If you are among those who have not had the pleasure of attending San Diego’s infamous Comic-Con International event in the past, the following is a short list of what you can expect to find this year:
- Panels, seminars & workshops with comic book professionals
- Portfolio reviews with top comic book and video game companies
- Evening events including award ceremonies, the Masquerade and costume contests
- Previews of upcoming feature films
- The Independent Film Festival, which showcases short & feature length movies that don’t yet have distribution deals.
Comic-Con returns to the San Diego Convention Center on July 21-24, 2011, with a special preview night on July 20. As the premier event in the entertainment arts industry, Comic-Con boasts an exhibit hall that spans over 460,000 square feet, and a high attendance that outranks any other convention in the country! The 4-day convention brings together a celebration of popular arts ranging from movies and TV, to comic books, fantasy art, Broadway shows and even computer games, toy collectibles and more. For artists and producers this event has become a fundamental occasion as Comic-Con features the best short independent films in a variety of categories each year. In addition to pre-screenings, experts present a special programming track focused on independent film making, complete with “how to’s” and tips that you won’t find anywhere else.
With numerous micro-events taking place throughout the week, it is hard to “do it all”, but make sure not to pass on the Masquerade – it is by far the most unique part of the convention (in our opinion)! Typically held on Saturday, the Masquerade is anything but your casual party. The event is presented as a competition complete with a Master of Ceremonies, a panel of guest judges from costume-related fields, impressive trophies, and even cash awards for the best costumes! While many costumes are re-creations from film, anime, games and comics, completely original designs are welcome as well.
As with each year prior, you can expect some old favorites, new surprises and even a premier or two at this year’s Comic-Con! Doesn’t that sound like an event worth attending? You can find a full list of 2011 special guests, exhibitors and complete event details by visiting www.comic-con.org.