Comic-Con

What do you get when you mix overdramatic romance novels with Archie comic strips? Romance comics! Before teenage girls and young women could watch an episode of Gossip Girl or go online for all their pressing relationship questions like, "Was I too young for love?" they could pick up one of these juicy love-story-filled comic books for advice and entertainment.

Romance comics had their glory days during the Cold War in the US, from 1947 to 1977, and they tackled everything from marriage, jealousy, betrayal, and heartache. See some of your own love dilemmas — and some thankfully out-of-date ones! — sensationally illustrated on the covers of Sweethearts, My Story, Young Romantics, True Life Romance, My Secret Life, and more. Check out these vintage romance comics!

After its first openly gay character — Kevin Keller — came out in 2010, Archie Comics has printed its first gay kiss. The smooch between Kevin and his boyfriend, Devon, angers a Riverdale mom in the comic, which, according to the issue's writer and artist Dan Parent, is a "playful poke" at the real controversy the Kevin storyline has caused with One Million Moms. The conservative group called for Toys"R"Us to take down a magazine that featured Kevin getting married, but Toys"R"Us refused.

This is the latest example of the genre's recent push to make comic strips and comic books more open to LGBT themes after being heavily censored by the Comics Code Authority up until 1989 (not that the restrictions prevented everyone from writing about gay characters). The road to a lesbian Batwoman and a gay Green Lantern has been rocky, but let's see how homosexuality has been portrayed both positively and negatively in comics over the years.

Yes, cosplay is serious business, but there's no better place to get some Halloween costume inspiration than the Comic-Con show floor! Since New York Comic-Con took place this weekend, there's plenty of new looks to see. Take a gander through this gallery that should get your DIY costume juices flowing.

Even off the convention floor, San Diego Comic-Con is filled with plenty of sights for those who didn't snag a ticket to the main attraction. One of the coolest sights we found? All of Batman's Batmobiles on display for free to any passersby. From the classic hot rod of the 1960s TV series to Christian Bale's bulky cruiser, read on to see the bat-craftsmanship up close.

Comic-Con has come and gone, but we've got enough memories to last us until next year — and luckily, we've also got tons of pictures! BuzzSugar editors Becky Kirsch and Shannon Vestal snapped lots of shots over the weekend in San Diego, and we've rounded them up right here in case you missed them on Instagram. Check out all of the behind-the-scenes goodies from celebs to costumes and beyond.

After a weekend full of high-energy TV and movie panels, artistic comic book sights, and miles of people dressed in their cosplay finest, Comic-Con attendees likely have one thing on their mind in the aftermath: what to wear next year! After dozens of hours logged this year crafting a costume to wear to the San Diego event, get your mind inspired for 2013 in this look at some of 2012 Comic-Con's finest cosplay sights.

We weren't checking out just movies and TV shows at Comic-Con this year — we were also treated to a ton of eye candy, courtesy of the stars who came out for the event. Certain panels like those of True Blood and Twilight offered up an entire panel of hot guys, while other stars like Matt Damon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt got all the glory to themselves at events for their new movies. Check out all the good-lookin' dudes who stopped by in San Diego this year.

At this year's Comic-Con, some of the stars seemed to take a cue from the name of the event itself, because the one-liners were flying. Movie stars like Matt Damon and Robert Pattinson showed off their sense of humor, while TV stars like Nina Dobrev and Bryan Cranston delivered hilarious quips as well. For a few laughs, check out some of the funniest quotes from the panels and press conferences at this year's Comic-Con.