Since this past Wednesday night, the night of Comic-Con's four-hour preview before officially starting on Thursday, I have barely been able to tear myself away from my computer. I've been following entertainment sites like Entertainment Weekly and First Showing religiously, both on their actual sites and via Twitter. I've been watching video footage and looking through all the photos. I'm even watching G4's live coverage of the convention as I type this.
Over the years, Comic-Con has evolved from just another comic book convention to the ultimate destination for fans of not only comic books but video games, animation, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, collectibles, film and television.
Particularly in recent years, this convention has exploded in popularity. Entertainment reporters and bloggers cover the event extensively. Some filmmakers are now relying on Comic-Con to give their movies an extra boost by offering exclusive panel discussions and screening early footage.
Jon Favreau has stated he thinks Comic-Con is part of what made the first "Iron Man" film such a success. If a genre film garners strong buzz at Comic-Con, it's almost guaranteed to be a hit.
The first Comic-Con took place in 1970 and drew 300 attendees. This year's convention is expected to attract 125,000. So what caused this convention to evolve into such a juggernaut?
As Comic-Con expanded its offerings, it certainly also expanded its audience. But genre films have flourished since 2000, soaring in popularity and gaining hardcore fan followings. Comic book adaptations have become box office gold. "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Rings" have generated even more interest in fantasy while the "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" fan bases are just as strong today as they were in the franchises' early days.
Sci-fi-infused programs like "Lost" and "Chuck" have huge cult followings, and "The Twilight Saga" is attracting more young women to the convention. In the age of Youtube, Comic-Con is also getting exposed to a wider audience. Panel discussions are filmed and streamed on Youtube for fans at home to see, and some screenings are even bootlegged and uploaded to the video sharing site.
Whatever the reason, it's clear that this year's Comic-Con is going to be just as explosive as last year's. Fans who made the trek to San Diego had the chance to sink their teeth into sneak peeks from "Lost," "True Blood," "Chuck," "Dollhouse," "The Hobbit," "District 9," "Avatar," "Iron Man 2," Disney/Pixar, "New Moon," "Jennifer's Body," "Alice in Wonderland," "Tron Legacy," Lucasfilm's "Star Wars" spectacular, Kevin Smith and "Where the Wild Things Are," just to name a few.
Check out these awesome photos from the Wednesday night floor show courtesy of SlashFilm, and this photo gallery of fans and panels from the Chicago Tribune.
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1 comment:
Thank you so much for explaining Comic-Con! I have definitely been curious and never really knew how big a deal it was until Twilight was born. It's amazing that it started with 300 people...I wonder how many of that 125,000 were there to see Rob and Taylor without their shirts. ;-)
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