• What is Comic Con?

Comic Con, short for “Comics Convention,” is a gathering of fans of comics, science fiction, fantasy, horror, gaming and other geek interests.

Originally founded as a way for comic book fans to meet the artists and writers of their beloved stories, Comic Con has expanded to fill nearly every conceivable geek interest, from “The Lord of the Rings” to Legos, “Doctor Who” to “Dungeons & Dragons,” and everything in between.

There are hundreds of Comic Cons worldwide, though the most well-known are San Diego Comic-Con and New York Comic Con.

They are all independent of each other, so the term “Comic Con” is more a type of event rather than one specific gathering in one place.

For more details about Salt Lake Comic Con, check out the Signpost’s coverage here.

• When and where is Salt Lake Comic Con?

Salt Lake Comic Con takes place Sept. 4-6 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.

The convention floor is open on Thursday from 2 to 7 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Panels are still held a few hours after the convention floor closes.

• Where do I get tickets?

Tickets are still available here. You can also buy them at the event, but it’s risky. They could sell out.

You can buy a full three-day pass or tickets for individual days. If you are a student make sure to get the half-off student pricing and bring your student ID when you go.

• What do you do at Comic Con?

The primary attractions of Comic Con are the celebrity guests – actors, authors and artists who run booths and welcome fans to meet them.

Plenty of attendees also engage in “cosplay,” or dressing up as characters from books, comic books, movies or TV shows.

Running all day during Comic Con are various hour-long panels covering all aspects of geek culture. These include panels like “The Best of Doctor Who,” “The Power of Podcasting in Geek Culture,” “Everything I Needed to Know I Learned From The Matrix” and many, many more.

A full list of panels hosted all three days can be found here.

In addition, geek merchandise will be available in abundance. Plan to spend money for books, DVDs, t-shirts and anything else you can think of.

• Will celebrities be there?

It might be easier to list the geek celebrities that won’t be there. Highlights include Marvel publisher Stan Lee, “The Princess Bride” actor Cary Elwes, wrestler Hulk Hogan and “The Big Bang Theory” star Simon Helberg, local authors Brandon Mull, Brandon Sanderson and Dan Wells, among many, many others.

A full guest list can be found here.

Most guests will have their own booth where you can meet, talk, take pictures and get autographs. More popular guests will naturally have longer lines, so be prepared.

Popular guests like Stan Lee have paid photo-ops available which you can buy online or in person. See the guest list for details on paid photo-ops.

• Should I come in costume?

Plenty of attendees will “cosplay,” where they dress up as characters from their favorite comic books, movies, TV shows or video games.

This is fun but definitely not required. Many other attendees come dressed casually.

For those who want to come dressed up, go for it! Your costume can be as simple or as elaborate as you want, and there are even panels held at Comic Con where would-be cosplayers can learn tips and tricks from experts.

A full list of guidelines on cosplay can be found here. In short, use common sense, don’t be indecent with your costume and be careful with prop weapons.

No real weapons are allowed and if you bring a prop weapon you’ll need to check it with security in a designated area. Read the guidelines for more information.

• What is the strangest thing you might see?

The only answer to this question is simply go and find out!