San Diego Comic-Con’s first full day is the freshest. Excitement and energy fill the air. Attendees are joyous, while exhibitors, eh, exhibit vitality that will be long exhausted by the event’s close. I expect sense of relief for many; last week, the event committed to another two years here—through 2018.
The Con started in San Diego, where it has been since. The first gathering, on March 21, 1970, was the one-day Golden State Comic-Minicon, held at the U.S. Grant Hotel. A three-day fest followed from August 1-3. Guests included science fiction luminaries Ray Bradbury and A.E. van Vogt. One hundred people attended the first and 300 the second conventions.
Among today’s attention-getters:
- William Shatner, reading from The Autobiography of James T. Kirk
- “Dr. Who” panel, where new doctor Peter Capaldi makes his Con debut
- Sneak peak at November movie “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2”
- “The Last Ship” panel (this is a Navy town, and actress Rhona Mitra is on stage)
Today, and the next three, people will wait in lines most everywhere, particularly for anything taking place in Rooms 6 A through E and 20, or Hall H. Kevin Dooley captures the spirit in this photo shot on July 14, 2012, using Canon EOS 40D and 105mm lens. Vitals: f/2.8, ISO 640, 1/1600 sec. I picked the pic for its beautiful bokeh and well-chosen focal point that together make for fine composition. See his Comic-Con 2009 and 2012 album/sets for more. From Chicago, Ill., but living in Chandez, Ariz., he joined Flickr in February 2007.
Photo Credit: Kevin Dooley