NEW YORK, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Fans who attended last year's New York Comic Con were treated to a rare appearance by Robert Franzese, a cosplayer who looks and sounds exactly like a real life version of Family Guy's Peter Griffin.
"I slapped together stuff that I had," Franzese describes in a short YouTube documentary about his exploits.
"I happen to have green pants from St. Patrick's day, I have a white button down shirt because everybody has one and I have round glasses because I do Santa Claus for my company -- and I slapped it together and I was like great, Peter Griffin."
The joke began with Franzese declaring "Oh my god, I won," in Peter Griffin's thick Rhode Island accent after withdrawing money from an ATM, and from there, "It caught [on] like wildfire."
Franzese has been doing impressions his whole life, starting with the iconic character voices of Mel Blanc and Jim Henson.
"I'd be watching Looney Toons and I'd [casually impersonate Bugs Bunny]," Franzese explained. "I would just pick up the voices. And before I realized it, I could do every Looney Toon and every Muppet and it just kept growing and growing."
Dressing as Peter Griffin at NYCC is a particular thrill for Fanzese as he's done it in the past and has made lasting friendships through the gathering of enthusiasts.
He also likes the attention.
"I go to work and I'm a nobody. I have a nobody job, making nobody pay -- then I go to New York Comic Con and people are pulling out phones like I'm frickin' Brad Pitt."
