A super day for fans of heroes at Comic Con

For Baxter Guilfoyle, wearing a bloodstained white shirt with a clerical collar, it was "all about the zombies."

Carrying a sign reading "Zombie Rights!", Guilfoyle, 42, of Northeast Philadelphia, easily blended in with the crowd of comic book superheroes, villains, and monsters, and thousands of their fans who filled the Convention Center on Saturday.

It was Wizard World Comic Con, the traveling comics extravaganza, and it drew a steady flow of comics enthusiasts.

For Todd O'Donnell of Ardmore, Saturday was a day of father-son bonding as he carried 3-year-old Griffin, who was sporting a Spider-Man costume, amid the exhibit hall crowd.

"We met Stan Lee," O'Donnell said enthusiastically of the creator of the Amazing Spider-Man, Iron Man, and many other popular comics. O'Donnell and his son had a photo taken with Lee, an icon of the industry who is in his 90s.

The event, which began Thursday and ends Sunday, will draw thousands over its run, said Jerry Milani, a spokesman for Wizard World Comic Con. He could not estimate the number in attendance, he said.

Philadelphia is the third stop for Comic Con this summer. It will visit eight cities, including New York, Chicago, and Columbus, Ohio, Milani said.

The event features comic artists, vendors, and entertainers dressed as comic book characters. About 200 vendors had booths in Philadelphia, hawking comic books, posters, drawings, T-shirts, and all kinds of memorabilia.

In addition to Lee, celebrities included Henry Winkler from TV's Happy Days and Lou Ferrigno, who portrayed the Incredible Hulk on television.

Vlad Yudin, 30, a Russian filmmaker, was one of the featured visitors. He was promoting his graphic novel, Head Smash.

Many waited in long lines to take photos with celebrities such as WWE wrestlers John Cena and Daniel Bryan.

Asked why he went, Robert West, 33, of Northwest Philadelphia, said, "Because it's Comic Con. It's spectacular."

Guilfoyle, an actor, said he dressed as a zombie to promote a 30-minute film, "Zombie Casserole," and support "same-zombie marriage."

He was among many who attended in costume. Some were dressed as superheroes, such as Superman, Wonder Woman, and Wolverine.

Demetri Jacques, 17, of Pennsauken, went as Robin, Batman's sidekick.

"I made this costume myself, actually," Jacques said. "I made it just last week."

"I just came to have fun," he said. "The main reason I came was to meet Stan Lee."