San Diego Comic Con International Profile

Name
San Diego Comic Con International

Nicknames
CCI (Comic Con International)

Dates
Typically near the end of July. Comic-Con is scheduled for July 22-26 for 2009.

Check their website for details.

Days
It starts on a Wednesday for preview night and officially starts on Thursday. The convention ends on Sunday.2009 - July 22-26

Hours
Wednesday: 6pm-9pmThursday-Saturday: 10am-7pmSunday: 10am-5pm

Cost
$75 for all four days. (already sold-out)

Location
San Diego Convention Center
111 W. Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92101

Contact Info
Hotline - 619-491-2475
Fax - 619-414-1029

Website

www.comic-con.org

Attendance

Over 100,000 people attend the convention each year.

About This Convention

The Comic Con International has become the largest pop-culture convention in the world. What began as a simple comic book convention has splashed over into video games, movies, television, manga, and many other areas. It is still very much a comic book convention, where one can buy comics and other related merchandise, mingle with comic book creators, hear the latest gossip, announcements and rumors, but it is also a place to see Hollywood celebrities, pitch comic book ideas, get noticed, party, and participate in the largest geekfest in the known world.The CCI is also the home of one of the best known comic book award ceremonies, The Eisner Awards, named after comic great Will Eisnerhttp://www.comic-con.org.

Main Attractions
The San Diego Comic Con International has many attractions for the visitor. Here are some of them.

• Buying Comics
• Meeting Creators
• Comic Book Panels
• Eisner Awards
• Masquerade – Costume Contest
• Portfolio Reviews – For Aspiring Artists
• Gaming
• Film Festival
• Art Show Art Auctions
• Sketches
• Buying Comic Related Items

Why You Should Go
Comic Con International is the superbowl of the comic book world. It is the largest and perhaps most influential comic book convention out there. The sheer amount of announcements, sneak peeks, and information that is given at CCI is a reason in and of itself to go to this convention. Whether you are a professional looking to connect with your fans, a buyer looking for that killer prize, a fan wanting to meet their favorite creator, or a wanna be comic creator looking for that way in to the business, CCI is the place to be.

History
The San Diego Comic Con International was started by a group of comic book fans in the San Diego Area. The first convention was held in the basement of the U.S. Grant Hotel with an attendance of 300 people. It’s first guests, according to an article by Scott Shaw, one of the con originators, were, Forry Ackerman, Mike Royer, Jack Kirby, Ray Bradbury, Bob Stevens, A. E. Van Vogt. At that time, the convention was a three day event.

The convention has moved about throughout the years, going from the U.S. Grant Hotel to the University Of California At San Diego and finally to the San Diego Convention Center. In that time, it has grown to an attendance of over 100,000 people and has expanded to four days. It has become the largest comic book convention in the world.

The Comic Con International is also host to what has become known as the Oscars of the comic book world, The Eisner Awards. The Awards were started out by an employee of the publishing company Fantagraphics named Dave Olbrich. Originally called the Jack Kirby Awards, they first ran in the 1988 convention. When Olbrich left Fantagraphics, there was a parting of ways as to how the awards should progress and the awards were split into two different ceremonies. Fantagraphics started their award ceremony, known as the Harvey Awards and Olbrich continued his awards, under the new name of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards. They have since become one of the most respected comic book awards out there.

The Comic Con International has grown by leaps and bounds, both in attendance, and coverage. Some people feel frustrated with the convention, saying that it has strayed too much from its comic book roots. Others welcome the additions, feeling that the added coverage by the media with the influx of other material only brings more spotlights onto the world of comic books.

Despite what a person feels about the direction that the convention is going in, no on can dispute the immensity of the thing. It is huge. For four days, comic book fans all around the world come to share their enthusiasm for the medium that continues to delight fans of all ages. It is truly a spectacle of comic book fandom.