It's the best time of year apart from Halloween, Victoria Ransom says.
The Dunedin cosplayer will join dozens in dressing to the nines for the Armageddon Expo at the Edgar Centre this weekend.
The cosplaying movement was growing in the city as more people interested in costume play became aware of the scene thanks to the expo, which is marking its fourth year in Dunedin.
Among them is Miss Ransom's friend, Maxine Buswell-Gibbs.
Miss Buswell-Gibbs would be attending the expo for fourth year, but it was her first time cosplaying.
"I wasn't really confident to do it [in the past] and then I met Victoria and she brought the confidence out in me,'' she said.
"I thought if she can do it and other people can do it, why can't I?''
Another player, Courty Kayoss, went to Christchurch last weekend to compete in the Cosplay Cup, which is not featuring in the Dunedin expo.
Her costume, worn by Astrid in How to Train Your Dragon 2, took about six months of work to make.
"Everything was hand-stitched and made from scratch, including the patterns,'' she said.
The dedication to her craft had extended to ensuring her hood and top had no seams, just like the animated character's.
Jason Connolly and Warren Goodwin also looked impressive.
Mr Connolly will be attending as Iron Man's first design from the first movie.
The plastic, foam and fibreglass costume was so cumbersome, Mr Connolly is restricted to moving short distances over flat ground.
However, he takes it in his stride.
"I like big, clumpy things,'' he said.
The similarities were such that he had previously signed autographs for children as Iron Man's creator Tony Stark.
It was a problem also shared by Dunedin's most recognisable cosplayer, Warren Goodwin, whose costume of Rocket from Guardians of the Galaxy even attracted praise from one of the film's creators.
"I was getting hit in the head by a couple of boys. I lifted up the nose of the costume and they got a shock that it wasn't a robot,'' he said.
Tales of ill-treatment and inappropriate behaviour from non-cosplayers were unfortunately common, Mr Connolly said.
The group had advice for anyone attending Armageddon who ran into a cosplayer in costume.
"Remember there is a person in there.''
