Every year in July, San Diego becomes host to the modern-day phenomenon known as Comic-Con. If you have never been to Comic-Con, the best way to describe it is a fantastic event populated by enthusiatic fans dressed up as their favorite super hero. There are innumerable distractions and vendors all hawking their wares and vying for your attention.

It is a spectacle of the first order, but it is also a uniquely egalitarian event with celebrities often accessible to the fans in a way that would never take place in any other situation. This weekend I attended Comic-con on Saturday and had the pleasure of meeting Kevin Sorbo who stars in "What If...", a film that was produced by one of our professional jurors, Dallas Jenkins.

There is a serious side to Comic-Con too, and if you want to learn what it is like to work in a given aspect of the film or entertainment industry as a creative talent, there is probably a panel somewhere that will allow you to meet people working in a given field and allow you access to ask questions. I made a point to attend a panel in which concept artists and costume illustrators discussed their work and showed their artwork for films on which they had worked. It was fascinating to see the concept art that eventually leads to the images we see on the silver screen.

Comic-Con is a spectacle indeed, but with a little digging it is also a great opportunity to talk with knowledgable experts and people who are happy to share their personal experiences with appreciative fans.

Stay tuned!
Rich Bagdazian