Riders of Rohan, mount your steeds. Starfleet cadets, board the Enterprise. Wizards and witches of Hogwarts, brandish your wands. Seattle welcomes back its comic and pop culture gathering of the year—Emerald City Comic Con.

ECCC returns for its twelfth year at the Washington State Convention Center as of today, March 27. Fans, artists, and cosplayers (people who dress up as their favorite fictional characters) alike, prepare for this three-day event by applying last minute details to their respective cosplays, putting a pair of Dr. Scholls in their shoes for the hours that they’ll be weaving through the masses in the Vendor’s Hall, and saving every dime that they can for the heaps of merchandise that they will most likely be lugging home.

The actual convention opens at ten in the morning, but for most attendees, Comic Con begins bright and early at six or seven to stumble out of bed, eat a bit of breakfast, and then suit up in their cosplay.

Some people opt for an easier cosplay where they just throw on a hoodie and wig, and others choose to not cosplay at all. Many people, however, spend hours developing their costume, wig, colored contacts, and accessories to look exactly like the fictional character that they have chosen to impersonate to the best of their ability.

“Advanced cosplayers that make their own cosplays can spend months working out details of their outfits, hair, makeup, and so on. Three main things weigh on the outcome of a cosplay: how much time you’re willing to work on your cosplay, how much money you’re willing to spend, and mostly just how much experience you have,” junior Korye Skaare said.

But, ECCC is so much more than just a place to dress up and waste money on merchandise—it’s a gathering of people expressing their interests without holding back how deep their enthusiasm goes, an event that gives people the opportunity to meet others with similar interests.

“I want to be around people who share something in common with me, like a lot of people do when they go to a football game, or like when Seahawks fans group up and go to a game together,” junior and FANDOMs club president Maddie Park said. “That’s what Comic Con is for people like me.”

One of the many perks of attending Comic Con is getting the chance to meet a few of the actors, actresses, writers, and comic artists who cultivate the fictional worlds that we know and love. The opportunity to meet these people can arise through panels, workshops, or getting a photo or signature from them.

To truly immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of Comic Con, try and hit up a bit of each aspect of the event. Maybe take a cosplay workshop with professional cosplayer Ani-Mia, then head out to the Vendor’s Hall and purchase an original comic cover from “Adventure Time” artist Brooke Allen, and then attend a panel about what’s going on with Stan-freaking-Lee, who is basically the god of Marvel.

As the clock strikes seven at night, and your cosplay wig is feeling itchy and your back aches like the Dickens, there’s probably one thought that bursts through all of the discomforts: I can’t wait for the return of Emerald City Comic Con.