About Comic-Con International
The creators of the show set out from the start to incorporate not only the comic books they adored but also other popular arts they thought deserved more acknowledgment, such as movies and science fiction/fantasy literature. San Diego's West Coast Comic Convention was the moniker under which the convention was briefly known before becoming the San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) in 1973 with the fourth annual event. Comic-Con International: San Diego became the name of the nonprofit convention in 1995. (CCI).
The event has expanded to include satellite locations, including neighborhood hotels and open-air parks, as a result of attendance exceeding 130,000 in previous years in a convention center building that is at capacity. The conference in downtown San Diego has a campus-like atmosphere because to programming activities, games, anime, the Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival, and the Eisner Awards that all take place outside of the Convention Center.
Comic-Con has been the epicenter of the world of comics conventions over the years. The event continues to provide the full convention experience, with a massive Exhibit Hall (topping over 460,000 square feet in its current incarnation); a massive programming schedule (close to 700 separate events in 2014), featuring comics and all aspects of the popular arts, including hands-on workshops and educational and academic programming such as the Comics Arts Conference; anime and film screenings (including a separate film festival); games; the Will Eisner Comic Ink Awards; and the Will Eisner Comic Ink Awards.
Comic-Con has presented literally thousands of special guests at its conventions over the years, bringing comics creators, science fiction and fantasy authors, film and television directors, producers, and writers, and creators from all aspects of the popular arts together with their fans for a fun and often times candid discussion of various art forms. The event has seen an amazing array of comics and book publishers in its Exhibit Hall over the years. Over it's four-and-a-half decade-plus history, Comic-Con International has continually presented comic books and comic art to a growing audience. That love of the comics medium continues to be its guiding factor as the event moves toward its second half-century as the premier comic book and popular arts style convention in the world.
Other Events
San Diego Comic-Con has hosted a number of different conventions and events over the years, including Comic Book Expo, a retail trade show for the comics business, and ProCon, a convention for creative professionals in the comic book industry. Comic-Con held a second convention, Con/Fusion, in 1991.
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the comic book equivalent of the "Oscars," are held during Comic-Con International. The Eisner Awards, named after the founder of the modern graphic book, Will Eisner, first appeared at Comic-Con in 1987.
The Eisner Awards are presented each year at Comic-Con International at a gala event hosted at a local hotel on the Friday evening of the convention. More than a dozen categories honor the top publications and creators from the previous year. Nominees are chosen by a blue-ribbon committee from hundreds of entries submitted by publishers and creators, who are then voted on by members of the comic book industry.