Comic-Con at 50: Bigger than ever, but at what cost?

one expected ir culture would ever become mainstream when a few hundred comic book and science fiction enthusiasts and creators gared in basement of a San Diego hotel 49 years ago for what would become kwn as first Comic-Con.

Except Jack Kirby.

“A long time ago he said, ‘One day Hollywood is going to come to Comic-Con to get its ideas,’” co-founder Mike Towry said. “That seemed pretty far-fetched to us, but Jack Kirby was pretty visionary.”

As 50th Comic-Comic kicks off Wednesday, with a big Marvel Studios panel on Saturday that’s sure to be hottest ticket in town, and Spider-Man and Marvel Cinematic Universe dominating box office, Kirby proved to be right. But it took a while for Comic-Con to really “go Hollywood.”

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“We were just looking to get toger with our fellow comic fans and some of people who created comics and science fiction we enjoyed,” Towry said of early years. “Comics back n were looked down on by pretty much everyone.”

Roy Thomas remembers being part of one of first “real movie events” at Comic-Con. In summer of 1976, artist and two or panelists took st to preview an unkwn sci-fi property that wouldn’t hit aters for ar 10 months.

It was, of course, “Star Wars” and he was working on promotional comics that Marvel would put out prior to release.

“We h a few posters. But we didn’t even have any foot,” Thomas said. “All we could do was sit re and talk about it and show a poster.”

He remembers PR guy, Charles Lippincott, trying to sell posters later for $1 apiece.

“He didn’t even sell m all,” Thomas laughed. “He ended up giving some of m away.”

Compare that to 28 years later, when Lucasfilm revealed title for final Star Wars prequel, “Revenge of Sith.” Germain Lussier, a staff writer for websites io9 and Gizmodo, remembers it being “electric.” Some 7,000 screaming people jumped out of ir seats and me a m dash to showroom floor to get one of T-shirts available at Star Wars booth.

success of original Star Wars may have a wake-up call for Hollywood.

“It me Hollywood sit up and take tice,” Towry said. And, he thinks, it began slow evolution of convention into what it is today.

For most, real tipping point for Comic-Con and Hollywood came in 2008 when “Twilight” descended on Gaslamp District. “Twihards” took fandom to a new level when y camped out overnight to secure a spot to see panel. That h never been done on that level.

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Since n, Comic-Con has been a mhouse. ways, some 135,000 people descend on San Diego Convention Center and surrounding Gaslamp District every year. re are lines everywhere for fan needs (panels, toys, autograph sessions, events) and human ones (food, bathrooms, transportation). Tickets are hard to come by, as are hotels and parking, and everything is expensive.

re are still artists on showroom floor and off--beaten path panels in spirit of those first few years. But look around Gaslamp District where every inch of has been branded by a movie, TV show, tech company or corporate brand (even down to hotel key cards and elevators), and it’s clear that Comic-Con has become one big vertisement.

“You could feel it when Hollywood really started figuring out that that this was a major publicity opportunity and targeting it,” said film critic Drew McWeeny, who started attending in early 1990s. “For me that was end of it.”

For McWeeny, intense focus on movie trailers and tidbits teased by those involved in major panels at Comic-Con, “reflects problem with overall culture beautifully: Our conversation about films happens 99% before y come out and 1% after y come out. film is almost inconsequential. Our cultural conversation is about marketing.”

For ors, Comic-Con holds value in that filmmakers get face time with fans. “It” director Andy Muschietti is returning this year with some cast and new foot from “It: Chapter Two,” which Warner Bros. and New Line will premiere at its Wednesday night ScareDiego event.

“It’s huge. You’re really getting in contact with fans, even for a brief moment,” Muschietti said. “ fans have opportunity to meet cast re that y love so much and get an autograph. I think it’s great.”

Lately, it’s become a bit of a mixed bag with just how involved Hollywood movie studios, which can fluctuate based on what re is to promote. Marvel Studios has sat out before, and this year Warner Bros. is t bringing any of its DC properties.

“I suspect a lot of studios realized that having movies at San Diego Comic-Con costs a lot of money and I don’t kw if it’s worth all that money in end,” said Perri Nemiroff, a senior producer for Collider.com and host of YouTube series Movie Talk. She also ted that studios like Disney have ir own brand-specific conventions like D23 and Star Wars Celebration.

“I do think to some degree it’s rolling back,” McWeeny said. “ best thing that can happen is Hollywood just gets bored of it and it becomes something that is really for fans again.”

Plus re’s just hassle of getting and being re. And perhaps “missing out” is longer a fear: Fans can see most of foot online soon afterward.

“It’s become so huge w, it’s almost like Yogi Berra said: ‘body goes re anymore, it’s too crowded,’” Thomas said. “That’s why I stay away. I do like it, but I just feel like maybe it’s better to stick with my memories.”

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