San Diego Comic-Con International, also known as Comic-Con International: San Diego (as given on its website), and commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by Shel Dorf and a group of San Diegans. It is traditionally a four-day event (Thursday through Sunday — though a three-hour preview night on Wednesday is open to professionals, exhibitors, and some guests pre-registered for all four days) held during the summer in San Diego, California, United States, at the San Diego Convention Center. Comic-Con is both the name of the annual event and the common name of the organization.
Comic-Con International also produces two other conventions, WonderCon and the Alternative Press Expo (APE), both held in San Francisco, California. Since 1974, Comic-Con has bestowed its annual Inkpot Award to guests and persons of interest in the industries of popular arts as well as to members of Comic-Con's Board of Directors and convention committee. It is also the home of the Will Eisner Awards.
Originally showcasing comic books, science fiction/fantasy and film/television (as was evident by the three circled figures appearing in Comic-Con's original logo), and related popular arts, the convention has expanded over the years to include a larger range of pop culture elements, such as horror, anime, manga, animation, toys, collectible card games, video games, webcomics, and fantasy novels. The convention is the largest in the Americas, and fourth largest in the world after the Comiket in Japan, the Angoulême International Comics Festival in France, and the Lucca Comics and Games in Italy, filling to capacity the San Diego Convention Center with over 125,000 attendees in 2007.
History and organization
The convention was founded by
Detroit,
Michigan-born comics fan
Shel Dorf, who in the mid-1960s had mounted the
Detroit Triple-Fan Fairs, one of the first commercial comics-fan conventions. When he moved to
San Diego,
California in 1970, he organized a one-day convention (Golden State Comic-Minicon) on March 21, 1970 "as a kind of 'dry run' for the larger convention he hoped to stage." Dorf went on to be associated with the convention as president or manager, variously, for many years until becoming estranged from the organization. and was held at the
U. S. Grant Hotel Other locations in the convention's early years included the El Cortez Hotel, the
University of California, San Diego, and Golden Hall, before being moved to the San Diego Convention center in 1991. Richard Alf, Chairman in 1971, has noted an early factor in the Con's growth was an effort "to expand the Comic-Con [organizing] committee base by networking with other fandoms such as the
Society for Creative Anachronism and the
Mythopoeic Society, among others. (We found a lot of talent and strength through diversity)." By the late 1970s the show had grown to such an extent that
Bob Schreck recalled visiting with his then-boss Gary Berman of
Creation Conventions and reflecting "While [Berman] kept repeating (attempting to convince himself) 'This show's not any bigger than ours!' I was quietly walking the floor stunned and in awe of just how much bigger it really was. I was blown away."
The convention is organized by a panel of 13 board members, 16 to 20 full-time and part-time workers, and 80 volunteers who assist via committees.
Events
Along with panels, seminars, and workshops with comic book professionals, there are previews of upcoming feature films, portfolio review sessions with top comic book and video game companies, and such evening events as awards ceremonies and the Masquerade; a costume contest, and the Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival, which showcases shorts and feature length movies that do not have distribution or distribution deals.
Traditional events include an eclectic film program, screening rooms devoted to Japanese animation, gaming, programs such as cartoonist Scott Shaw!'s "Oddball Comics" slide show and animation expert Jerry Beck's program featuring TV's "worst cartoons ever", as well as over 350 hours of other programming on all aspects of comic books and pop culture.
Like most comic book conventions, Comic-Con features a large floorspace for exhibitors. These include media companies such as movie studios and TV networks, as well as comic-book dealers and collectibles merchants. Like most comics conventions, Comic-Con includes an autograph area, as well as the Artists' Alley where comics artists can sign autographs and sell or do free sketches. Despite the name, artists' alleys can include writers and even models.
Academicians and comic industry professionals annually hold the Comics Arts Conference at Comic-Con, presenting scholarly studies on comics as a medium. Educational forums such as the Comics Arts Conference help Comic-Con maintain its non-profit status.
Exclusive collectibles
In the 21st century, the convention has drawn toy and collectibles designers who sell "Comic Con Exclusive" products. Such companies have included
Hasbro,
Mattel, and
Sideshow Collectibles. Most such exclusives are licensed properties of movie, comic book, and animation characters.
