What is Comic-Con?
By Josh Hill
This week, thousands of fanboys will descend on San Diego for a convention called Comic-Con, but just what exactly is this mystical geek mecca?
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Every July, when the sun is out and the weather is warm, comic book fans, toy collectors and movie goers alike will descend upon San Diego to huddle inside of convention centers to talk about the thing they love most — geekdom. From comic books to television shows like Game of Thrones and films like Star Wars, Comic-Con is the mecca for all things nerdy and it’s one of the most intense weekends of the year when it comes to news, previews and overall awesomeness.
Not everyone is aware of what Comic-Con is though, but there’s no need for your confusion to continue. It’s never a bad time to get in on Comic-Con and all the fun it can offer fans.
What is Comic-Con?
Comic-Con isn’t actually one single event, it’s a term designated for comic book conventions that have expanded over the years to include panels about popular television shows and films that attract the fanboy audience. There are Comic-Cons all year long, but the San Diego Comic-Con is the Super Bowl of comic conventions, and that’s why this week’s event in San Diego is commonly referred to as simply Comic-Con.
The reason the San Diego Comic-Con is so huge is because it’s the event that major studios in television, films and comics roll out their material for the upcoming year.
For instance, this year actors, directors and writers from Star Wars Episode VII, Batman V Superman, The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones will be holding panels where they take questions from the audience about what to expect when the films hit theaters or the shows return to television.
In years past, studios like Marvel and Warner Bros have used Comic-Con to make announcements on future movies they plan to make. In 2013, Warner Bros made the surprise announcement that Batman vs. Superman would finally be coming to the big screen and last year they revealed a first look at costumes, a sneak peak trailer and other goodies.
Marvel used Comic-Con to annouce Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2013 and revealed plans for future films last year.
Basically, if you want to know something about an upcoming film or television show that you’re geeked out about, and you want it directly from the horses mouth and not a rumor blog, Comic-Con is where you want to be tuned in.
It’s literally Christmas in July.
Why Should You Care?
Comic-Con isn’t just a comic book convention where people come dressed as their favorite heroes or villains. It’s a place for fans of something they are passionate about to interact with the creative forces behind that project and vice versa. Films and television shows are not like baseball and football games where you can have active interaction with players you love and root for.
This is a rare chance for fans of shows like Game of Thrones, The Flash and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to meet the actors and writers who bring them the show they love. It’s a chance for Star Wars fans to ask questions to J.J. Abrams, Mark Hamill and others about the movies they’ve made and the ones they will make.
It’s a really special time of the year, one that is both filled with exciting announcements but also endearing moments between fans and creators. They don’t cross paths often, but the time spent between the two groups is what makes Comic-Con so special for all who attended.