Celebrities, Costumes and Comics, but real Comic-Con is about Friendships
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The lit-up yellow eyes peered out from under a cloak of brown-robed mystery. Her face was obscured by the hood, which a “real” Jawa used to hide their rodent-like appearance.
Despite the mysterious appearance Desiree Wolford was hardly out of place. That was just one of the costumes she’s worn over the years to the San Diego Comic-Con.
Wolford, who works in the Health and Human Services Agency’s Aging & Independence Services, has been attending Comic-Con since 2002. Her cubicle gets a lot of attention.
“It looks like a small kid lives here,” she said. “I get a lot of compliments.”
The 34-year-old describes herself as a huge kid.
“That’s why I like Comic-Con so much - It’s a great break from being an adult for a few days.”
One year she was Kaywinnet Lee “Kaylee” Frye from “Firefly,” one of her favorite TV shows. Last year, she was ahead of the trend, dressing as a steampunk version of Alice in Wonderland.
“Steampunk is the new movement,” said Wolford. “You take Victorian style and mix it with a futuristic style - think H.G. Wells and some older science fiction authors.
“But some years, I just throw on my most geeky t-shirt and head out the door.”
Wolford said even then you find yourself approached by fellow convention-goers.
“You can wear the most obscure t-shirt and think no one would know the reference and someone will,” she said. “They’ll come up and say, ‘I know what that t-shirt means.’”
Wolford is a fan of sci-fi in general with affection for things like “Star Wars” or aforementioned “Firefly.”
“I’m kind of a little everything,” she said. “But that’s the great thing about Comic-Con, there’s always something new to see.”
She’s had the chance to meet plenty of celebrities, but the other convention-goers are the real reason she attends every year.
“I’ve met most of the hobbits from “Lord of the Rings,” Mark Hamill and Billy Dee Williams from “Star Wars” and Nathan Fillion who is on “Castle” now,” Wolford said. “People go to Comic-Con to see the celebrities and costumes and buy comics, but in the end the whole reason they go is for the fandom and camaraderie.
“That’s why I go,” she added. “I’ve met some of my best friends through Comic-Con.”
It’s a friendship that continues year-round. Besides other fan-based conventions, Wolford and her friends do various outings throughout the year like trips to Disneyland, movie nights and bonfires.
“You get a bigger sense of friendship out of these people since they have a similar interest,” she said. “The friendships that come out of events like this are amazing.”
Wolford said every year you learn about new characters or products at Comic-Con and discover new shows or movies.
And even though she’s running out of space at home for her collections, she never knows when she might start a new one.
“I have a collection of ‘Star Wars’ action figures, a lot of ‘Firefly’ pictures and I’m also a big Disney fan with a small ‘Alice in Wonderland’ collection,” she said. “I’m trying to scale back though because I’m running out of space.
“But if anything strikes my fancy, I could start a new collection any day. Comic-Con is good for that.”