What is Comic-Con?

By Tracey Anderson

When people talk about a “comic-con,” they’re usually referring to a comic convention — an event where comic fans, creators, and experts congregate to attend panels, participate in discussions and attend parties, centred around comics. The very first comic convention was held in New York in July 1964, but the movement really started gaining popularity in the 1980s. In recent years, these conventions have become more popular, and often expand to cover television shows, movies, and other forms of art and fiction that are more mainstream. There are comic conventions all around the world, including the UK run by many different companies and they all offer slightly different things. Some are enormous, attracting big name stars from Hollywood, while others are more low key events, paying more attention to niche publications and shows. Hundreds of thousands of people attend the conventions every year. There is a revival of interest in comics, and graphic artists are becoming more well known, as they showcase their work on social media. In addition pop culture is now inundated with comic book projects, and fans of mainstream films and computer games often find their way to more quirky, unconventional publications via this route. The million dollar question is often, ‘Do you have to dress up to go to a comic convention?’ No, but many people do and it’s called cosplay. Its not a requirement but it’s great fun. Because convention are so popular now tickets are often limited and can sell out very quickly, so you need to buy early if you want to attend one of the big, popular events. In addition because of the expansion to include more movies and TV shows, fans of these productions e.g. Buffy or Twilight often show up just for that feature, which locks out the die-hard comic book fans, the people the events are designed for. Sometimes its better to head for the smaller events because the experience is more personal. But the fact is that geek culture has gone mainstream. Guardians of the Galaxy and Dark Knight are no longer the preserve of comic book nerds. Five reasons to attend a Comic Con The Special Guests - The chance to meet your heroes in the flesh. Actors from movies, TV shows and anime, writers, and graphic artists. Games – computer games and board games feature large at some events but not at others, so if you love games, look for a convention which goes big on them. Merch – T-shirts, magazines, artwork, autographs, books, memorabilia, costumes and more. Comic conventions are a great place to indulge your love of all things nerdy. Cosplay – Half the fun is admiring all the amazing outfits. Some people buy them but many are handmade with exquisite attention to detail. This is next level nerdiness and it’s awesome. Comics – Of course. That’s kind of the central idea. There will be thousands of titles available and I guarantee there will be some you’ve never heard of, even if you are a committed comic fan.