Cosplay and celebrities part of Silicon Valley Comic Con's fun
SAN JOSE, California (KTVU) - The idea for Silicon Valley Comic Con was conceived by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and over the years it has exploded into a cultural event.
Nearly 100,000 people are expected to flood downtown San Jose over the next three days; some dressed as their favorite comic book, movie and video game characters.
Dressed as Spiderman, Simon Bowles from San Jose said this was his second visit, "There's a lot of adrenaline since people are just starting to get here. Stan Lee is here and I'm excited," he said.
The excitement is also resonating with the San Jose tourism board. Comic Con is expected to pump more than $12 million into local businesses while the attraction is in town.
The festival is said to have a greater economic impact than Super Bowl 50, which was held in Santa Clara a few years back.
Inside the San Jose Convention Center there were exhibits, panels and workshops. There was even a gaming zone, photo opportunities and autographs with comic book and movie legends.
Some of the longest lines were for Stan Lee, the former executive vice president and publisher of Marvel Comics. At 95-years-old, Lee was under tight security. Fans lucky enough to get an autograph were speechless.
Johnny Maggard of San Jose walked in with stack of vintage comic books and hopes that with Lee's autograph the value will rise.
Maggard said, "I had him autograph a variety of comics. I've got X-men ,Wolverine and others."
Another fan Chucky Snyder said meeting Lee was a once in lifetime experience. "My dad gave me this comic when I was 25-years-old and now with Lee's signature, I'm not selling it."
A large presence is held on the convention floor with a large display from NASA.
The space agency treated visitors with interactive displays and experts were on hand to explain anything from the Mars Rover, the lunar landing and the inner working of the solar system.
Former astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison— the first woman of color to go into space, will also make an appearance over the weekend.
Comic Con wouldn't be a festival without the celebrities. Fans will have a long list of heroes to search for.
Actress Nichelle Nichols, best known for playing Uhura on Star Trek, reflected on her ground breaking role and her work with NASA. "I brought people to NASA who wanted to be involved', she said. They just didn't know how."
Mikayla McGlory of Hayward wasn't even born when the original Star Trek series first aired or when it went off the air for that matter.
The young fan said she chose to dress in Uhura's character because of what she meant to African American women.
Comic Con is proving to give fans a trip down memory lane. The multi generational event is exciting good family fun, especially if you visit dressed as your favorite character.
Comic Con runs through until Sunday.