Reports from the comic convention floor were all but encouraging. Fans turned out in spandex-clad droves to attend panels for upcoming films like Iron Man 3, Antman, and for some reason the final Twilight installment. However, the focus on comics seemed to be missing. That’s not all that was missing either. Booths seemed to be in short supply of heavily anticipated swag. One Southern California native who braved the crowd simply to get a San Diego Comic Con Exclusive Antman and Giant Man Heroclix figure went home empty handed and disappointed because, despite heavy promotion and a one purchase per person policy, the booth sold out before noon. He did get his hands on two other bits of fun that did almost make up for it.

   Topps nine-card set of Mars Attacks collectors cards

This item hits the list for two reasons. First, it’s fun swag that is drawn by the current comic book artist John McCrea. Second, it was distributed in a fun way. Collectors had to hit nine different booths to collect all nine cards. Some might call this a goose chase,  but the fun of it is that each booth is promoting a different artist. That helps the artists get some attention and keeps things at the convention focused on comics.

 Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope DVD

This film by Morgan Spurlock follows fans of last SDCC as they dive into the fun. It follows a costume designer, two artists, a fan, and a comic distributor as they try to make their dreams at Comic-con come true. Chuck Rozanski adds heart to the film as he shows the painful side of comic book sales at a convention where games and pop-culture movies are gradually choking the cash flow for true comic book fans. The best part of this film comes as we watch James Darling nervously waiting for his chance to propose to his girlfriend in front of a packed assembly hall with Kevin Smith’s help. His girlfriend teasingly suggests that he ask Kevin Smith if he would marry her, and James expression makes the whole DVD worth while.

Despite high demand and short supply, these  items helped focus Comic Con and it’s fans on the real draw for the event: comic books. They show that it is possible to promote comics with other media but don’t use that media to take fan attention away from the comics.

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