Games - Comic-Con International

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Comic-Con International, commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, is an annual multigenre convention founded in 1970 by Shel Dorf. It is traditionally a four-day event (Thursday through Sunday) held during the summer in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center.

Originally showcasing comic books and film, the convention has expanded over the years with exhibits on other popular arts, including science fiction, fantasy, animation, collectible card games and video games. The convention is the largest of its kind in the United States, with an estimated 104,000 individual attendees in 2005. In 2006, the convention will take place from July 20 to July 23.

Since 1974, Comic-Con International has bestowed its annual Inkpot Award to guests as well as to members of Comic-Con's Board of Directors and convention committee. It is also the home of the comic-book industry's Will Eisner Awards.

History

Having originated in the basement of the U.S. Grand Hotel with an estimated attendance of 300 people, according to the 2005 souvenir book, Comic-Con has grown to a massive annual event featuring guests from a variety of comic book, film and pop-culture industries.

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.

Traditional events include an eclectic film program, screening rooms devoted to Japanese animation, gaming, and the Comic-Con International: Independent Film Festival, as well as cartoonist Scott Shaw's "Oddball Comics" slideshow and animation expert Jerry Beck's Friday-night program featuring TV's "worst cartoons ever".

Like most comic book conventions, Comic-Con features a large floorspace for exhibitors. These include comic-book dealers (both local and otherwise), media companies (the largest of which were, in 2005, DC Comics and Lucasfilm) and other merchants.

Like most large comics conventions, Comic-Con includes an autograph area where fans can meet media stars, and an "artists' alley" where comics artists can sign autographs and sell or do free sketches for fans. Despite the name, artists' alleys can include writers and even models.

The San Diego Comic-Con is the name of the non-profit organization that organizes and puts on the convention. Comic-Con International also puts on two other conventions, WonderCon and the Alternative Press Expo (APE), both held in San Francisco, California.

Trivia

In 2002, Ben Affleck and Arnold Schwarzenegger ran into each other as they were being led through the back areas to separate panels promoting their then-upcoming movies Daredevil and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Comic-Con International ]

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