This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

A lot of people go to Salt Lake Comic Con and its sister event, Fan X, for the celebrities, panel discussions and merchandise.

But the main reason people go is to find their tribe.

The cosplayers and just plain fans of popular culture divide themselves into the subgroups, based on how fervent they feel about their particular favorites. And while some love the stuff that everybody loves, others seek out the stranger and more obscure corners of geekdom.

With FanX landing upon us next weekend at the Salt Palace Convention Center, here is a handy field guide to some of the major fandoms, listed in order of decreasing proximity to the mainstream:

1. "Star Wars" fans • Every kid who ever swung a gift-wrap tube like a lightsaber can relate to the galaxy far, far away — even more so since "The Force Awakens" scored eleventy-bazillion dollars at the box office. But the "slave Leia" jokes have been done to death.

2. Disneyphiles • Elsas and Annas abound among the cosplayers these days — and last year, the best group cosplay was to dress as the emotions from "Inside Out." Least likely to have sexy variations of its characters.

3. Marvel fans • Like the Avengers? The X-Men? Deadpool? Daredevil and Jessica Jones? The comic-book company is everywhere, from movies to Netflix to broadcast TV (as long as "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." can hold out). They are prone to the stupidest arguments, though, like over Spider-Man's eyes in the "Captain America: Civil War" trailer.

4. Potterheads • The fans of J.K. Rowling's perfectly encapsulated universe get wands to wave around and a delightfully expanded vocabulary that almost sounds like Latin. What's more, Potterheads have the easiest cosplay choices: Just throw on a robe, and maybe a burgundy-and-gold scarf, and you're all set.

5. Trekkies • Going strong for almost 50 years, fans of "Star Trek" have longevity on their side, as well as enjoying one of the few views of the future that don't start in a post-apocalyptic dystopia. If you want to rile them up, start a "Kirk or Picard" argument and watch the phasers fly. (And, yes, I identify myself as a "Trekkie" and not a "Trekker" because I'm old-school.)

6. D.C. Comics fans • The yin to Marvel's yang, D.C. doesn't dominate the movie world the way Marvel does — "The Dark Knight" series notwithstanding, though it's trying hard with the "Batman v. Superman" onslaught arriving next week. But on TV, D.C. is king, with "The Flash," "Arrow," "Supergirl," "Gotham" and "Legends of Tomorrow" all drawing their cadres of fans.

7. Walker Stalkers • The makers of "The Walking Dead" certainly don't make it easy for their fans, killing off major characters with freakish regularity. But the fans keep coming back for more.

8. "Game of Thrones" fans • Same problem as "Walking Dead" fans: an abnormally high body count among the characters. Also the show's reliance on rape and sexual assault as a plot device is off-putting.

9. Whovians • These were once an outlier among geeks, when "Doctor Who" was known only for its cheesily produced '60s and '70s incarnations. Now, since the revival began in 2005, the fans of The Doctor are legion. Get them to go on about who's the best Doctor, and they'll never stop talking.

10. Tolkienites • The fans of "The Lord of the Rings" like books with maps in them and know how to speak Elvish. They also look down their noses at "Game of Thrones" fans as interlopers.

11. X-Philes • This season's brief and underwhelming return of Scully and Mulder was proof that sometimes it's better to live in the past.

12. Browncoats • Fifteen episodes of "Firefly" back in 2002 and 2003 and a follow-up movie ("Serenity," in 2005), but still No. 1 in the hearts of its fans. Sure, Joss Whedon created one of the smartest and most fun sci-fi properties ever, and Nathan Fillion ("Castle") and Morena Baccarin ("Deadpool," "Gotham") led a talented ensemble cast. But, guys, let it go already — take a lesson from "The X-Files" and quit asking for a reunion.

13. Bronies • The fans of "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" get disrespected a lot at fan conventions, but I know some who will defend the show with their dying breath — while also pointing out how the show sometimes is quite clever in its allegories to real-life problems. So there.

14. "Homestuck" and "Attack on Titan" fans (tie) • Easy to spot on the convention floor: "Homestuck" fans wear horns on their heads that look like papier-mâché candy corn, and "Attack on Titan" fans wear the cool bomber jackets with the blue-and-white logo on the back. Both are best known for the question "Now what are you again?"

15. Twihards • Like the bison, this once-teeming species has largely disappeared.

Sean P. Means writes The Cricket in daily blog form at http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/moviecricket. Follow him on Twitter @moviecricket. Email him at spmeans@sltrib.com. —

Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience 2016

When • March 24-26

Where • Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 W. West Temple, Salt Lake City

Tickets • $5-$230; http://saltlakecomiccon.com/fanx-2016-tickets/