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VIDEO, PHOTOS: Heroes, villains unite at Hudson Valley Comic Con

Geoffrey Wilson
Poughkeepsie Journal

Masked vigilantes, street-fighting martial artists, card-playing Egyptian spirits and even a few Ghostbusters roamed the Town of Poughkeepsie Sunday afternoon.

From left to right, Peter Mosen, of Walden, Tom Gebhardt, from new Jersey, Ernie Hudson, star of the original "Ghostbusters," and Ron Giameo, of New Jersey, pose with a replica of the film's Ecto-1 vehicle. Hudson interacted with both new and old fans during Hudson Valley Comic Con in Poughkeepsie.

And whether they were heroes or villains, they were united for one weekend, at least.

Hudson Valley Comic Con brought fans from all over the region to revel in comics, video games, anime and all their favorite media.

Ernie Hudson, who played Winston Zeddemore in 1984's "Ghostbusters," attended Hudson Valley Comic Con as one of the show's guests, alongside Gigi Edgley, who played Chiana in the science fiction show "Farscape," James Tolkan and Donald Fullilove, of "Back to the Future" fame, and several actors from "The Walking Dead."

"The (convention has) been great, and the fans have been amazing," Hudson said. "It's been a real nice, easy show, and some of these conventions can be overwhelming."

Hudson said the passion of fans at these conventions is unmatched, with many knowing more about his films than he remembers.

"This has been the best here in Poughkeepsie," Hudson said.

READ MORE: Hudson Valley Comic Con revels in diverse appeal

Kayla Smith, production manager for Hudson Valley Comic Con, said interaction between the fans and guests was amazing.

"Saturday we opened slightly late, and Ernie Hudson actually went and said 'Hi' to everyone outside, shaking hands and chatting with them," Smith said.

More than 4,000 fans attended the convention, which ran Saturday and Sunday at Gold's Gym in the Town of Poughkeepsie. With fan reaction going beyond what she expected, Smith said she was confident that Hudson Valley Comic Con would return next spring.

Ben Jakubowski, 24, of Summitville, and Jen Napolitano, 22, of Middletown, dress as the titular characters from "Rick and Morty" at Hudson Valley Comic Con.

The convention also brought a plethora of cosplayers, fans who mix costume and performance, dressing and acting as their favorite characters.

Ben Jakubowski, 24, of Summitville, and Jen Napolitano, 22, of Middletown, dressed as the titular characters of the cartoon "Rick and Morty." Jakubowski said he loved the convention.

"I love that they're bringing a comic con up here, especially since the one I went to in Long Island shut down,"

From left to right, Kate Foil, 31, of Poughkeepsie, Kevin Borchardt, 38, of Poughkeepsie, Mark Gottlieb 36, of Rock Tavern, and Nicole Edick, 30, of Rock Tavern, cosplay as Marvel's Emma Frost, DC Comics' Animal Man, the Sole Survivor from "Fallout 4," and Marvel's Spider-Gwen.

Chris Harrelson, a "walker," otherwise known as a zombie, on AMC's "The Walking Dead," said there was nothing but passion at the inaugural comic convention.

"I can't put a number on it, but we've gotten lots of attendees, especially for a first-year show," Harrelson said.

Geoffrey Wilson: gwilson@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4882, Twitter: Geoff_LW

More online

Visit www.poughkeepsiejournal.com for a photo gallery and video from Hudson Valley Comic Con.