse head mask. -
The audience turned out in full force to watch the cosplay competition. -
A cosplayer as the Marvel superhero Iron Man. -
Symbiote x Chainsaw Man. -
A young girl participates in the cosplay competition. -
The event took place at the MEFCC Mainstage, which is outdoors. -
A girl cosplays as DC superhero Wonder Woman. -
The judging panel featured regional and international cosplayers. -
Even though not everyone entered the competition, there was still plenty of cosplay on display on day two of the Middle East Film & Comic Con. -
A cosplayer in a menacing outfit. -
The children who competed in the Kids Cosplay competition were all winners and received swag bags. -
Sylar Serag, as Bazelgeuse Armor from 'Monster Hunter', won first place in the Best Craftsmanship category. Photo: Middle East Film and Comic Con -
Ashwani Kapoor as Samurai Vegito Blue from 'Dragon Ball Z' took second place in Best Craftsmanship. Photo: Middle East Film and Comic Con -
Mohamed Farahat as Banbaro from 'Monster Hunter World' took third place in Best Craftsmanship. Photo: Middle East Film and Comic Con -
Sabie Cipriani as Nico Yazawa from 'Long Live! School Idol Project' was first in Best Performance on Stage. Photo: Middle East Film and Comic Con -
Mohammed Hasan, who goes by the cosplay name Themed Injection, won third place for Best Performance on Stage as Heath Ledger’s The Joker. Photo: Middle East Film and Comic Con
I was able to interview celebrities such as Ming-Na Wen and Charles Martinet, the voice of Mario. While it could, at times, feel overwhelming with how many people were there, it was also a reminder I wasn't alone in my appreciation of pop culture — whether it was for video games, animation or something else entirely.
Being backstage also gave me a new respect for how hard it is to host and plan such an event. Behind the glitz of celebrity appearances and new trailer reveals, it brings people together who share common interests in a safe space while also allowing for a much-needed break from reality, which is something we can all probably agree we've needed the past couple of years.
Welcome back, San Diego. You have been missed.
Scroll through the gallery below to see the best cosplay looks from New York Comic Con 2021
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Couples dressed as Wanda Maximoff and Vision meet during the 2021 New York Comic Con at the Jacob K Javits Convention Centre in New York. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
Attendees dressed as characters from 'Squid Game' pose during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
Cosplayers dressed as characters from the 'BioShock' video game during the New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
An attendee dressed as a character from 'Planet of the Apes' at New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
A Predator cosplayer during the New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
Attendees dressed as wrestlers Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior pose during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
Cosplayers dressed as Gollum and Frodo Baggins from 'The Lord of the Rings' at the New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
An attendee dressed as Michael Myers poses at the New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
Cosplayers as video game characters Luigi and Mario pose during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
People dressed as video game characters Luigi, left, Mario, Princess Peach and Wario pose during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
A steampunk Batman poses at the New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
A Spider-Man gathering during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
A costumed attendee poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
An Annihilus cosplayer poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
An attendee dressed as Boba Fest Chicken at New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
A cosplayer as Kylo Ren poses during the New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
An attendee dressed as Beetlejuice poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
A Spider-Man cosplayer poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
An attendee dressed as Ghost Rider poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
A Hawkgirl cosplayer poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
An attendee dressed as Thor poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
A Jedi convention at New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
A costumed attendee poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
A costumed attendee poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
An attendee dressed as a character from 'Dragonball Z' poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
A cosplayer as Junko Enoshima from 'Danganronpa' poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
A young attendee dressed as Wolverine poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
An attendee dressed as a character from 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
Cosplayers dressed as Bert and Ernie from 'Sesame Street' pose during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
An attendee dressed as the Mandalorian poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
A Jedi shows off his lightsaber skills during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
An attendee dressed as Lionel Richie on his 1982 album cover poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
A costumed attendee poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
A Thor cosplayer poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
Fabian Pulgar dons the mask to his Carnage costume at the New York Comic Con. Seth Wenig / AP Photo -
A woman in a mushroom costume rides an escalator at New York Comic Con. Seth Wenig / AP Photo -
A cosplayer attends the first day of the New York Comic Con. Timothy A Clary / AFP -
A person in a shark costume walks though New York Comic Con. Seth Wenig / AP Photo -
Attendees dressed as Edward Scissorhands and a bush pose during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
An attendee dressed as a Ghostbuster poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
Cosplayers as Thor, left, and Loki pose during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
An attendee dressed as Cousin Itt from 'The Addams Family' poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
Cosplayers as Bane, left, and Poison Ivy pose during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
A costumed attendee poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
Attendees dressed as Jawas from 'Star Wars' pose during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
A Wonder Woman cosplayer poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
A Harley Quinn cosplayer poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
A Joker cosplayer poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
An attendee dressed as Wanda Maximoff poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP -
A man cosplays as Captain America at the New York Comic Con. Brendan McDermid / Reuters -
A woman cosplays as Carmen Sandiego at New York Comic Con. Timothy A Clary / AFP -
An attendee cosplaying as Deadpool arrives at New York Comic Con. Timothy A Clary / AFP -
George Solages, left, and Judi Haniff of New York pose in costumes from the movie 'Saw' at New York Comic Con. Justin Lane / EPA -
Gavin, 13, left, and his dad Joe, of New York, cosplay as Rick and Morty at New York Comic Con. Justin Lane / EPA -
Tommy Perea, left, and Brian Talledo, right, of New Jersey, cosplay as ShyGuys from the Mario Bros video game franchise at New York Comic Con. Justin Lane / EPA -
John Hara, of New York, cosplays as a Vault Dweller from 'Fallout' at New York Comic Con. Justin Lane / EPA -
Gene Bonsanti of Staten Island, New York, cosplays as the character Guts from the manga series 'Berserk' at New York Comic Con. Justin Lane / EPA -
Attendees cosplay as the Joker and Harley Quinn at New York Comic Con. Timothy A Clary / AFP -
An attendee cosplays as Michael Myers at New York Comic Con. Timothy A Clary / AFP -
Attendees cosplay as members of 'Money Heist' at New York Comic Con. Timothy A Clary / AFP -
A costumed attendee poses during New York Comic Con. Charles Sykes / Invision / AP
