Nerdy, fun, and fabulous, the internationally known, massive pop culture event that is San Diego Comic-Con had fairly humble beginnings. Starting with a group of a few hundred people in the basement of a hotel, SDCC now sprawls throughout downtown San Diego, drawing in more than 130,000 fans and dozens of A-list celebrities. Comic-Con exploded in popularity in the aughts, nearly doubling in size from 2001 to 2005, shortly after the success of The Lord of the Rings.
While it’s not necessarily a comic-book-exclusive event, Comic-Con glorifies its roots with ceremonies, memorabilia, and awards like the Inkpot. While a lot of people now know SDCC has a cosplay-celebrating space where Hollywood woos comic fans, for many years it simply remained a consistently fun space for artists to meet their readers face-to-face. Today, the con has more than 50 years of rich history. Explore it with this short timeline!
Infographic by: highrises.com