It Happens at Comic-Con

<p> This collection of 13 new essays employs ethnographic methods to investigate San Diego's Comic-Con International the largest annual celebration of the popular arts in North America. Working from a common grounding in fan studies these individual explorations examine a range of cultural practices at an event drawing crowds of nearly 125000 each summer.</p><p> Investigations range from the practices of fans costuming themselves to the talk of corporate marketers. The collection seeks to expand fan studies exploring Comic-Con International more deeply than any publication before it.</p>