Comic-con: Episode IV - A Fan's Hope

This is an affectionate behind the scenes look at the dedicated and passionate super-fans who attend the annual celebration of everything pop-culture related (Comics, Sci-fi, Fantasy, Horror, Gaming, Anime, Masquerades and fan merchandise) at the San Diego Comic-con in California, which is so much more than a comic convention and one of the largest and most popular in the world.

This documentary is directed by Morgan Spurlock, from Super Size Me (2004) fame, who recently made the product placement documentary The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011), in which he went behind the scenes of the making of his own film that was totally funded by companies who paid him to have their products shown in the film. Unlike his previous documentaries however, he never appears in Comic-con, preferring to give the spotlight to the fans themselves.

Told mostly from the perspective of exuberant fans, it follows several individuals who see themselves as fighting the super hero battle of their lives in order to be noticed and validated at the convention. It’s a job fair for nerds. There is a young costume designer who is passionate about creating costumes of video game characters for a masquerade competition, two young comic artists who are trying to break into the extremely competitive comic book illustration business by showing their work to professionals, a toy collector who has dedicated a whole room in his home to toys, a comic store owner who is conflicted about selling his most treasured and rarest comics, and a young geek couple who met and fell in love at a previous comic con and how the love struck boyfriend attempts to arrange a surprise public marriage proposal during the convention.

It’s narrated throughout with hilarious commentary from celebrity geeks who regularly attend and have a great affection for the convention since their childhood; Kevin Smith, Harry Knowles, Eli Roth, Seth Rogan, Stan Lee, Seth Green and Steve Sansweet to name a few.

This doc is similar in depth and scoop to the Star Wars doc Star Warriors (2007), as we get to follow our nerd heroes on their journey from home to the convention floor and are privy to the anxieties, hopes and mishaps of enthusiastic fans as they each attempt to make their dreams come true in front of a crowd of like-minded peers.

For people who are familiar with the comic convention scene as I am, this documentary has some surprisingly heartfelt and touching scenes. For those who are not that familiar or have never attended a comic con it will be a very illuminating and humorous experience that may make you want to get in line for the next upcoming comic con in your area.

Toronto’s own annual Fan Expo, which will be held on August 23 – 26, 2012, will also feature celebrity guests Kevin Smith and Stan Lee, who appear in the Comic-con doc. Other featured celebrity guest at this year’s Fan Expo include Gillian Anderson (X-Files), Patrick Steward (Star Trek & X-Men), and legendary horror director John Carpenter (Halloween, The Fog, The Thing, Escape from New York).

JP