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Comic-Con: What a Show!

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A look at the popularity of San Diego's largest convention

In a 1943 survey, comic book readers were usually boys under the age of 18. That was long before Comic-Con’s first convention, at the U.S. Grant Hotel in 1970. Then, a whopping 300 people attended what was called the “Golden State Comic Book Convention.” Today, things are different, way different!

People who read comic books today are under and over 18, and include women over 30, men over 50, teens, young adults and kids. Let’s see, did I leave anyone out? POW!

With more than 120,000 pop culture devotees in attendance this year, there are autographs, films, games and, of course, comic books and real-live comic book heroes, cars and the people behind the pages to meet and greet.

It’s a treasure trove for fans of every imaginable comic book collectible ever assembled. My fave, MAD magazine’s longest-running cartoonist and creator of that popular dim-witted barbarian Groo, Sergio Aragones, will be there along with Nicola Cuti, the writer/editor and co-creator of E-man, and Lew Sayre Schwartz, artist for Batman. This is only the tip of the iceberg of comic book culture heroes. You want to see greats? Sheldon Moldoff, artist for Batman and Detective Comics, will join June Foray, who is a voice actress for Rocky and Bullwinkle.

This will be not only Comic-Con’s 40th convention, but also the 35th Comic-Con Masquerade — a special show indeed! The Masquerade has come a long way since it started out many decades ago as a simple costume party, evolving into a bigger and flashier stage-extravaganza drawing giant audiences. Contestants bring their artfully crafted costumed personas to life in elaborate and clever presentations of drama, humor, surprises, simulated battles, and even choreographed song and dance. Costuming is an integral part of the popular arts, from movies, comics and fantasy art to computer games, stage shows, toy collectibles and more.

From fantasy to horror/supernatural, sci-fi, action/adventure, humor, crime, real life, history, myths, legends and Japanese comics, there is something for every taste and whim in today’s Comic-Con.

Let’s face it. If you’ve been anywhere near the convention center, site of the current Comic-Con this weekend, you wonder, “What’s with these freaks dressed up in super-hero costumes, carrying on like...?” Comic book and pop culture fans seem to get a bad rap. But since comic books began in the ’30s, the popularity of superheroes has grown steadily and, from the looks of Hollywood’s attendance at Comic-Con, there’s no sign of it stopping.

It’s the 50th anniversary of Green Lantern, Rocky and Bullwinkle, the 75th anniversary of the Great Adventure comic series. Imagine this: Terry and the Pirates by Milton Caniff, Mandrake the Magician by Lee Falk and Phil Davis, Red Barry by Will Gould, and Alex Raymond’s three great strips Flash Gordon, Secret Agent X-9, and Jungle Jim all started in 1934 — along with Al Capp’s Li’l Abner, too! And Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Usagi Yojimbo are 25 years old! Marvel Comics celebrates 70 years — GADZOOKS!!

Not to be left out, there's even an Apple iPhone App for this year’s Comic-Con, available free, of course, through the Apple App store. It’s your official Comic-Con digital guide to this year’s extravaganza.

What would a Dr. San Diego blog be without some psychological understanding of this event? Of course there’s a psychological understanding to comic culture fans. Research demonstrates that comic fans are true art lovers above all. You probably overlook the fact that these fans love illustration and visual art. They do spend endless hours viewing diverse art styles spread across thousands of pages. Comic book fans love art so much that they devote their time and resources to pursuing it in single issues, graphic novels, t-shirts, posters, and with action figures and statues (both forms of sculpture, mind you). The 120,000-plus in attendance have great respect for storytelling. You will see fans at Comic-Con rewarding the creators who tell the most engaging tales with awards, accolades, loyalty, and adoration.

Of course you can’t help but notice fans’ love for the imaginative. And don’t confuse imagination with detachment or delusion — imagination means the ability to envision multiple possibilities across many different situations. Comic book fans crave inspiration — whether it’s visual, artistic, emotional or spiritual — you’ll see it all especially among the superhero followers who want to improve the world around them by helping others. This speaks to their sense of justice as well. If you get cornered by a comic book fan who can’t stop talking about a particular favorite genre, it’s not because they’re weird or stupid — it’s because they want to share something with you that’s given them something special. They are generous, sensitive, detail-oriented and above all, very passionate people.

These are the folks visiting San Diego this weekend. For the time of your life, a chance to look back beyond Archie and Jughead, to experience pop culture at its finest in comic’s finest American venue, don’t miss this year’s Comic-Con. It’s Mardi-Gras, Halloween and every celebration you can invent, all wrapped up in one.

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