In the media
Comic-Con International has served as the setting for
Mark Hamill's
, and for
an episode of the
HBO television series Entourage, the latter of which, while set at the event, was not filmed there. Comic-Con also served as an excuse for the fictional characters
Seth Cohen and
Ryan Atwood's trip to
Tijuana, Mexico in the first season of TV series
The O.C. The convention also featured prominently as a setting for the
Numb3rs episode "". In Season 4 of
Beauty and the Geek, an episode was featured where the contestants travelled to Comic-Con 07 and were given a challenge to create their own superheroes. In an episode of
Punk'd, Hilary Swank gets Punk'd after an "attack from talking robot." In season five episode six of the Showtime show
Weeds, attendees from Comic Con 2009 are seen in Silas and Doug's medicinal marijuana club. It has been reported that a mock up of the external area near Hall D of the Convention Center depicting Comic Con will be shown in the
movie Paul which will be starring
Simon Pegg and
Nick Frost. Issue #72 of The Invincible Iron Man (published by Marvel Comics in the fall of 1974) was set at the July-August, 1974 Comic-Con at the El Cortez Hotel. The issue features cameos by a few of the special guests.
Quotations
Mark Evanier on the first Comic-Con venue:
Evanier on an early spillover venue:
Issues and criticism
Crowding
Capacity attendance at Comic-Con in 2006 and 2007 has caused crowding issues. Concerns have been that the event is possibly too massive for the
San Diego Convention Center, Comic-Con's home through at least 2015. In 2006, Comic-Con for the first time, had to close registration for a few hours on Saturday to accommodate crowds. In response, for 2007, Comic-Con introduced a new three-day membership that did not include Saturday. Nevertheless, the 2007 show went on to sell out Saturday, as well as Friday and Sunday for the first time. Additionally, both the four-day and three-day memberships sold out for the first time. For 2008, the three-day memberships were abandoned and the convention decided to sell memberships only in advance, with no on-site registration.
In 2008, all memberships were sold out before the convention for the first time ever. This sellout has given rise to the new phenomenon of Comic-Con memberships being scalped for exorbitant prices on websites such as eBay.
In April 2008, David Glanzer, Comic-Con's director of marketing and public relations, commented on the organization's desire to remain in San Diego:
Heidi McDonald reported on her blog The Beat as of October 7, 2009 Preview Night for the 2010 show has already sold out. Glazner explained the early sell-out:
Mark Evanier on his blog News from ME noted as of November 9, 2009 all 4-day passes for the 2010 show had already been sold out.
On February 23, 2010, The Orange County Register reported that the larger Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim would be making a bid to become the new home of Comic-Con starting in 2013. On September 30, 2010 Comic Con announced that they have extended their stay up to 2015.
The North County Times reported on July 26, 2010 that 4-day passes with access to Preview night for the 2011 Convention sold out two hours before the 2010 convention closed.
Locations and dates
Comic-Con Magazine
Comic-Con Magazine, formerly known as
Update, is the official magazine of San Diego Comic-Con International,
WonderCon, and
Alternative Press Expo, published free by San Diego Comic-Con International in the United States. The origins of the
Comic-Con Magazine come from a short
one-shot issue of
The Spirit, based on Comic-Con, and sold exclusively in 1976 at the San Diego Comic-Con International. The
Comic-Con Magazine debuted as
Update in July, 2005 and mainly focused on the winners of the
Eisner Awards. The last
Update issue was on July, 2008 and went on hiatus.
Update came back as
Comic-Con Magazine, which not only covered San Diego Comic-Con International, but also
WonderCon and the
Alternative Press Expo, more commonly known as APE. The new
Comic-Con Magazine features interviews with Comic-Con attendees and complete coverage of the Comic-Con events. The fourth issue of
Comic-Con Magazine will be a hybrid with Comic-Con's Souvenir Book with cover art by
Alex Ross, in full color and exclusive to Comic-Con attendees.
See also
Fandom
Science fiction convention
Comic Art Convention
Notes
References
San Diego Comic Convention Souvenir Book 1994 (offline)
The "Secret Origin" of San Diego's Comic-Con International
External links
The early days of Comic-Con, Variety, July 11, 2008
Comic-Con 2010: Best Pics - slideshow by Life magazine
Comic-Con 2010 - slideshow by The First Post
Comic-Con's Dorf watches sadly from the sidelines as T-shirts trump talent, San Diego Union Tribune July 16, 2006
Keeping the intangibles Maggie Thompson's memories of Comic-Con, Comics Buyer's Guide, Jan. 2009
Comic-Convention Memories
Crashing the Con A Documentary on San Diego Comic-Con International 2008
Category:Multigenre conventions
Category:Culture of San Diego, California
Category:Recurring events established in 1970
Category:Comics conventions
Category:Visitor attractions in San Diego, California
![Tron : Legacy - Official Comic Con Teaser Trailer [HD]](http://web.archive.org./web/20110424191049im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1AwvuirSEAA/0.jpg "Tron : Legacy - Official Comic Con Teaser Trailer [HD]")
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