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San Diego, U.S.: Like wannabe Dark Knights answering the call of the "bat signal", throngs of grown men wearing tights and capes converge this week to revel in all manner of superhero lore and merchandising at the 39th annual Comic Con Convention.
More than 125,000 people are expected to attend the four-day event which opened yesterday, to indulge in a veritable feast of the latest in comicrelated books, movies, toys, games and memorabilia.
Tickets to the convention, which has grown to encompass large doses of science-fiction, fantasy and comedy fare as well as the more traditional comic book genre, sold out months ago and are being scalped on the Internet for upward of US$400 (S$544) apiece, organisers said.
Many attendees admit they come for the traditional Superman fan club soirees, rare memorabilia exhibits, and panel discussions on topics such as the "Klingon Lifestyle", derived from the famous Star Trek TV series.
However "the Con", as it is known among fans, has changed considerably since its inaugural meeting nearly four decades ago, when about 300 geeky fans milled around piles of musty comic books.
Long catering mostly to men, many of whom dress as their favourite superheroes, the event has sought in recent years to attract more women and families.
Hollywood studios, in particular, have turned Comic Con into a major event for various film and TV promotions that now account for about a quarter of the convention's offerings.
With blockbuster films like the Batman sequel, The Dark Knight, heating up the summer box office and rocketing the superhero genre to new heights, Comic Con has become a key marketing platform for studios seeking to tap the media-savvy, word-of-mouth enthusiasm of comic book devotees.
"When fans are excited about something, they become evangelists and, in turn, they become buzz-builders at a very grassroots level, and that is an extremely valuable asset in this cluttered environment," Warner Bros Television Group executive Lisa Gregorian told Reuters.
For example, Warner is going all out to promote J.J. Abrams' upcoming sci-fi TV thriller Fringe, which debuts this year on the Fox network.
An extended pilot for the series will be shown at two different venues, Ms Gregorian said.
Mr Jeffrey Godsick, marketing president for specialty studio Fox Walden, said Comic Con is "bigger than Sundance" and "more like Cannes" in terms of the variety and the worldwide exposure it offers as a showcase for new films.
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