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San Diego Convention Center<br>San Diego, California
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1970 to present
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http://wwwcomic-conorg
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, commonly known as '''Comic-Con''' or the '''San Diego Comic-Con''', is an annual
Multigenre Fan Convention founded as the San Diego Comic Book Convention in
1970 by Shel Dorf. It is traditionally a four-day event (Thursday through Sunday) held during the summer in
San Diego, California , at the
San Diego Convention Center .
Originally showcasing
Comic Book s and
Film , the convention has expanded over the years with exhibits on other
Popular Arts , including
Science Fiction ,
Fantasy ,
Animation ,
Collectible Card Game s and
Video Game s. The convention is the largest of its kind in the
United States , with an estimated 104,000 individual attendees in 2005. In 2006, the convention will take place from July 20 to July 23.
Since 1974, Comic-Con International has bestowed its annual
Inkpot Award to guests as well as to members of Comic-Con's Board of Directors and convention committee. It is also the home of the comic-book industry's
Will Eisner Awards .
Comic-Con originated in the basement of the U.S. Grant hotel in 1970, with an estimated attendance of 300 people, according to the 2005 souvenir book. It later was held at the El Cortez hotel before eventually moving to the convention center
Along with panels, seminars, and workshops with comic book professionals, there are previews of upcoming feature films, portfolio review sessions with top comic book and video game companies, and such evening events as awards ceremonies and the Masquerade, a costume contest.
Traditional events include an eclectic film program, screening rooms devoted to 's "Oddball Comics" slideshow and animation expert
Jerry Beck 's Friday-night program featuring TV's "worst cartoons ever".
Like most comic book conventions, Comic-Con features a large floorspace for exhibitors. These include comic-book dealers (both local and otherwise), media companies (the largest of which were, in 2005, DC Comics and Lucasfilm) and other merchants.
Like most large comics conventions, Comic-Con includes an autograph area where fans can meet media stars, and an "artists' alley" where comics artists can sign autographs and sell or do free sketches for fans. Despite the name, artists' alleys can include writers and even models.
is the name of the
Non-profit Organization that organizes and puts on the convention. Comic-Con International also puts on two other conventions,
WonderCon and the
Alternative Press Expo (APE), both held in
San Francisco, California .
- Mark Evanier on the first Comic-Con venue "I never stayed in the old U.S. Grant [hotel but it was the scene of the first San Diego Con, which I attended way back in 1970, back when we thought it was mobbed to have 500 comic fans in the same place at the same time. The hotel was undergoing a massive renovation then as well, but was merely upgrading from Extremely Shabby to merely Somewhat Shabby. The place I still miss is the El Cortez Hotel, where the con was held for several years in the seventies. I'd say the place was a dump but that would be demeaning to dumps. Still, it was a fun dump, run by a management that didn't seem to care all that much what we did to it."
- Evanier on an early spillover venue "In the seventies, when we all started going to San Diego Comic Book Conventions, back when they called them that, [the Hotel San Diego was a frequent venue for con events. Some years, before it outgrew any available hotel ballroom, the Inkpot Awards presentation was held there. There were many memorable parties and gatherings, such as in 1982 when a group of Jack Kirby 's friends staged a memorable surprise birthday party for him in one of its halls. Perhaps some year, you were either so hard up for money or so desperate for an available room (or both) that you even booked into its sadly deteriorating accomodations. It was one of the cheaper places to sleep and con-goers took advantage of that up until June of 2001 when the building was declared structurally unsafe and was closed down."
- March 21, 1970, U.S. Grant Hotel (as Minicon)
- Aug. 1-3, 1970, U.S. Grant Hotel
- Aug. 6-8, 1971, Muir College, University Of California, San Diego Campus, La Jolla , California
- Aug. 18-21, 1972, El Cortez Hotel
- Aug. 16-19, 1973, Sheraton Hotel, Harbor Island , California
- July 31 - Aug. 5, 1974, El Cortez Hotel
- July 30 - Aug. 3, 1975, El Cortez Hotel
- Nov. 7-9, 1975, El Cortez Hotel
- July 21-25, 1976, El Cortez Hotel
- July 20-24, 1977, El Cortez Hotel
- July 26-30, 1978, El Cortez Hotel
- Aug. 1-5, 1979, Convention and Performing Arts Center {Link without Title} U.S. Grant Hotel
- July 30 - Aug. 3, 1980, Convention and Performing Arts Center {Link without Title} U.S. Grant Hotel
- July 23-26, 1981, El Cortez Hotel
- July 8-11, 1982, Convention and Performing Arts Center {Link without Title} Hotel San Diego
- Aug. 4-7, 1983, Convention and Performing Arts Center {Link without Title} Hotel San Diego
- June 28 - July 1, 1984, Convention and Performing Arts Center {Link without Title} Hotel San Diego
- Aug. 1-4, 1985, Convention and Performing Arts Center {Link without Title} Hotel San Diego
- July 31 - Aug. 3, 1986, Convention and Performing Arts Center {Link without Title} Hotel San Diego
- Aug. 6-9, 1987, Convention and Performing Arts Center {Link without Title} Holiday Inn on the Bay
- Aug. 4-7, 1988, Convention and Performing Arts Center {Link without Title} Omni Hotel at Horton Plaza
- Aug. 2-5, 1990, Convention and Performing Arts Center {Link without Title} Holiday Inn on the Bay
- July 4-7, 1991, San Diego Convention Center {Link without Title} Pan Pacific Hotel
- Aug. 13-16, 1992, San Diego Convention Center {Link without Title} Doubletree Hotel
- Aug. 19-22, 1993, San Diego Convention Center {Link without Title} Doubletree Hotel at Horton Plaza
