Now, to the uninitiated, Comic-Con is not some little gathering of comic book geeks sharing stories and trading their wares. No, sirree - Comic-Com is a huge gathering of comic book and pop culture geeks sharing their stories and trading their wares - over 120,000 strong. You see, Comic-Con is the largest convention of its kind in the world, but it is truly more than comics.
At Comic-Con, the programming incorporates the whole realm of pop culture, and in particular, the science fiction, horror, action, adventure, and animation genres. And Comic-Con is a big deal: the annual gathering is where the major comic book publishers like DC Comics and Marvel Comics unveil their latest projects. It's where Hollywood presents exclusive previews of their upcoming productions, presented by the actual directors and stars of the films. It's where retailers gather to discuss issues within the industry. And it's where the latest merchandise is rolled out (action figures are a big deal here.)
On top of that, Comic-Con offers tons of panels and discussions from virtually a who's who in the comic, animation, filmmaking industry. It's a chance to hear and meet the world-class artists, animators, writers and directors of the film, comic and graphic novel industries.
Check out the Comic-Con Daily Spotlights pages right here.
Comic-Con also has a huge exhibit hall of retailers selling every conceivable piece of comics, collectibles, memorabilia, toys and more. In other words, it's a Star Wars geek heaven. And with the variety of seemingly sane people dressing up as their favorite Star Wars, Star Trek or whatever character, you'll get my drift. In fact, Comic-Con puts on a masquerade costume contest with cash prizes to go to some very impressive outfits.
With an unbelievable 444 hours of panels and events over 4 days and 3 nights, not including anime screenings and gaming, Comic‑Con’s schedule remains devoted to the world of comics. There are panels for all interests: Mainstream superhero comics, alternative press, webcomics, comics history, newspaper comics, European comics, manga: It's all here.
But I'm not doing the comic geeks justice. You'll have to go see for yourself - and unleash the inner-geek in yourself.
Comic-Con Quick Info:
WHERE
San Diego
Convention Center
111 Harbor Drive
WHEN
July 23-26 (preview night: July 22 6-9pm)
Thu-Sat Hours:9:30am-7pm
Sunday Hours:9:30am-5pm
COST
4-DAY MEMBERSHIPS - SOLD OUT
SINGLE DAY Memberships
Thursday
Adults: $25
JR/SR: $12*
Friday
Adults: $30
JR/SR: $15
Saturday - SOLD OUT
Sunday
Adults: $20
JR/SR: $10*
*Children under 12 free with PAID adult membership. Juniors (JR) are those 7-16 years old and Seniors (SR) those who are 60 or more years old. Active military will pay the Junior/Senior price. This offer does not extend to dependents.
Visit the official Comic-Con site for full info and schedules.
