From August 25-27, the second annual Palm Springs Comic Con kicked off with a bigger and badder send off than ever. This year’s festivities built upon last year’s mediocre success with even more exhibits, stands, activities, and celebrities than before.

Opening with the iconic Star Wars fanfare played by the Palm Springs High School band; the attendees were hyped up as they entered the Stan Lee themed lobby.

I was accompanied by fellow reporter, Christian Rodriguez (11), who trailed behind me as I frantically walked trying to look and touch all the expensive memorabilia.

To some degree I was successful, only to be chided by my present company and the vendors themselves. It turns out that people really hate it when you get grabby with a three thousand dollar replica of the fictional sword, Ice, from “Game of Thrones.”

As a regular to such conventions and Rodriguez being a first timer, I took it upon myself to serve as his eager guide. Comic Con is a celebration of all things nerdy, organized by fans for fans. Cosplayers from different fandoms can be found littered throughout the convention center walking around in both painfully detailed handmade costumes and store-bought suits that look just as good, if not better, than the D.I.Y suits.

Inside was a diverse assortment of characters: from carbon copies of comic book crusader Nightwing, the always busting Ghostbusters crew and everything in between.

New attendees were greeted by aisles upon aisles of vendors selling mostly comics and action figures, though there were odd exceptions.

Halfway through the second day, a sharply dressed shady man stopped me for a surprising sales pitch. It was a very brief affair that ended with me wearing a participatory prize of a Spongebob mask while plugged into an electronic muscle stimulator.

The highlight of the three days was a chance encounter with Symmetra from Overwatch, voiced by Anjali Bhimani. Accompanying her was Feodor Chin, the voice of Zenyatta, from the same game.

Striking up some courage, I went up to their booth without any cash at hand. Quickly realizing my mistake, I continued on trying to strike up some conversation.

To their credit, they treated the pair of us quite well, considering we had no money. “It’s our first time coming to Palm Springs Comic Con. [It’s] been a real joy coming out and meeting all the fans,” Bhimani stated.