It's the BookExpo America for comics nerds, a head-spinning circus of pop culture with comics at the core. Every year it seems that the San Diego Comic-con (officially known as Comic-con International: San Diego, or CCI:SD) can't top itself, and yet somehow it still does. This year's show runs July 17—20 and will bring together everything from a salute to the 25th anniversary of the graphic novel to a spotlight on Hugh Jackman to promote next year's film Van Helsing. What started 30 years ago as a comics show where comics fans could buy back issues and maybe get them signed by the artist is now a cutting-edge exhibition of what's new and exciting that draws industry professionals and fans from around the world.
Every year the show gets bigger and bigger. This year's edition boasts 900 exhibitors spread out over 450,000 sq. ft., both up significantly from last year. And, unlike BEA, Comic-con is a consumer show as well, and draws huge crowds of fans. Last year's attendance was 63,000—up 10,000 from the previous year—and this time out, a similar number is expected, according to David Glanzer, director of marketing and PR for the show. The explosion of interest is due partly to the comics/Hollywood film connection, of course. But comics remain the driving force of the show.
Naturally, the anchor of the show is displays by major comics publishers, from DC Comics and CrossGen to Tokyopop and Top Shelf, who have author signings and previews of all their major projects. But increasingly, film studios and video game companies are appearing to hype their products. "They can market their product to an amazing demographic that has disposable income," said Glanzer. Comics-related companies taking part include Bandai, Pioneer Home Video and Hasbro. Artisan, which is releasing next year's Punisher movie, will have a display, as will several other studios.
"The show is a fantastic venue for announcing new projects and pumping existing ones," said Jim Lee, editorial director of DC imprint Wildstorm and the artist on the bestselling Batman graphic novel, Hush. "In fact, if you can keep a project a secret until the show, the news actually spreads the fastest since everyone in the industry is there. Also, over the years, as more and more Hollywood types have come looking for new projects to option, the show has become a great place to pitch your ideas."
To that end, the convention includes a vast programming track that covers everything from upcoming movie releases to making costumes. This year's highlights include the aforementioned panel on the 25th anniversary of the graphic novel, which includes Will Eisner (Fagin the Jew), Eric Shanower (Age of Bronze), Colleen Doran (A Distant Soil), Craig Thompson, (Blankets) and designer Chip Kidd (Mythology). The 25th anniversary is calculated from the 1978 publication of Eisner's A Contract with God—a somewhat arbitrary but useful demarcation.
Other programming themes of note include the 25th anniversary of Elfquest, Wendy Pini's classic fantasy saga of nomadic elves, which DC Comics will soon be re-releasing; and the 10th anniversary of DC's Vertigo imprint, home to such book trade staples as Sandman and Preacher. Author Neil Gaiman is a featured guest and will be on hand to promote several upcoming comics projects.
Other guests include Eisner; author R.A. Salvatore, promoting CrossGen's line of Demon Wars comics; Simpsons creator Matt Groening; writer Grant Morrison; and Carla Speed McNeill, the cartoonist behind the acclaimed SF series Finder.
Another huge attraction will be the Lord of the Rings Pavilion, a hit last year but, like everything else, even bigger this year, with displays from Houghton Mifflin, New Line Cinema and Sideshow/WETA, among others. The big attraction for Tolkienistas will be an appearance by Andy Serkis, who plays Gollum, who will put on his motion capture suit and demonstrate how it's done, precious.
Manga and anime have traditionally been well represented in San Diego, and this year will be no exception, with Viz, Dark Horse and TokyoPop fielding extensive booths and an anime film festival running all four days. And look for Random House to unveil its plans to produce a line of manga graphic novels (News, June 23) through its science fiction and fantasy imprint Del Ray.
The Eisner Awards ceremony, on Friday night, always the social highlight of the show, will feature a keynote speech by Gaiman. Awards administrator Jackie Estrada notes that the awards themselves have been redesigned for 2003, by digital imaging studio Gentle Giant.
Of course, Hollywood's fascination with comics provides one of the most dynamic areas of growth. "I think the Hollywood connection has just increased the general public interest in attending the show," Estrada noted. Glanzer attributes the show's growth to the simple fact that people have a good time and to good word of mouth. "Comics have really permeated a whole lot of popular arts and video games and movies and ancillary licensees. The truth of the matter is that the majority of people who come to the show are males who are 18—34, but we are seeing more older and younger people," said Glanzer. "In the last five years, there has been a definite increase in female attendees. The demographic is not just people who are into comics, but people who go to the very first showings of movies, people who like the newest gadgets, people who are cutting edge. When you look at the floor, you'll see people in Star Trek costumes, but also people in board shorts. It's really kind of an alternative crowd."
As a kind of public fan-fest, the San Diego show develops a frantic melting-pot vibe that can be exhausting for guests. Lee cites the positive aspects of the whirlwind: "As a creator myself, it recharges the creative batteries—the energy, passion and enthusiasm of the fans powers you up." It can also be draining, however, as Gaiman, making his first appearance at the show since 1999, pointed out. Immensely popular with his fanbase, Gaiman knows the show is a necessary but exhausting experience: "For me, it's like being a nice maggoty log attending a woodpecker convention. There are certainly a lot of people there."
Despite Gaiman's pragmatic outlook, for those who can muster the energy to check out the entire 10-acre show, it's sure to be an illuminating experience.
