Costumes Galore: Awesome Con Is Out of This World (photos)

Not too long ago, Washington, D.C., was without a comic-con of its own. Then came along Awesome Con in April 2013 which operated in a few small halls in a corner of the Walter Washington Convention Center in D.C. Now in its third year, Awesome Con proved truly awesome with tens of thousands of attendees, a huge exhibition hall plus added space on two additional floors. From May 29 to 31, guests at this Awesome Con included William Shatner and George Takei from “Star Trek,” Sean Astin of “Lord of the Rings,” James Marsters of “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” and WWE World Champion Seth Rollins. There were also panels, artists, contests and even sci-fi speed dating. But the real showstoppers were the many who attended dressed as their favorite comic book and sci-fi characters — an activity now known as “cosplay,” a sort of blend on the words “costume” and “play” — which we were able to photograph and which you can enjoy by clicking on the photo icons below. (All photos by Jeff Malet).