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Teens drawn to Mesa comic book convention
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A comic book fan gets her photo taken with Batman during the Phoenix Cactus Comicon 2008 at the Mesa Convention Center Saturday.
Darryl Webb, Tribune
Fans dressed as Cloud Strife and Yuffie Kisaragi take a break from the action.
Darryl Webb, Tribune
Star Wars fans had a strong presence at the Phoenix Cactus Comicon 2008.
Darryl Webb, Tribune
Arizona Ghostbusters make their way to the convention in downtown Mesa.
Darryl Webb, Tribune
Teenagers dressed to impress Saturday at the Phoenix Cactus Comicon convention in Mesa.
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Some dressed like Harry Potter, Yuffie or characters from the popular Naruto series. Others from as far away as San Diego dressed like Cloud Strife.
Adults have flocked to the event for years dressed as Ghostbusters, Batman or Star Wars characters. But enthusiasts this year said they noticed more young people than ever at the convention, where attendees can find everything from superhero sketches, comic books, figurines, movie posters, clothing and even animé accessories.
One reason for the youth movement is the surging popularity of animé among East Valley teens, who came dressed as characters such as Tobi from Naruto and Lolita from Full Metal Alchemist.
Nikki Olive, a senior at Skyline High School in east Mesa, came to the convention for the first time this year. She wore a pink Japanese outfit inspired by Lolita that took her about 12 hours to make.
“I’ve seen the most costumes from Naruto, so I think that is the most popular,” she said.
Aaron Sigsbee, a San Diego teen dressed as Cloud Strife, said he has attended various animé events in California, but he noticed more young animé fans at the Arizona convention.
“There are more teens in Arizona than in other areas,” Sigsbee said.
Karla and Kennya Rodriguez, teen sisters from Glendale, said teens mostly come for the animé, adults mostly come for the comics and a mix of both come for the video games.
Adults dressed as Star Wars characters called a Jedi meeting to order as they lined up at the registration table.
“It’s my second time at the convention,” said Steve Vanegas, a Mesa resident dressed as a tie fighter pilot. “There is more of a crowd and more teens compared to last year.”
Vanegas said his costume took him about nine months to complete. “I modified and made parts of my costume,” Vanegas said.
Andrew Weissman of Chandler dressed as Boba Fett from the Star Wars series. He said his costume took him three years to complete.
Nicole Basa of Mesa was more efficient with her costume.
“It took three days to make it all,” said Basa, 21, who dressed as Tobi from Naruto.
Phoenix Cactus Comicon 2008
What: A convention for comic book, animé and video game fans
When: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday
Where: Mesa Convention Center, 201 N. Center St., Mesa
Information: (602) 697-4007 or www.MesaConventionCenter.com
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