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Step into Comic-Con. Literally Last weekend more than a hundred thousand diehard comic book, movie and video game buffs thronged the San Diego Convention Center for the San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC). It’s the holy grail of any fan boy -- a truly monumental, life changing event. It’s hard to imagine that this mother of all cons had its beginnings in the ‘70s, or that in its earliest incarnation, it saw only 300 fans holed up in a small hotel ballroom, palling it up and chatting about what was hot and what was cool back then. So to take you up to speed, we bring you a quick and dirty guide to THE biggest comic book event of the year.
Comic-Con was founded by the late Shel Dorf (1933 – 2009), a comic book artist and letterer. He was no stranger to the convention circuit, having organized the Detroit Triple-Fan Fair in his home state. In 1970, Mr. Dorf moved to San Diego, California, where he ran the Golden State Comic-Con, a three-day event that brought comic and movie fans, artists and traders together. Needless to say, everything grew and grew.
Thank you Mr. Dorf. We, the fanboys, salute you! The convention was first named “San Diego Comic-Con” in 1973, and the ‘masquerade’ – a costume and cosplay parade (though the term 'cosplay' wasn’t coined then), was introduced in the following year. The masquerade is now a permanent fixture, and one of the Con’s highlights.
Slave Leias at last year's Comic-Con Masquerade. A Star Wars lover's wet dream? The beauty of Comic-Con is that it’s not just about comics. It’s about everything cool, everything hip and everything happening in pop culture. You can find almost anything and everything at Comic-Con, from comic books to novels, toys, and collectibles, even video games. Role-playing games? You got it. Dungeons & Dragons? Definitely. You can count on gaming giants such as Bandai, Capcom and Konami to make an appearance, touting their latest products.
I spy with my little eye. A familiar video games giant Screenings of anime and independent films, fringe events including card and tabletop gaming sessions, video game competitions and an artist’s alley for up-and-coming names to showcase their work are also an intrinsic part of Comic-Con. Con-goers are always in for a treat when it comes to the talks and panels, showcasing and previewing the artwork, exclusive film footage, and products from big names DC and Marvel, the newest science/fantasy fiction flicks out of Hollywood, and the latest developments in the video games industry.
And to kick that up a notch, there’s a whole range of Comic-Con exclusive merchandise – limited edition prints, variant covers, figurines and trinkets, available only at Comic-Con. Expect to be laden with autographs and souvenirs, photographs and handshakes. It’s that kind of Con.
Sora from Square-Enix's Kingdom Hearts franchise. Just one of the many cute and collectible products exclusive to Comic-Con Excited yet? This writer certainly was. It’s a real shame tickets to this year’s Con were sold out by March this year, or else I’d be there too, soaking in the atmosphere. There’s always next year though, so if you’re itching to pay SDCC 2011 a visit, it’s time to start planning! Images courtesy of respective sources. |
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