Comic-Con International is both the name of the non-profit organization which organizes the San Diego Comic-Con, WonderCon and the Alternative Press Expo and one of the names used to refer to the organization's annual San Diego event.

The organization was, itself, founded in 1970 with a comic book convention that drew 300 people. Today, the organization's most well-known event, the San Diego Comic-Con, draws 125,000 people to "celebrate the ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture". USAToday: Comic-Con: Where 'nerd has become normal'

The San Diego Comic-Con features panel events dedicated to comic books, films and television shows as well as an exhibit hall featuring comic book publishers, collectibles dealers and movie studio promotional booths.

The convention is also the site of the annual Eisner Awards, which recognize creative achievements in the comics industry, and the Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival.

Over the past several years, Comic-Con has become an important promotional platform for movie studios wishing to generate early buzz for upcoming sci-fi and comics-based films.

Confirmed guests for Comic-Con 2008 include Sergio Aragones, Mike W. Barr, Lynda Barry, Ed Brubaker and Todd Klein. A list of special guests is updated online at the Comic-Con 2008 website.

• You cannot register for Comic-Con on site. You must purchase your badge online well in advance of the event. (Last year, certain days sold-out.)

• If you are traveling to San Diego, consider staying away from downtown in neighborhoods like Old Town, which is accessible via the trolley which stops right outside the Convention Center.

• There are a limited number of food vendors in the Convention Center. Bring water and snacks.

• Events you want to attend will conflict with one another. Pick what you really want to see, arrive early and plan on waiting to get into the hall or auditorium.

• Wear comfortable shoes.

• Comic-Con International News

• News from Wired and San Diego Union Tribune<grouprss>http://news.google.com/news?q=Comic-Con+site:wired.com&output=rss;http://news.google.com/news?q=Comic-Con+site:signonsandiego.com&output=rss</grouprss>

• Union-Tribune: 'No room at the inn'? (2007)