The 43rd annual Comic-Con International pop-culture convention held at the San Diego Convention Center began on Thursday. Since people were anxious to see the event, the organizers began the festival with an action-packed preview night on Wednesday, says Reuters.
The preview night was just as crowded as the first day of the Comic-Con International Festival as there were many fans both inside and outside the convention center. The Wednesday evening, however, did not reveal all the surprises prepared for the event. The convention center was filled with shops offering free souvenirs and limited edition toys available only at Comic-Con.
Chris Hardwick, TV host and founder of the Nerdist website, described the Comic-Con festival as the safest place for a nerd to be. He stated that he likes organizing this event because it gives nerds the possibility to express themselves freely without being afraid that they might be judged by other people. According to Hardwick, the preview night was not just about showing people what they should expect, but rather about bragging.
Visitors were happy to play the games that some of the companies provided, such as, the kids’ card game called Yu-Gi-Oh! Others, however, preferred to get Cartoon Network posters and collectibles for free. Disney, Warner Brothers and other major companies delighted their fans with bright displays, giveaways and other surprises.
Andy Gore, chief of Quantum Mechanix, a company that sells miniaturized souvenirs recreated after the fictional world of movies, told the press that the first night was the most interesting one as the convention center was packed with the latest products. He even compared the first night of the Comic-Con Festival with the Christmas evening in order to better express the significance of the event.
Collectibles were well-received by customers. Some of the distributors finished all their products within the first hour of the festival’s preview night. Visitors will be able to view interesting presentations about the final “Twilight” installment and the popular book “Fifty Shades Of Grey”. The Festival will continue until Sunday.
