For the past 46 years, Comic- Con International in San Diego, or SDCC has become the destination for fans of comics, movies and science fiction. This year, the event took place from July 21 to July 24. Each year, thousands of fans head to the San Diego Convention Center to have merchandise signed, watch panels and walk the floor. Here are some fun facts about the event and the different things that fans flock to see.
1. The first official San Diego Comic-Con was a three-day event, which was held 46 years ago from August 1 to August 3. The original event was called San Diego’s Golden State Comic-Con.
2. The first Hollywood panel at SDCC was, appropriately, about Star Wars. Charles Lippencott, the film's marketing director, showed off slides from the film. Reportedly, only a handful of attendees showed up. The capacity for the 6th Annual San Diego Comic- Con in 1975 was approximately 3000.
3. The convention’s full name, Comic-Con International: San Diego was first introduced in 1995. Prior to this, the event went through two more name changes. Before settling on the final name, the event was called San Diego’s West Coast Comic Convention in 1972 and San Diego Comic-Con in 1973.
4. The last day of San Diego Comic-Con is Kids Day, which features film festivals, events and family friendly activities for children ages 12 and younger (who get into the convention for free with a paid adult admission).
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5. Attendance in 2015 was 167,000 people. The first comic con had 100 people.
6. SDCC moved to its current home at the San Diego Convention Center in 1991. Before moving to the convention center, the event was hosted at the El Cortez Hotel in downtown San Diego.
7. The non-profit organization in charge of comic- con, San Diego Comic Convention, also hosts WonderCon. WonderCon is a convention that is similar to Comic-Con International and it takes place in Anaheim.
8. Each Year, Comic-Con hosts a masquerade. This event honors and showcases the creativity and costuming abilities of the attendees. The winner of the masquerade receives a $1,000 prize and a medallion. In 2015, a group with Haunted Mansion themed costumes won the “Best In Show” prize.
9. The masquerade is not the only event that features fans in costumes. On the convention floor, which is where autograph and merchandise booths are displayed, fans dress up as their favorite characters and walk around the convention.
10. SDCC is the place to where many studios and production companies announce and release sneak peaks of upcoming projects. This year, Warner Bros. released the first poster for the upcoming Wonder Woman film and also displayed costumes from their movie “Suicide Squad,” which will be released in August.
11. At SDCC, movies and comics are not the only entertainment platforms featured. Panels from different television shows, like “Game of Thrones,” “Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD,” and “The Walking Dead” were a part of this year’s comic con.
12. Other cities, like Los Angeles have tried to bring the convention into their cities. Comic-Con International’s original contract with San Diego has the convention taking place in the city until 2016. Comic-Con International and the city of San Diego were able to renegotiate this contract into keeping the convention in the southern California city until 2018. At the moment, the next destination for the convention is unknown.
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The International Comic-Con in San Diego has been a staple in geek culture, and since the first convention in the 1970s, fans have been making plans and goals to go to the coveted convention. Every year, more and more people travel to San Diego to visit and celebrate the things they love, and in the future, these numbers will continue to grow.
