Picture credit: Germain Lussier
San Diego Comic Con rolled into full swing last weekend. Unlike many of the other Comic Cons elsewhere in the world, it was, as usual, a massive event that attracted thousands upon thousands of fans of comics, films, pop culture and more. Shows like Game of Thrones often trot out the stars of the show for panels, and big budget films and franchises often have Comic Con exclusive trailers. This year, the best brand event was pulled off by Star Wars, which not only premiered a panel, a Behind the Scenes video, but also a John Williams concert for 6,000 ecstatic fans. Now that’s how you get people excited about your product. For more coverage, check out the many articles on io9, or check out the Comic Con 2015 Playlist below:
About San Diego Comic Con
Probably the biggest event of its kind in the world, SDCC regularly sells out and has to be booked far in advance. A nonprofit organisation, it began in 1970 when a group of comics, movie and science fiction fans decide to hold an event in South California. According to SDCC:
The show’s main home in the 1970s was the fondly remembered El Cortez Hotel in downtown San Diego. In 1979, Comic-Con moved to the Convention and Performing Arts Center (CPAC), and stayed there until 1991, when the new San Diego Convention Center opened. Comic-Con has been at home in that facility for over two decades.
With attendance topping 130,000 in recent years—in a convention center facility that has maxed out in space—the event has grown to include satellite locations, including local hotels and outdoor parks. Programming events, games, anime, the Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival, and the Eisner Awards all take place outside of the Convention Center, creating a campus-type feel for the convention in downtown San Diego.