Gallery: Comic-Con's Costumed Crusaders

: Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com SAN DIEGO -- Maybe they should call it Comic-Con Intergalactic. An astonishing number of people dress up like space aliens, superheroes and videogame characters when they attend Comic-Con International, the annual pop-culture convention that draws comics and sci-fi fans from around the globe. The elaborate costumes, many of them handmade, transform the fanboys and fangirls into their favorite pop-culture icons, at least for the day.

This year's Comic-Con sold out in advance, with organizers expecting 125,000 people to cram into the San Diego Convention Center through Sunday. Here are some of the more eye-catching costumes spotted at Comic-Con on Thursday. Name: Demir Oral Age: 23 Hometown: San Diego Times at Comic-Con: Nine Geekiest hobby: Making costumes What are you most excited about seeing at Comic-Con? Seeing all the imagination that goes into everything.

Day job: Web designer Dream job: Inventor Describe your costume and how you made it: It's something that I just made up throwing various items together. : Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com Name: Cathy Clark Age: 28 Hometown: Anaheim, California Times at Comic-Con: Seven Geekiest hobby: Attending Comic-Con! What are you most excited about seeing at Comic-Con? I just saw The Freakazoid panel, and I'm excited to see Mystery Science Theater 3000. Day job: Designer Dream job: Artist Describe your costume and how you made it: It's Steampunk, based on an illustration that I did.

I had my friend sew it for me. : Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com Name: Amanda Raymond Age: 29 Hometown: Santa Clarita, California Times at Comic-Con: Four Geekiest hobby: Costuming and watching Darkwing Duck. What are you most excited about seeing at Comic-Con? The Disney panels.

Day job: Production secretary Dream job: Producer Describe your costume and how you made it: I'm Mrs. Incredible, and she can stretch! I commissioned a seamstress to make it. : Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com Name: Zachary Lytle Age: 21 Hometown: Chico, California Times at Comic-Con: One Geekiest hobby: I build combat robots.

I'm actually the three-time world champion of RoboGames. What are you most excited about seeing at Comic-Con? The Transformers display. Day job: Machinist Dream job: Robotics engineer Describe your costume and how you made it: I'm Link from Zelda .

All my equipment is real metal -- 80 pounds of steel, bows, arrows and a 12-pound sword. : Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com Name: Diana Tarlson Age: 23 Hometown: Chico, California Times at Comic-Con: One Geekiest hobby: Collecting Disney movies. My favorite is Sleeping Beauty.

What are you most excited about seeing at Comic-Con? Tiny Toon Adventures and Freakazoid -- it's the most-anticipated new cartoon. Day job: I work at Jo-Ann Fabrics. Dream job: To work in a machine shop.

Describe your costume and how you made it: I'm Kid Icarus. The two daggers that click together are what he's most known for. I sowed feather boas, cut felt and pinned up the tunic myself.

I crafted the entire thing by hand. : Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com Names: Nick Evans, Jason Sunday and Kyle Sunday (clockwise from top left) Ages: 20, 21 and 19, respectively. Hometowns: Orange, California; Portland, Oregon; and Ashland, Oregon Times at Comic-Con: One Geekiest hobby: We love Star Wars .

It's at the top, but nothing is off-limits -- Jason What are you most excited about seeing at Comic-Con? The Watchmen movie, I'm a big fan of the book -- Nick Day job: Students Dream jobs: Lawyer (Nick), computer technology (Jason) and chef (Kyle) Describe your costumes and how you made them: Cyclops, Gambit and Professor X based on the '90s classic X-Men . We just bought different pieces and put them together. I had to get my glasses on the internet.

-- Nick : Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com Name: Tom Paige Age: 38 Hometown: Los Angeles Times at Comic-Con: Two Geekiest hobby: Music, especially hard-core heavy-metal comedy. What are you most excited about seeing at Comic-Con? Seeing hot chicks in spandex. Day job: I'm a facilities manager in the motion-picture industry.

Dream job: Musician Describe your costume and how you made it: I'm wearing a really gay, royal blue, spandex rocker costume that is a combo of wrestling and music. I pieced it together from dance clothing. : Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com Name: Christian Benavides Age: 14 Hometown: Houston Times at Comic-Con: One Geekiest hobby: Dressing up as the Joker and making costumes.

What are you most excited about seeing at Comic-Con? I want to meet Stan Lee, maybe meet someone from the Watchmen and see the Punisher panel. Day job: Student Dream job: Movie director Describe your costume and how you made it: I'm Joker dressed as a nurse from the new Batman movie. I stitched it together myself.

: Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com Name: Raymundo Benavides Age: 25 Hometown: Houston Times at Comic-Con: One Geekiest hobby: Watching movie trailers. What are you most excited about seeing at Comic-Con? I want to see Stan Lee and probably Kevin Smith. He's speaking at the Scream Like a Girl contest.

Day job: Cable guy Dream job: Movie director Describe your costume and how you made it: I'm Tommy, the Green Ranger from the original Power Rangers. I bought the majority of it, and my girlfriend made the rest. : Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com Name: Jonathan Corpuz Age: 26 Hometown: San Diego Times at Comic-Con: 15 Geekiest hobby: I'm a videogame nut.

Action, RPGs, everything. I was raised on videogames. What are you most excited about seeing at Comic-Con? I'm a big Lost fan.

Basically I want to see the entire Saturday TV slate. Day job: Photographer Dream job: Videogame designer Describe your costume and how you made it: I'm the original 8-bit Super Mario. I'm even carrying around a plunger.

This is a Halloween costume from last year, and I made the star myself.. Fri Jul 2008 02:07 (5 months, 2 weeks ago)