Comic-Con celebrates 50 years of Comic Fandom

By Amy Leong

Deep within the darkest realms of the most villainous schemes, floating strangled on the top of the highest, most-deadly altitudes with the road 50 floors below you, and straying from the haunting hour that seems to await you until safe inside the arms of someone you know and love is finally here. The world is not crumbling to your feet just yet. As you realize the world is lifting, many hearts are awaked and exuberant at your arrival, and most importantly, the savior. The green hair, purple jacket, and wide cherry-lipped smirk is no match for the one and only Batman, returning to the city of San Diego to celebrate his victory with his fellow fans and citizens.

With the heroes back in town, the people celebrate their 50th year of heroism. Held at the San Diego Convention Center from July 21-24, Comic-Con reunited comic lovers at its greatest height, spreading the action and adventure to all registered participants. With creators of over hundreds of comic books signing autographs and selling their products, the characters came alive not only through the artists themselves, but also the smorgasbord of legendary costumes. Both groups and individuals animated themselves into their familiar childhood heroes, while others expanded on their favorite movie picks or anime characters.

Photos by Amy Leong

However, while these characters strolled through the halls and rooms of the convention center, so did famous actresses and actors of upcoming movies. Upstairs rooms included engaging panels between the cast, directors, and producers, giving a taste of the film’s plot without giving away the surprise ending. Some panels even showed clips or music videos for the audience to get a closer look for a preview that could only be viewed at Comic-Con itself.

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But seeing the stars is no easy task. Try getting past thousands of fans rushing to the area. Try waiting or even camping overnight in the line that leads to your favorite celebrity. And last but not least, try waiting these whole 6 hours or more, and then hearing “Sorry, the room is full.” For the movie Twilight, these statements stand true, but Sony pictures presenting their 4 new movies: Ghost Rider, 30 Minutes or Less, Total Recall, and The Amazing Spider-Man was not far behind the wait time, adding another 4-5 hours waiting, just waiting under the heat of the afternoon sun.
Although, for those who are not interested in long lines, there are art demonstrations and other comic book panels for those interested in learning, ranging from the future of Riverdale to Resident Evil to Advanced Digital Inking Techniques. Held in the smaller rooms of the facility, these sessions are easier to get in with almost no wait time, while being just as intriguing for those rock hard fans. For most, free comic books were given after the session, but if you went to a TV show panel premiere, larger gifts such as t-shirts, foldable chairs, and jackets were handed out, continuing the saying, the smaller the better since the larger rooms with long waits did not offer such rewards.

For those who are interested in shopping or buying the latest comic books however, there is much in store for you. Other than people shoulder to shoulder at your every turn, over hundreds of booths await you from comics, t-shirts, and company stands. Not to mention the enormous 2.5′ by 3′ bag strapped onto your shoulders given by Comic-Con at the beginning of your day. Some freebie flyers, lanyards, and comic books were also handed out, while the artists signed their products at certain hours of the day.

As the highlight of Comic-Con’s majorly featured events, however, costumed fans showed off their style at True Blood’s sponsored Comic-Con International Masquerade. Over 30 contestants brought their best designs along with performance, recreating the action of their character, or even humorously bringing in modern day era to galaxies thousands of years ago. Some characters brought to the stage included Star Wars, Mad Hatter, Princesses, Knights, and more warriors inspired from video game characters. But that night, nothing was more powerful than the crowd’s rave for the intricate designs of the showcased pieces of art.

With Batman joined by Justice League, Spiderman, and many other great heroes, the sun will rise once again in the heart of San Diego. Evil has been fought and destroyed, the perils conquered, and the villains deceased. You stand on firm ground, this time awaiting for the moment of heroism to strike again. Try July 12-15 at the Convention Center for the arrival of justice to be attained, for the true justice aspires us all.

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