Superheroes, anime icons, gaming legends, and more have swept into Exhibition Park this weekend for Oz Comic-Con, where fans and cosplayers are bringing pop culture to life.
Cosplay, short for costume play, stole the spotlight on Saturday, August 15, with attendees showing off intricate outfits inspired by comics, anime, gaming, movies, and television.
For cosplayers, the event was a chance to faithfully recreate iconic characters through craft, creativity, and sheer passion.
For some, that passion meant putting the finishing touches on their costumes in the car park just moments before walking in.
Amid the buzz, families rushed to take photos with the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland, brought to life by cosplayer Dave Akers, who travelled from Tumut, near Wagga Wagga, to attend the event.
Mr Akers said it took him about eight hours to put his costume together, including making the hat, bow and accessories.
"It's good when people do recognise your costume and compliment you, it is a good feeling," he said.
He said he usually makes his costumes from scratch, but this time he already had the suit in his wardrobe.
He has attended most Oz Comic-Con events since 2024 and has been cosplaying for about two years.
"I just enjoy the community side of it, meeting new people and new friends," he said.
"You can paint yourself, change your persona and become a different character for the day - entertain kids and families."
For Leo Balfour, the creator behind the Canberra business Creative Beasts, cosplay has evolved into a craft specialising in fursuits.
He has been building them since 2015, and while he holds a wide range of artistic interests, custom fursuits remain his main focus.
"The fastest I've made one was seven days," he said, though other costumes have taken up to three months to complete.
His journey began with a character from the video game Five Nights at Freddy's, which features a cast of scary animatronic animals.
He then began making fursuit heads for friends before turning the hobby into a business. He has now crafted more than 80 fursuit heads, sending his creations around the world.
He said events like Oz Comic-Con were about bringing people together.
"It's all about getting to express yourself a bit more."
"It's a good way to drop some of the social conventions we have outside."
Across the weekend, fans can look forward to a packed line-up of events.
Beyond the costumes, attendees can connect at themed meetups, pose for professional photographers, and cheer on fans in the Cosplay Competition and dedicated Kids Cosplay Parade.
The event also features Artist Alley, giving visitors direct access to independent creators and illustrators from across Australia, while the venue buzzes with a comic lounge, free-play gaming stations, an interactive scribble wall, trading posts, and high-energy lip-sync battles.
The event will wrap up on Sunday, August 16.
