Writer and comic book fan Kevin Sharp of Palo Alto regularly attends such comic book conventions as San Diego Comic Convention,
also known as Comic-Con International: San Diego. The show, which began life as
the Golden State Comic Book Convention in 1970, takes place over four days each
summer at the San Diego Convention Center. Attendance regularly exceeds
120,000; in 2017 the convention drew over 130,000. Comic Con originally started
as a gathering of comic book fans, dealers, and creators, but its scope has
grown along with is attendance; comic books are now only one aspect of the
show, along with videogames, television, movies, toys, and animation. The
convention’s annual cosplay Masquerade contest includes such awards as Best in
Show, Most Humorous, Best Young Fan, and Best Re-Creation.
Comic-Con’s organizers are also responsible for two smaller
conventions: WonderCon and APE (Alternative Press Expo). WonderCon was
originally held in Oakland, CA, before moving to San Francisco. Construction at
the city’s Moscone Center led to the convention moving to Southern California
in 2012. APE is a convention for independent and self-published comics and
cartoons; it has been held in both San Jose and San Francisco since its
inception in 1994.
In 2016, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and his partners
started the Silicon Valley Comic Con in San Jose. The convention is a blending
of comic books, genre media, and technology. Fans at the show might meet a star
from a Marvel movie, along with an esteemed AI programmer; an artist at the
show might find themselves signing comic books across the aisle from NASA’s
booth. The show’s theme for 2018 is “What Does It Mean to Be Human?”
