41st Comic-Con 2010
By Jennifer and John Benton
Staff Writers
The San Diego Comic Book Convention,
founded as the Golden State Comic Book Show in 1970, originally
showcased comic books, science fiction/fantasy and film/television,
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 (Japanese-style animation), toys, collectible
card games such as Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokeman, video games (many of which
cross over into the comic realm or are derived thereof), webcomics,
and fantasy novels. This expansion created a buzz and piqued the
interest of film makers who grew up with dreams of intergalactic
battles and super powers. As these dreams were brought to the big
screen and their celebrity counterparts in attendance at Comic-Con,
there was a shift in the balance.
Photo: Comic-Con2: Skyline
banner in downtown San Diego by Benton
Gone were the days when people would
line up for an autograph from Silent Bob (Clerks) and David Prowse
(Darth Vader), many of the attendees today would not know who
either of these men are and would proceed to walk right past them
in a desperate search for vampires, werewolves and serial killers.
This is not to say that Comic-Con isn’t amazing, it is and you
should absolutely get a ticket for next year but the underground
cult following was now forced into the light and became an entirely
different experience.
Photo: Flynn's Arcade mock-up
by Benton
Comic Con is the largest
convention of this type in the Americas, and second largest in the
world after Angoeleme International Comics Festival in France,
filling to capacity the San Diego Convention Center with over
125,000 attendees in 2007. This year proved to yield the Con’s
biggest attendance yet, around 140,000, and overcrowding has become
a serious issue leaving the organizers of the convention no choice
but to consider other venues. Speculation is that the new location
could be Los Angeles or Anaheim where they would be able to
accommodate many more of the freaks and geeks who pour into the
city of San Diego each July. In 2008, Comic-Con director of
marketing and public relations stated, “We’ve been approached by
other cities, [but] I don’t think anyone wants to leave San Diego.
I certainly don’t. It’s a perfect fit for us.”
Photo: Comic Con crowds
The future location of Comic-Con may be uncertain, but its
popularity certainly is not. Registration for this event has been
escalating each year. I remember when we could attain 4-Day passes
up until about two months before the date. 4-Day passes for 2010
were sold out in early November. Reselling and “scalping” has also
increased, causing a need for stricter security and more controlled
registration process. As in all things, rapid growth can lead to
more problems; but attending the “Con,” as many fans call it,
surpasses any and all annoying issues that plague its growth.
Each year, Comic-Con showcases
upcoming science fiction and action movies. It’s an opportunity for
fans to get up-close and personal with props, sets, writers, and
usually the actors. This year was no exception. 2010 saw the advent
of a new advertising scheme at the Con. The downtown hotels were
actually draped with banners and signs for some upcoming films and
video games. “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” a new action comedy
starring Superbad’s Michael Cera set up shop across the street of
the San Diego Convention Center, drawing huge crowds and fans away
from the Con an into the Gaslamp. Other movies were advertised in a
huge way on the sides of the hotels. Skyline, an alien invasion
film due to be released in November, not only had a huge sign, but
bubble “people” were seen floating skyward throughout the 4 days of
the Con. Red Faction: Armageddon, a role-playing video game was
seen across from the convention center as well. Subtlety in
advertising is not common at Comic-Con. Even the rickshaw's were
bannered with comic book and upcoming film ads such as Valentine
(now a graphic novel with fans eagerly awaiting the upcoming film)
and Nikita.
Photo: Jabba the Hut
One of the biggest and most
anticipated films spotlighted this year was “Tron: Legacy.”
Directed by Joseph Kosinski, this sequel, brings back Jeff Bridges
(Kevin Flynn) and Bruce Boxleitner (Alan Bradley), and introduces
Garrett Hedlund (Sam Flynn) and Olivia Wild (Quorra). The story and
special effects promise a return to the inside of the computer
world that fans have been looking forward to. The booth at
Comic-Con had life size mock-ups of the new lightbikes and a
smaller scale, but huge nonetheless, 
Recognizer; the hovering, tank-like vehicles
which amazed us all back in 1882. In addition to the booth in the
convention center, there was a mock-up of Flynn’s Arcade, an
important location in the film, set up across from the Con in the
Gaslamp. Another opportunity for us fans to delve more deeply into
the worlds that our favorite movies have taken to for so long.
Photos above, left: Tron
Legacy lightbike by Benton Below right, Tron
Legacy recognizer by Benton
For me, as a woman, it was exciting
to see Star Wars t-shirts and jewelry designed especially for women
by Ashley Eckstein, actress and voice of Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars:
The Clone Wars. Her vision was to create merchandise for female sci
fi fans, allowing them to step into the spotlight and get their
geek on with apparel, accessories, and make up. The number of
female sci-fi fans has been growing in recent years and now Ashley
Eckstein, along with the Araca Group, has joined forces with
Lucasfilm creating Her Universe to prove once and for all that
science fiction and fantasy is not just for the boys. To purchase
or just view their entire line go to
www.heruniverse.com.
Next year’s Comic Con will prove just
as huge and I encourage anyone who thinks they are interested to
get your tickets as soon as they go on sale so you don’t miss out,
this is definitely something you have to see to fully grasp.
Photo: Ironman
For
more information or to see dates and ticket sale release dates go
to www.comic-con.org Comic
Con 2011, July 21-24, 2011. Don't Miss It!
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