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Think the San Diego Comic-Con is big? Think again!
The crowd at last month's San Diego Comic-Con International ranged from 125,000 to 140,000 attendees, depending on whose estimates you believe. Whatever that final number turns out to be, we didn't think it possible to get more fans together in one place without altering Earth's orbit.
That was until we heard of the mob scene over the weekend at Comiket, the world's largest handmade comic book fair, held twice a year in Tokyo. According to Sankaku Complex, the reported figure for total attendance during its three days this year was a whopping 560,000 (roughly 4.5% of the population of Tokyo), dwarfing what is generally considered the largest pop culture gathering in the world.
Better step up your game, San Diego—Tokyo has thrown down the gauntlet!
By Omen at 5:58 PM ON 08/17/09
Yeah, they love their Manga.
By Erion at 6:22 PM ON 08/17/09
Basically, the last French Japan-Expo (our Comic-Con) in July welcomed 164 000 attendees on 4 days.
Not as many as Comicket, but huge.
By oomu at 6:25 PM ON 08/17/09
basically,for the USA it's not big
it means comics are a too much specific market, too much specialized, too much hardcore.
By lana at 7:10 PM ON 08/17/09
What the hell? Welcome to like, a couple decades ago-- Comiket's been bigger than Comic-Con for a long time.
Not to mention Comic-Con only got REALLY ridiculously huge with the continued infusion of Hollywood. Comiket is still devoted almost entirely to comics. And not just comics, but self-published comics and the people who make them.
Granted, some ridiculous percentage of those self-published comics are pornography, and much of the porn is based on other peoples' works, but still.
Slowpoke dot freakin' jpeg. "Throw down" indeed, as if anyone actually thought this was a contest.
By smegforbrain at 7:27 PM ON 08/17/09
And no sane person would attend a convention with that many people.
By JT at 8:12 PM ON 08/17/09
What do you expect when you are stranded on an overpopulated island with not enough women, not enough booze, and not enough money to afford any of those things except comics and hand lotion?
By BLT at 10:33 PM ON 08/17/09
San Diego does not need pushers to cram people onto public transportation which is a good thing!
By I am Iron Fan(g) at 3:04 PM ON 08/18/09
No thanks...I'll stick to the Comic-con, until it leaves San Diego in a few years.
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I am Iron Fan(g):
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