Senior anime club member Jake Kania, who has previously attended the convention, said: “It’s fun to see all of the people so enthusiastic about everything there, and they have a lot of merchandise that’s exclusive to Comic Con…. It isn’t an anime convention per se because it really caters to the entertainment industry. They have comic books, of course, but they also have live action TV shows like The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, American Horror Story and things along those lines.”

The NYCC started in 2006 with just 15,000 attendees and has ballooned to 150,000 guests from all over the world, according to cbsnews.com.

This year, there were appearances from high-profile celebrities, such as George Clooney, Hulk Hogan, Patrick Stewart and Lucy Lawless. In addition, there was a large art gallery, a comic display and an exhibit revealing new video games.

Senior Liam Datwani, who is responsible for graphics and design in Hi’s Eye, attended this year’s convention. He said: “I loved the cosplay this year, which is when people dressed up as their favorite characters. It was so cool to see in real life.”

Kania added: “The best part was seeing older people dressed as comic book characters…. It was actually really funny.”

Said Datwani: “It’s a place where you can be who you are without being judged. Comic Con is an absolutely amazing event. If you love anything geeky, you have to go next year.”

The next NYCC will take place Oct. 8–11, 2015 at the Javits Center.