"But I'm not just any rebel soldier," said Levan, a member of Rebel Legion, an international Star Wars costuming organization that he said had 3,000 members.
"I'm actually the very first guy who gets killed in Episode Four. (That's the 1977 classic, Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope to the uninitiated.)
Levan's extensive knowledge of Star Wars minutiae was impressive, if a bit freaky. It's what separates the lay person from hard-core fans, whether their passion of choice is Star Trek (not to forget its many spin-offs), Batman, Superman, Wolverine, X-Men, or any of the dozens of comics, TV shows, movies, and games represented at the 10th annual Comic Con.
The celebration of all things pop culture, which organizers estimated drew 30,000 fans over its three days, ended Sunday.
"These events are a dream come true for me," said Gareb Shamus, founder and chief executive officer of Wizard World Entertainment, which produced the event, one of nearly a dozen it puts on around the country.
The New York native, who described himself as "Tom Hanks in the movie Big - a little kid in a grown-up body," founded Wizard magazine in 1991 while working at his mother's comic-book shop.
"It started as a newsletter for the store, and people liked it so much, it turned in a magazine." In 2000, the company began producing conventions.
Shamus, 41, said he was particularly proud of this year's celebrity guests, who included Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation, X-Men); Adam West, who played Batman in the campy 1960s TV show; Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, Army of Darkness); and Brady Bunch star Christopher Knight.
Gil Gerard, 67, best known in the title role in the TV show Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, said he was excited to be back in Philly.
