Every year a group of Texas Wesleyan professors get together and go to the Dallas Comic Con.

Dr. Eddy Lynton, an assistant professor of criminal justice and sociology, and Dr. Cary Adkinson, an assistant professor of criminal justice, are two Wesleyan professors that are definitely going to the Dallas edition of the wildly popular Comic-Con International, which is held each year in San Diego.

This month’s event, called Fan Days, is being held at the Irving Convention Center on Feb. 13 and 14. It is one of two comic conventions being held annually in the Dallas area; the other is larger and held each summer. Both events, like the San Diego convention, focus on gaming, science fiction and comics.

“We try and make it an unofficial thing,” Adkinson said of his attendance at the Dallas edition. “Last time Dr. Lynton and I went we just walked around and got to know each other. This started my first year here. We would like to make it a yearly event for faculty and even students.”

2015 marks the 15th anniversary of the Dallas event. This month’s convention includes Austin St. John, one of the original Power Rangers, Dukes of Hazard star Catherine Bach and the Stephen Amell of Arrow, according to dallascomiccon.com.

Jacob Clay Galey, a master’s degree student at the University of Texas at Arlington, says that Comic Con gives people with similar interests a chance to meet.

“My favorite part of Comic Con is the unique expression from the attendees about their passion for their respective fandoms.”

In 2015, Galey dressed (or “cosplayed”) as Marvel Comics character Mad Cap.

“I don’t remember exactly how much time or money I put into my Mad Cap costume,” he said. “I know it cost more than $100 to make and roughly two and a half weeks to put together. I always like posing in costume for pictures, especially with younger kids who are experiencing Comic Com for the first time.”

Comic-Con International, held annually in San Diego, started in 1970 when comic, movie and sci-fi fans Shel Dorf, Ken Krueger and Richard Alf held the first comic book convention in southern California, according to comic-con.org.

The event is the “largest comics and pop culture even tin the United States, attracting thousands of celebrities and fans of comic books, movie memorabilia and all things related to pop culture,” according to sandiego.org.

Major films are previewed, and actors and directors often show up to participate in panel discussions about them.

The event is a signature part of San Diego’s social life and brings in a huge amount of money from attendees. A 2015 poll by the San Diego Union-Tribune found that the event is more important to San Diego residents than the city’s National Football League team, the Chargers, according to forbes.com.

Jeremy Shelton, a Wesleyan senior history major, is, like Lynton and Adkinson, planning to go to this month’s event.

“I have been going to Comic con since I was in middle school,” Shelton wrote in an email. “I started attending mostly so I could get more comics and see the comic artists and the writers. I got to meet Stan Lee last year. That was one of the most significant events of my life.”

Dallas Comic Con: Fan Days will be held Feb. 13 and 14 at the Irving Convention Center. A single-day Saturday pass is $40 in advance and $45 at the door, and a single-day Sunday pass is $30 in advance and $35 at the door; a two-day gold pass is $129. All advance passes are available at dallascomiccon.com.