As I walked through the doors of the New Orleans Convention Center, I had no idea what to expect of the world of Comic Con.  Of course, I’d heard the fantastical myths and legends of sweaty comic book boys and dangerously attractive cosplaying girls, but I’d never truly believed the hype.  I mean, in the end, it’s just a bunch of people talking about comic books and movies in a large setting (and a few of those people just happen to be dressed as superheroes and villains), right?
Wrong.
Comic Con is an entirely different beast.  Think back to every obsession you’ve ever had with anything, find hundreds of people who like the exact same thing, and get together in a city that’s already pretty strange to begin with.  Now multiply that feeling times a thousand.  What you have is comic con.
While the first day of “the con” (as I’ve been told regulars like to call it) was less than packed with fans, it was still very engaging.  I sat in on a panel about using comic books in academia (I’ve heard of a few English classes at LSU using “Maus,” but not much more than that) and attended a viewing of short films, almost all of which were made in Louisiana (think indie Hollywood South). 
But probably the best experience I had today was just walking around and watching people. It may sound a tad creepy, but at Comic Con, I feel that this is an integral part of the whole expo.  There were people dressed up as nearly anything you could imagine (and some that you probably couldn’t even dream of) walking around like nothing was out of the ordinary.  I saw Ghostbusters, a stormtrooper, Princess Peach, you name it.  And while seeing pictures of these characters on the internet is cool, it’s nothing compared to seeing a real live person dressed up.
I’m very excited to see what tomorrow has in store.