The growth of the Comic Convention

Comic Con 2018

From small beginnings in 1970 as a convention for comic book enthusiasts the Comic-Con has grown to an annual event which has International and local get-togethers. The Comic-Con conventions bring casino online gaming enthusiasts, science fiction aficionados, comic book fans and other enthusiasts of fantasy literature and programming together to share their passion for a special genre of entertainment.

In 2018 the International Comic-Con will be held in San Diego where it all began. Thousands and thousands of hard-core enthusiasts will gather with those whose hobby involves comic and game fun and fantasy as well as with the merely curious to talk, learn, discuss, explore and enjoy their hobby with like-minded individuals.

Some things that you might want to know:

Overview

The International Comic-Con is organized by Comic-Con International (CCI), a non-profit organization which invites individuals devoted to comics, movies, and fantasy literature and entertainment to join together in a convention of epic proportions. The presentations encompass all forms of entertainment including television, video games, anime, horror and more. The convention regularly attracts over 130,000 attendees.

The San Diego convention (commonly abbreviated as “SDCC” — not to be confused with the San Diego Convention Center Corp). SDCCC, which hosts the event, is the biggest “comics” convention in North America.

Time

There are Comic-Con conventions around the world In addition to over 2 dozen gatherings in North America there are Comic-Cons in Australia, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia Romania, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Brazil  and the UK.

The SDCC was the first convention and continues to be the largest, drawing participants from around the world. It’s generally held in the summer and is held over a four-day period.

Tickets

Tickets, called “badges” can be purchased through the Comic-Con website. Creating a Member ID is a prerequisite to obtaining a badge. You can create your Member ID at any time, even if you’re not ready to purchase a badge, just to make sure that you’re on the mailing list to receive updates.

If you’ve attended a previous Comic Con you can register for a returning member’s ticket online. Returning ticket purchasers can buy up to 3 tickets through their returnee status.

To purchase a ticket for a new Comic Con attendee, go to the site and fill out the registration information.

You can also volunteer to become a Comic Con Volunteer. In return youj’ll be awarded a free ticket. Thousands of people volunteer to help Comic Con run smoothly and the organization, which is a non-profit, is dependent on these volunteers. If you are chosen to be a volunteer, you receive a complimentary ticket for one day and you can then pick your preferred day for which you’ll receive a 3-hour assignment.

To Do

There’s non-stop action at the Comic-Con. You can play games, watch TV or movies or enjoy the nightlife during your Comic-Con adventure. There are celebrity appearances, an exhibition hall with hundreds of booths from big Hollywood studios and small mom and pop comic vendors. Many of these booths hand out free give-aways and host celebrity signings along with other events that attract interested parties.

Here are also awards and film screenings during the convention. Once an individual has purchased a ticket s/he can attend all of these events for free. Some of the events include the annual Eisner Awards, the Independent Film Festival, a Masquerade, the San Diego International Children’s Film Festival and more additional private events keep the party running all day and all night throughout the Comic-Con weekend.

Attendees can find the programming schedule online two weeks before the convention date. When you purchase your ticket, you won’t know exactly who will attend or what the schedule will involve. However, many of the exhibitor booths in the convention center have their own giveaway or autograph schedules and you can find out what those schedules are through the companies’ websites.

Exclusives

There are specific toys, comics and other collectibles that are available only at the Comic-Con convention. That means that only a limited number of these items were produced and they are sold or given away only at Comic Con. They include:  figures with variant coloring, comic variants (issues with different covers from what was available in retail),  and statues and molds that aren’t available anywhere online or in any shop.

The packaging of these items are often “exclusives” of their own and ilnvolve new artwork or special display packaging. Many people come to Comic-Con specifically for these collectibles which they keep as part of a collection.