For a look at Comic Con in photos, see the photo gallery at the end of the story, from Elias Born and Nico Ortega for The Criterion.

Dozens of booths, selling stickers, merchandise and comics filled the Two Rivers Convention Center, marking Mesa County Libraries’ annual Comic Con on Oct. 12.

Fan meetups, featuring spaces for Harry Potter, My Hero Academia, Star Wars and more gave a space for the community to discuss their favorite series.

“This is our first time at the Mesa County Comic Con, so we didn’t know what to expect, and it’s been terrific,” vendor àyA Studios member Kevin Butcher said. “Everyone here is so friendly, and they’re so excited to be here, it’s really cool.”

They’ve been to 13 Comic Cons this year, with another three scheduled. àyA is the Lakota word for change.

àyA Studios’ flagship series is called Pilla. “She’s a nine year old girl who gets separated from her father in a post-apocalyptic Denver where evolution has gone berserk, and we’re now at the bottom of the food chain,” Butcher said. “[She’s] trying to remember all of the lessons that her father was teaching her when she was just trying to be a kid.”

Comic Con had a Kids, Teen and Adult & Group Cosplay Contest, with costumes being presented onstage to a panel of judges.

The Kannah Room of the Convention Center housed the special presentations for the day, with Nathan Herald presenting on Manga for Gaijin, J.G Bonner presenting on Quidditch for Muggles, a Star Wars Cosplay Empire with the 501st Legion and representatives from the Colorado Academy of Cosplay on Cosplay as Artform & Lifestyle.

Community member Sam Farley dressed as Winnie-the-Pooh, and was on a journey to find Christopher Robin. “Oh I don’t know, I can’t find him. I’ve been looking everywhere for him,” Farley said when asked about where Christopher Robin was. “Oh bother, I’ve got to think, think, think about where he is.”

Farley showed the side of cosplay accessible to those looking for a less elaborate costume. His cost $21. “It’s my third Comic Con [total]. It’s awesome, I love it. The best part is the costumes. It’s just amazing how many people just come here and be themselves, be the nerdy selves they are.”

Mai Fujimiya, part of the Destiny Cosplay booth, showed the side of those who cosplay more as a profession. “What happens is that a lot of people are intimidated at first when they look up pictures. But what it goes into is deconstructing,” Fujimiya said. “To break it down and see what shapes form [. . .] like a sleeve, or a tunic top.”

Fujimiya cosplayed as Yennefer from The Witcher 3.

“What also goes into it is a lot of passion, like how much you love the character. If you’re in a rush [. . .] it’ll show. What we do, we take our time. This one [. . .] took 500 hours. Even the little bells hanging there are hand sewn on,” Fujimiya said. “Sometimes some trial and error on different techniques, or different materials to get what you need goes into it. It’s a lot of patience, dedication, passion, that drive is what really gets us.”

Dungeons & Dragons, Fallout, Naruto, Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Stranger Things, Warhammer, Harry Potter and My Hero Academia, just to name a few fanbases represented. Community members dressed for the occasion, and posters, stickers and comics showed off dozens of franchises.

Mesa County Libraries is already looking to the 2020 Comic Con, and it promises to keep growing, as it has attracted over 5,000 attendees and community members and counting.