New York may have had a good go at it this year, but the biggest event of the comics world was, is, and will be again this year San Diego Comics-Con.
Continuing a long term trend, manga-ka, or manga artists, will be a large presence. In Japan these artists have a status only accorded to rock and movie stars here and in Europe. Of course, in Europe, comics artists and scripters have the exalted status accorded writers. In the US they have to settle for a large and devoted fandom, plus mere riches, if they are lucky. Very lucky.
As is usual, the freebes and give-away special printings will more than equal the cost of membership, and the crush on the floor—more than a hundred thousand people are expected to attend—will be incredible. Fans come to the lure of meeting the writers and artists one on one, and often tell them what they like and don't like, and also what they hope to see.
For artists, writers, publishers, and dealers it is the one must go to event of the year, where new comics ideas are marketed, new publishers work to establish a presence, and dealers look over what's up and coming for what they will chose to stock.
It's not just small companies that feel obliged to come: Disney will have an entire museum plus a major presence for its Pirates of the Caribbean series; DC will be working to get out the news about Stan Lee's Sci-Fi Channel series, in which people compete to become a character in an upcoming book.
Preview night for pre-registered members is July 19th, with the main convention running through the following Saturday night.