The definition
A comic book convention (or comic con) is an event with a primary focus on comic books and comic book culture. Modern comic cons have grown to cover a much wider range of pop culture, including:
- Movies and TVMajor studios use cons to promote upcoming blockbusters.
- Video gamesDemos, tournaments, and retro gaming setups.
- Anime and mangaJapanese animation and comics have a huge presence.
- CollectiblesToys, statues, trading cards, and rare items.
Originally gathering places for fans to trade comics, they are now multi-media festivals celebrating fandom in all its forms.
What happens at a comic con?
If you have never been to one, walking onto the show floor can be overwhelming. These are the main pillars of almost every comic con:
Cosplay
Short for "costume play." Fans dress up as their favorite characters from comics, movies, or games. It is a huge part of the visual spectacle.
Panels
Question and answer sessions with actors, writers, and artists. These range from huge halls with movie stars to intimate workshops on how to draw comics.
Artist Alley
The heart of the con. A section dedicated to independent artists selling prints, sketching commissions, and meeting fans directly.
Vendor hall
A massive marketplace. Rare comics, shirts, action figures, swords, fan art, and pretty much anything geeky you can imagine.
A brief history
The first official comic book convention was held in 1964 in New York City. It was a small gathering of fans trading issues. San Diego Comic-Con, now the most famous convention in the world, started in 1970 as the Golden State Comic Book Convention with just 300 attendees. Today it draws more than 130,000 people a year, and conventions run in almost every major city on earth.