Comic-Con 2010: Getting autographs would be my top priority

If comics are a hobby that many parents expect their children to outgrow, then why are the big kids in Hollywood making movies and TV shows based on comic books and graphic novels such as Iron Man 2 and The Walking Dead? Mothers might as well face it: Comic books are a big business that almost borders on religion, and this will be evident at Comic-Con 2010 in San Diego, CA from July 22-25.

If you've never heard of Comic-Con, then you obviously don't read FoxTrot by Bill Amend (shame on you!). However, you do have a chance at redemption, since he will be selling (probably autographed) prints at Comic-Con 2010.

I like to collect autographs, so if I could attend Comic-Con 2010 this week, I would get Spider-Man comic books, R is for Rocket and The Illustrated Man, autographed, and I would ask the original Battlestar Galactica actors to sign my wife's box set (I always need brownie points). There's a long list of artists, actors, and writers who are scheduled to attend and give autographs, including Dirk Benedict, The Million Dollar Man, China Miéville, Douglas E. Richards, J. Michael Straczynski, and Tanya Huff.

At Comic-Con 2010, you might also:

• See and possibly meet a celebrity guest such as Stan Lee, Ray Bradbury, Neal Adams, Felicia Day, or Charlaine Harris.
• Attend the Masquerade, which is a fancy way of saying a geeky costume contest. Some attendees will look like they just came from a movie set, while others will look like scruffy Nerf herders. I would definitely dress up as a zombie after what happened recently in Oregon. (The photo to the right is from Comic-Con 2008.)
• Get to see the premiere of a trailer for a geeky movie or TV show.
• Shop for that anime the kids want or that signed limited edition Green Hornet print you want (events like this are why I'm on a budget — do I buy food or the print?).

For Geekend readers planning to attend Comic-Con 2010 in San Diego (it is one of the member-recommended geek vacations), what are you most excited to see or do? (One tip: You might want to stop by the CBS StarTrek.com booth.) If you'd like to attend Comic-Con 2010 this week but cannot, what activity and/or panel discussion would be on your wish list? Answer the poll question and then share your thoughts in the forum.

Comic-Con photo galleries on TechRepublic

• Comic-Con 2009: The geeks dress up to meet the stars
• Scenes from New York Comic Con 2009
• Comic-Con 2008: See fans in all their geeky glory
• The best costumes at NYC ComicCon