San Diego hosts 46th Comic-Con convention
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E-mail CNTV, July 13, 2015
It's all dress-up and make-believe in San Diego with the return of the largest Comic-Con convention of all. It's when the most dedicated cosplayers get to go all out with exuberant costumes and artwork.
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It's all dress-up and make-believe in San Diego with the return of the largest Comic-Con convention of all. |
San Diego Comic-Con only seems to get more popular every year, and Day One is when all of the fans are flocking in full force. With over 130,000 in attendance, there is topping over 460,000 square footage of conference halls and exhibits to traverse. This year, it's all about the cosplay and artists.
Fans are inundated with stimuli at Comic-Con and it's a wealth of entertainment riches. It's impossible to walk anywhere without seeing at least one photo opportunity, either with an uncanny cosplayer, a banner that jumps off the wall, or a colorfully interactive exhibit.
Hardcore fans have been waiting ever since the last Comic-Con ended for this one to begin. Not only do they have a long to-do and to-see list, they also are ready in full cosplay regalia, showing off the costumes that they have spent weeks and for some, months, preparing for the big day.
"Dressing up is just one of my hobbies and something I enjoy doing, and it's a good outlet for creativity, and I just really love this character. This one took about a year to make on and off and getting in takes about 15 minutes. We've got it down to an art now. It requires a couple of friends," said a comic-con attendee.
"To get into it, it took me three hours to get dressed this morning. And I don't know how long it took…I paid my mom to do it because she's really good so I think she spent like 60 hours," said a comic-con attendee.
With over four hundred exhibitors selling primarily comic books and science fiction/fantasy related film, television, and similar popular arts, the convention now includes a larger range of pop culture and entertainment elements across virtually all genres. One booth that is a constant favorite at Comic-Con is for Lego, featuring life-size Lego creations of popular movie characters.
"We're really excited to get in front of our fans and show them some really new and exciting things that they can't see anywhere else. So we do giveaways, some exclusive sets you can't find anywhere, and we show these life-size models like we have right behind us. This is Owen, or Chris Pratt from Jurassic World, so it's something really cool for us to do, and fans love seeing these," said Amanda Santoro, brand relations manager of Lego.
Fans are hungry for knowledge and they will get to satiate their appetites with panels featuring their favorite stars and creative masterminds at Hall H, the venue that houses the longest line at Comic-Con and the biggest crowds – five-thousand in all. There they experience a treat of first-look trailers, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, and of course, an open floor for questions.
It's not only about the movies, though, as President and Chief Marketing Officer of Warner Brothers TV Lisa Gregorian said. She alluded to the equally strong presence for the TV shows and shared what goes on in preparing the stars to meet their fans.
"Sometimes it happens and there's a slip-up and they let things out, but you know what, you're with the fans. These are the guys that love you, the guys and girls that love you, and you kinda want to give them a look under the hood. You want to give a little bit away, you don't want to hold everything back because these are the people that you're here to see and share that information with. We don't encourage them to hide a lot. We try to tell the talent and producers to share as much as they possibly can. And this is the place to do it," said Lisa Gregorian.
Artists Alley, where fans can meet their favorite artists, is busy from the minute the floor opens. Artist Todd Nauck was happy to give autographs and pictures, exclaiming over how being at Comic-Con is a much different experience than his daily routine.
"It really means a lot because when I do my comics out of my studio, I'm behind my drafting table working in a solitary environment, so when I get to come to Cons and meet people and see how much they appreciate it and enjoy my work and getting to know me and me getting to know them, it really helps build up the community, more so than just artists' fans, so it's just really special," said Todd Nauck, an artist.
Comic-Con is officially up and running and it's clear that fans are very excited that the big Con is finally here. With the largest crowds on record, it just keeps on outdoing itself every year.
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