Post date: Aug 14, 2011 4:39:6 PM
(★★★ out of ★★★★★)
Just in case you haven't heard of the Comic-Con [1] that takes place in San Diego every year, a comic book convention (Comic Con for short) is a fan-centric event (as opposed to other conventions, which are usually focused on those in the industry) that hosts collectors, artists, writers, and celebrities, who are all typically from the science fiction and/or fantasy genres. While I would imagine that the celebrity sessions are the main attractions for most fans, the majority of attendees probably end up spending most of their time in the main hub. The main hub is essentially a nerd's dream mall, featuring a myriad of collectors (action figures, comic books, memorabilia, etc.), comic book artists, and the occasional C-list celebrity (e.g. WWE wrestlers). People watching, of course, is a large part of the fun in the main hub, as a large percentage of those in attendance sport highly detailed (and clearly custom made) costumes of their favorite characters. In fact, the community of costume designers reminded me a lot of classic car hobbyists. Like classic car enthusiasts, the costume designers showed a clear dedication to their hobby, and Comic Con (perhaps the equivalent of a small town parade for the car enthusiast) offered them the rare opportunity to show off all of their hard work to an appreciative audience. As for the Q&A sessions, they were exactly that. The celebrity, who was up on a stage at the front of a large conference room, fielded questions from the audience, in addition to telling personal stories, for the duration of their session. Personally, I attended Q&A sessions featuring the child cast from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Doc Brown of the Back to the Future trilogy. All of the sessions were both highly entertaining and informative (particularly Patrick Stewart's), but the most surprising part of the experience, for me, was how gracious all of the celebrities were. The actors were all quite aware that the fans were the reason for the success, and they let their appreciation show. Overall, the experience definitely lived up to my expectations and gave me more motivation to one day attend the main event in San Diego.
[1] Here's a link to the Chicago Comic Con. The celebrity lineup was, honestly, pretty sweet.