Australian comic book, cosplay and pop-culture fans have taken over a Sydney showground for this year's Comic-Con festival. It's a day marked in calendars well in advance with 30,000 people showing off their character costumes.

Council of the City of Sydney

Sydney Comic Con attracted thousands of fans, many of whom spent weeks perfecting their cosplay costumes. The event featured a diverse range of characters, from classic comic book heroes to newer figures from popular media, with participants highlighting the significant time and effort invested in their creations.

Exhibitors, artists, and cartoonists were present, offering sketches and sharing insights into their creative processes. Attendees described the convention as a welcoming space for both newcomers and seasoned fans to connect over shared interests. Organisers noted that the event is nearing the end of its national tour, with a special Christmas edition planned for Melbourne.

Large turnout for Oz Comic-Con festival

It's a chance for characters to come to life. Fans proving the sky's the limit at Comic-Con. Thousands working away for weeks on their cosplays, ensuring every final detail is perfect. A long time and a lot of effort and a lot of hours sitting in a garage. It was entirely worth it. You say 100-plus hours each? Yeah, it's usually when it wins your first time doing something, it usually takes that long. But don't worry, if you're not crafty, just find a friend who is. I did most of it, 95% me. Characters ranging from comic book classics... What's it like being a hero for a day? It's good fun, but I think we're heroes every day, aren't we? I'm sure we are. ..to newer faces on our screens. The Medina came out, we were con crunching for the first convention we went to and then we were like, we can improve this, we can make this better. So we worked really hard to do all these, like, tiny little details on the jackets. Others using the Force to strike a pose. Around the corner, exhibitors galore. Artists and cartoonists bring the studio to you. A lot of sketches that we've done at conventions like this end up being characters and animations that we end up making later. Whether you're a seasoned convention goer or it's your first time, there's something for everyone. You've just got to be bold enough to get involved. It's one of the few places that if you're into cosplay or if you're into this, you know, deep in the pop culture world that you can come and connect with people who share your passion. A passion that fans have found a community in. Multiple fandoms, nerds and all people just come together. I have both met so many friends here and connect with so many friends through this hobby. The pros also thrilled to see their passions taking off. It makes me feel like all of the hard work that I've put into my cosplay is validated and people are seeing what I'm doing and they're like, you know what, keep going. You work on animation, you're kind of in your own little bubble for a really long time, so being able to come to a show and see how much it resonates with them is really awesome. After this weekend, the event's national tour starts to wrap up, but not before a special Christmas edition in Melbourne this December. Phoebe Murray, 10 News.

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