COSTUME, comics and celebrities are some of the highlights of a global event phenomenon which attracts thousands of people.

Comic Con is described as a multi-genre fan convention where fans of comic books and all things geeky come together to dress up and enjoy the world of comics.

Thousands of people from all over the world flock to these events, with the biggest being Comic-Con International in San Diego which drew more than 130,000 people this year.

The first event was held in 1970, but it has now grown to a multi-day event which has inspired others to start their own event.

Shane Jordan, owner of Sin City Comics, Commercial Street, Newport, is the managing director of GeekedFest Events and is one of the co-founder of the Newport Comic Con.

He says that Comic Cons have changed over the past few years but that it started with a passion for comics.

“Every one is different,” he said. “There is cosplay and you get to meet like-minded people, it’s a community. We have a massive cosplay zone with professionals.

“Some people spend a lot of time and money on their costumes. It’s no longer just a case of going to a costume shop, the detail they put in now is amazing.”

Cosplay is when people dress up as a character from a film, book, comic or video game and it’s one of the best known elements of Comic Cons.

Mr Jordan said: “There are now cosplay celebrities, they are famous for their costumes because of the passion they have. They have a following on social media and when they attend different events, they are always willing to have a picture taken and that’s what makes it great.

“The industry has changed to the point where you can cosplay as anything, it’s about geekdom - anything that’s geeky or nerdy.”

The comic book fan said the idea came when he was at a local pub with some friends.

He said: “GeekedFest came to be because I was sitting in a pub with some mates and everyone was moaning that nothing happens in Newport so I said ‘Let’s organise our own Comic Con.’ The problem is the next day my friends didn’t want to bother, but I had already picked a name and bought the website domain.”

Their first event was held in 2015 and their events have become a regular part of the comic book fans diary.

Around 3,500 people attended this year’s event, which was held in Newport Centre.

“I love Comic Cons, last year I went to 22 events not including the GeekedFest events. I go for the community and to see friends.

“It’s growing in Newport and people find that we are something different and that we are independent.

“We have other events like the Christmas GeekedFest on December 2 and we don’t charge for tickets. It’s a mini Comic Con and Christmas market, there will be a grotto with a Santa and kids can come see him and get a gift. All the money goes to the charity, which will be Popsy which is based in Caerphilly. ”

It’s not just the comics that attract fans. It also gives fans a chance to meet celebrities from shows.

Some of those who have appeared at Newport Comic Con include Ross Mullen, who played the white walker in Game of Thrones, John Challis, better known as Boycie from Only Fools and Horses, and legendary Doctor Who star John Levene, who featured in the original TV series.

Newport-based actor Dilu Miah was one of the celebrities to attend the Newport Geekedfest ComicCon in 2016.

Known for his work as a stuntman and extra, Mr Miah said this was the first event he had attended to speak with fans.

He said: “It was great and I really enjoyed it. I had a few fans that came across the UK to meet me and speak to me.

“A lot of the other guests that were there were really nice to meet as well.”

Mr Jordan has said that he appreciated all the support from businesses and charities who were at the festival.

“The positive reviews and the thank-yous were probably my favourite part.

“It was just the whole collective of doing it. All positive and negative views have been accepted and can be put into place to improve the festival for next year.”

There are other events held in Gwent. This month, Dragondaze will be holding a mini games and Comic Con in the Newport Centre on September 30.

The event started as an annual event in 1984, for friends to meet and have a whole day of gaming.

The event took a break but returned in 2014 when a few people, along with the original founder, had the idea to re-launch and make it bigger and use it as a platform to raise money for good causes.

At this year’s event there will be cosplayers including Daleks, Stormtroopers, Darth Vader and a Starship Bridge Simulator.

They will also host the official Battletech Welsh National Tournament and the winner to go on to the European finals in Germany. To find out more about Geekedfest Events visit geekedfestevents.com. For more about Dragondaze visit dragondaze.com.