Artists, Bloggers, Marketers, and Fans - Online at Comic Con '07

The world of Comic Con prior to the onset of major film interests has always been considered the hallowed ground of the œnerd. Those attending the four day celebration of all things comic-related were for the most part dismissed as a gathering of folks loyal to a genre of entertainment outgrown by the general public; subsequently, attendance at Comic Con has mostly been curtailed throughout the years to hardcore fans. However, in the past decade, crowd numbers for Comic Con International in San Diego have reached a milestone high, totaling more than 100,000 fans including the Internet's blogging community. This potent increase in the fan base embarking on the exodus to the San Diego Convention Center on July 24 this year can be attributed in part to the film industry's increased interest in comic characters as the basis for new film franchises. The success of the Spiderman and Batman franchises, as well as others, has attracted mass studio interest in the possibilities of comics as film. On the other hand, this has attracted the collective interest of comic fans as to the situation of their favorite comic characters as interpreted off the page. This year, filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg, Jon Favreau, and Comic Con (CC from here on out) veteran Kevin Smith spoke to their fans about comic projects, the state of the industry, and literature destined for the big screen. In the midst of this plugging of projects, were the bloggers. Film sites such as Cinematical.com, JoBlo.com, and IGN.com dispatched writers bound for CC, offering outsiders a full view of convention and the news and exploits therein. This window into the world of comic obsession was meticulously documented by the online blogger community, either with real time live blogging, a synopsis after the event, or both. Topics of extreme importance requiring constant blogging included the new Indiana Jones movie, Batman film The Dark Knight, and J.J. Abram's (creator of Lost) new film. Most impressive were the connections established between the physical, on site presence at CC and the Internet presence concerning marketing efforts, especially an online and on site marketing effort for The Dark Knight. A website was announced featuring a locations latitude and longitude, reported by the bloggers, as set up by the film's villain, the Joker. Oddly enough, these coordinates indicated the outside of the San Diego Convention Center, where CC attendees and others were treated to a Joker make over, their pictures now posted on the site (see pics at www.rent-a-clown.com). Information on J.J. Abrams new film, possibly entitled Cloverdale, has also been highly sought by online bloggers and the crowd at CC. A poster was revealed to answer questions brought about a two websites launched featuring vague descriptions and chaotic images of a possible New York City invasion via monster. This symbiotic relationship that seems to have formed between the efforts of online marketers and the bloggers helping spread the excitement results in a win-win situation for blogs and online marketers alike, website content for word-of-mouse. Whereas CC this year relied on interactive presence to assist in marketing efforts, the Internet's public also relied on these bloggers and devotees for the new information on their favorite comic characters, upcoming films by favorite filmmakers, and in some cases, online marketing ideas and innovative concepts.