This year's annual New York City comic book and pop culture convention, dubbed Comic Con, had a record attendance of 180,000 people from all over the country. Comic Con is famous for being an event where attendees pull out all the stops to create the best costume from comics, movies, etc., but in the wee hours of the morning, there are few attendees who come in costume. Many swarm the doors just to be the first to get in.

When it comes to pop culture, there are few events that come as close to being a hub. Comic Con is a place where new TV is unveiled, comic books can be bought en masse, products from popular series can be bought and bidded on, and you can see behind the scenes as to what is coming out next. A comic book fan can meet the authors of their favorite books and series and can even get them signed, which can be an amazing experience. Stan Lee himself was in attendance, making this year's Comic Con his last publicized appearance and offering autographs and pictures. Stan Lee IS comic book royalty, so his last appearance is significant.

One popular area highlighted the highly anticipated movie, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them". There, people could see and pose with actual costumes the actors used in the movie. People also had the opportunity to be in front of a green screen and create the image of casting one of three spells. Not only does this generate some sheer excitement for the movie, but it promises to be an awesome piece of movie history.

There is a lot of shopping to be done, but the various panels are the jewels of the convention. Whether the topic is about the more technical aspects of making a comic book or movie, or Q & A with favorite actors and actresses, Comic Con panels are awesome.

Take the panel lineup for the STARZ show "Ash Vs. the Evil Dead" with Ted Raimi, Lucy Lawless, Bruce Campbell, Ray Santiago, Lee Majors, Michelle Hurd, and Dana DeLorenzo. For anyone who remembers and was a fan of the cult hit, fan-favorite show Xena: Warrior Princess, Lucy Lawless is Xena, Ted Raimi is Joxer, and Bruce Campbell is Autolycus. Being in their presence is like being among the kings and queens of the 90's. After all, it was shows like Xena that set the stage for the popular action-hero shows of today. The panel discussion itself was quite playful. Campbell was basically giving and taking $10 bills like he was placing bets. Raimi with his old-school American radio voice was encouraging Santiago and DeLorenzo to make out on stage, and Lawless was demure as she directed fan question traffic like a crossing guard in Brooklyn with a giant foam finger (yes, she did "the yell"), and overall, it was like a party. The panel said that Ash Vs. The Evil Dead is actually a very technical show to film and that it is important for fans to show their appreciation so they can keep it going. After showing a teaser to a season 2 episode with great shtick, action, sex humor, and a great supernatural element, it doesn't seem like keeping the show going will be a problem.

It is not just comics that Comic Con highlights; Neil Degrasse Tyson's show "StarTalk" on the National Geographic channel came from an idea about how to market science to those who like science, those don't know they like science, and those who don't like science. Tyson spoke about the different guests who have come on the show, and also gave the audience his way of embracing the inner geek and how science melds with it. Not many people can calculate the weight of Thor's hammer when it is unable to be lifted (the equivalent of 30 billion African elephants. It is around 41 lb. when it CAN be lifted).

If a person is trying to create their own comic book, film, or get into the industry, there are panels for budding illustrators, writers, and colorists. The colorist panel on Thursday was very technical, and full of advice. In the the world of colorists, the basics are the foundation. It is important to know how to work with color schemes and to be creative and inventive. They advised that a good colorist should try to create their own lettering as a way to develop themselves, and the best way to break into the industry is to volunteer and showcase in any exhibition they can. When prompted about what the role of a colorist is, the panel said that their role is to create the scene that tells a clear story and for it to be the best story that can be told. They also have to preserve the legacy of the comic they are working on. To a colorist, quality is key.

You can't have a discussion of comics without talking about diversity in comics, and you can't talk about diversity in comics without discussing prejudice and politics. The X-Men were supposed to represent several outcast groups: Blacks, Jews, Mormons, ethnics, any group that was/is considered "Other". The panel said that part of the reason "The Other" is discussed in comics is to basically undo the "'Americanizing' of America" (think Trump). Writers are supposed to tell stories about what is going on in the world, and at the inception of the X-Men comics, it was controversial to have mixed couples and gay people; in fact, gays were censored out of comics. Now, it is considered uneventful to writers when they have a character come out, which speaks to how prejudice in comics and comic depiction is lessening. However, there was an occurrence that discussed the nature of portrayal, and the reality of the actual. A man of Romanian descent went to the microphone to speak to the positive portrayal of Romani gypsies in comics, which he said is contrary to gypsies being ordinarily portrayed as liars, thieves, and tramps. However, one of the panelists angrily responded that he was in Romania working on a movie, and personally saw and was taught about gypsy children who were crippled by their own parents in order to be better beggars. He said he didn't want to hear about how gypsies are persecuted victims. This exchange was tense, but it brings about another discussion about the mirror that comics can be for a culture to look at themselves.

Everyone who knows anything about comic books knows who Batman is, and anyone who is a big fan of Batman knows who is Frank Miller. Miller has had an illustrious career as a writer and director, and has received many awards and was inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame. In a panel highlighting him, Miller deprecatingly told the audience that he knew he wanted to write comics for the rest of his life at the age of five after being exposed to the comic series, "Legion of Superheroes". He brought a humorous perspective about early comics, such as the idea that early comics had the most ridiculous ideas, ie. Bouncing Boy, and because of that, comics are inviting. Miller said what motivated him to create his own work was that he didn't want to work on characters by people who were long dead; he wanted to contribute something new. Miller's career is proof that influential and original work can thrive, and that comics act as a spark for inspiring creativity.

Whether it's video games, comics, books, costumes, movies, or TV, NYC Comic Con is a real cultural phenomenon. Many attendees save up all year to attend and buy unique products, and die-hard fans make a pilgrimage to Comic Con to show their support for their favorite shows and meet actors and actresses as zany as they are. For those who are attempting to break into the comic writing, film, or artist industry, Comic Con provides ways as well as wisdom to those hopeful, driven individuals who have a vision for the future. Comic Con promises to grow larger and larger with each passing year and through what it promotes, it shines a new, inspiring light on the art-form known as pop culture.