Need a hug? Head to Comic-Con

Free hugs at Comic-Con

Call it a sign of the times. Call it the perfect recession-era costume. Call it a desperate attempt at physical contact. But at this year's Comic-Con, convention-goers offering free hugs—and the occasional free kiss—were in greater supply than Yoda backpacks and pasty skin. And though folks sporting cardboard signs promising "Free Hugs!!" are nothing new to conventions, this truly felt like the Year of the Hug. Here's a sampling of our favorite free-huggers (get it?).