SAN DIEGO Let's just call it Mega-Con

Tens of thousands jam comic book convention

By Renee Haines - For the North County Times | Thursday, July 24, 2008 7:56 PM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO –--- Ready to define the future of pop culture for the rest of the country, tens of thousands of fans jammed the San Diego Convention Center for Day 1 of the sold-out 39th annual Comic-Con International on Thursday.

Movie stars, writers, artists and video-game makers showed off films, graphic novels and products that won't be available to the general public for months ---– all in hope of making their wares word-of-mouth hits.

"The comic books, sci-fi — all of it — has taken over our entertainment commerce in this country," said Greg Goldstein of Carlsbad, one of the 125,000-plus fans attending this year’s four-day mega event. "The biggest movies have been influenced by this culture."

Comic-Con has been a pop-culture testing ground since audiences in 1976 viewed color slides to promote the release one year later of Star Wars, Goldstein said.

"They call it a geek fest, but what it is, is a reluctance to say the geeks have won," Goldstein said to nods of approval from the long lines he had joined to attend one of dozens of panel discussions on upcoming movies.

Actor Mark Wahlberg, heading one panel to show clips from his upcoming film, "Max Payne," likened the enthusiastic cheers of his audience to concert crowds.

"This is like doing a concert in Japan," Wahlberg told his audience.

Actors Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly smiled at the shouts of "I love you" directed at them during a preview of their upcoming film, a remake of "The Day the Earth Stood Still."

Fan Todd Rice of Sterling, Va., had expected to give the remake a thumbs-down.

"But I think it was pretty clever to make the ships more organic, to make them look like planets," he said. "This is a remake with clever ideas."

As at every Comic-Con, hundreds of fans attended dressed in elaborate costumes based on their favorite comic book and science fiction movie characters.

Adam McElroy of Temecula spent two years perfecting his Star Wars Storm Trooper costume.

"I've always loved Star Wars," he said as he posed for photos with attendees.

Cameron Naiman of Poway was dressed up like one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from the children's animated television series.

"I like the Ninja turtles and all the old cartoons I grew up with," Naiman said.

Mary Fleener of Encinitas, who calls herself an underground comics artist, was there looking for new inspiration from her fellow comic book artists and writers at hundreds of exhibit booths.

"There are more women now, too," said Fleener, who has been attending Comic-Con since 1986. "It used to be almost all men."

Comic-Con also is about the swag ---- free comic books, pins, toys, posters and giant bags to hold it all. Fans were carrying giant "Wonder Woman" bags and sporting T-shirts promoting television's "Stargate" franchise. Customers also waited in long lines for hours to buy limited-edition toys.

For more information on Comic-Con, visit the organization’s Web site at www.comic-con.org.

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