Since when did Comic-Con become cool?
The 2012 Comic-Con attracted 130,000 attendees, on par with some of the biggest music festivals in the world.
Only there were six batmobiles parked outside this event...
From humble beginnings...
The San Diego International Comic Convention started way back on 1970, attracting just 300 visitors over an August weekend.
In the beginning, it was all about comic books, but, over the last 40 years, Comic-Con has evolved into an enormous pop-culture celebration involving costumes, fans and Hollywood notables.
What's the deal with the mass appeal?
The secret to the San Diego International Comic Convention appears to lie in the diversity of it's attractions. It has an inclusive mentality that brings people from all over the world to San Diego for the three-day event. In short, there seems to be something for everyone, regardless of whether or not you know the name of every Pokémon.
Add to that the fact that "geek-chic", though not a new idea, has been popularised by TV shows such as "The Big Bang Theory" and "Glee".
A lady loves a vampire
Over the past few years, the number of female attendees has soared, in part due to the Twilight phenomenon. Other reasons include the fact that vampires and werewolves have taken over major TV networks in recent years with shows such as "The Vampire Diaries" and "True Blood".
Other sci-fi shows such as "Doctor Who" have also increased in popularity on both sides of the pond. What woman could resist the Doctor should he ever ask for a new companion?
Of course, there are a few die-hard fans who are a bit resistent to the Hollywoodisation of Comic-Con.
"Vampires don't sparkle , they burn," said a disgruntled fan according to American radio station NPR.
Hollywood arrives
Hollywood blockbusters have also played their part in expanding the Comic-Con demographic. Movies such as "IronMan", "Batman", "Kick Ass" and "Salt" have brought some of Hollywood's finest to the event to talk about their roles and answer questions from fans.
In the last few years, stars including Angelina Jolie, Colin Farrell, Milla Jovovich, Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig have all attended the event. It appears that even Hollywood loves a good fancy-dress competition, after all isn't that what actors do for a living?
Before he was Spiderman, he was Peter Parker...
But Comic-Con remains true to its roots.
Aside from huge blockbusters, the Comic-Con also boasts an independant film festival for short and feature-length films with no distribution deals. Appropriately, the Convention saves the day for a lot of up-and-coming film-makers.
The question is...
Are the geeks chic or were the chic always geeks?
Either way it seems that alternative universes, spandex, time-travel, and super-powers have become something of a mainstream dream.
