Comic-Con: This Year's Best Cosplay

Each July, some 130,000 fans from around the world descend on the San Diego Convention Center for four days of vendor exhibitions, celebrity appearances, sneak previews of new movies, cosplay, and just general all-around geeking out. Founded in 1970, Comic-Comic International has grown into one of the world's largest such festivals--a must-attend event for lovers of superheroes, science fiction, and fantasy. For photographer Angie Smith, attending Comic-Con for the first time, the spectacle felt overwhelming, yet welcoming. "There's a real community energy--you feel like you can walk up and talk to anyone," she says. "People were there for a lot of different reasons, but the main one was to meet other people, network with other people. Everyone talked about the connections they'd made in previous years, people they keep in touch with and see every year when they come back."