Everyone's Favorite Character In 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' Has Taken Over New York Comic Con
The Groot invasion is real.
Since "Guardians of the Galaxy" exploded in theaters this summer, everyone's been up in arms about when a dancing version of their favorite sapling will be available for purchase.
We've been at New York Comic Con for two days and it's amazing to see just how loved Groot is. He appears in original artwork, designer collectibles, bobbleheads, and most impressively, cosplay.
We rounded up the best appearances below.
Toy Tokyo, a New York City destination for collector's items and toys from around the world, showcased these Groot figurine prototypes right by the cash register. They are not yet available for purchase, but they make a fine-looking army.
Artist CJ Draden etched this solemn and life-like drawing of Groot using a plain piece of glass (painted white) and an X-Acto knife. Prints go for $20.
We spotted a little Groot at artist Juan Muniz's booth #204 where he has pop culture icons drawn in the style of his original bunny rabbit. This $10 Groot sticker is exclusive to NYCC. He only brought 30 of them to the event so we're sure they'll go fast.
The Groot cosplay, however, made us smile the most.
Daniel Ramos, who works in toy licensing, spent nine days constructing this incredibly life-like costume. He wore Under Armour long johns underneath layers of intertwined pipes and plaques of EVA foam, the vinyl material used in yoga mats. It was soft, flexible, and most importantly, light.
A friend airbrushed the materials to look like bark, and Ramos applied brown makeup to the face for added detail, like dirt smears. He used a Dremel drill gun to carve lines into the "wood." The facial expression was spot-on.
Everywhere he turned, a new swarm of Con attendees approached and asked to take pictures with him - to which he always replied, "I am Groot."
The first-time hardcore cosplayer says he knew he wanted to be everyone's favorite tree after seeing "Guardians of the Galaxy" three times over the summer. "Groot is one of the only characters who is pure innocence," Ramos says. "He has no animosity."
Groot also made appearances as a baby tree. Here's Peter Quill, AKA Star-Lord, cradling a potted Groot that bears an impressive resemblance to the movie's CG version.
We don't know if she danced, but this baby Groot certainly got into character. Duct tape suspenders held up a large, plastic flower pot around her waist.
Jesse Perlmutter bought this mask for around $50 at a booth on the showroom floor. He let his T-shirt do the talking for him.
We'll continue to update this post as we spot more Groot fandom.