By Erika Paulson

Many of the more than 170,000 people who attended the 9th annual New York Comic Con, held Oct. 6-9 at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan, did so dressed as their favorite fictional characters.

In “cosplay,” as this Comic Con tradition is called (a combination of the words costume and play), convention-goers wear elaborate, detailed costumes, transforming themselves into the personas found in comic books, television cartoon shows, super hero movies and video games.

PODCAST:

Hear what some of these cosplayers had to say about why they do it:

PHOTOS:

See some of the cosplay found at New York Comic Con: