Geeks Rule The World: Comic Con 2009 Is Upon Us!

The San Diego Comic Con International has come a frighteningly long way since it’s humble origin in 1970 as just a few dozen weirdos hauling boxes of Fantastic Four titles into a hotel ballroom. These days the four day convention has morphed into an orgy of Hollywood gadgetry and wonder that sells out months before overspill crowds arrive at the San Diego Convention Center. Let’s see what you’re missing out on this year if you didn’t get in line early with the 125,000 dorks who have tickets.

The big story this year is Iron Man 2 doing everything it can to hog as much square footage in the convention center as possible. Tony Stark’s alter ego pops up in two different video games– Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (a fighter with Marvel characters slugging out a civil war) and the official game for the anticipated sequel. You can also catch a panel featuring star Robert Downey Jr. (who’s also pulling double-duty promoting his upcoming Sherlock Holmes.) They won’t be screening any footage from the movie, but the game is based directly on it, so fans can at least kind of guess what it’ll be like.

True blue animation dorks out there will be creaming themselves for the Pixar panel, which will feature Japanese master Hayao Miyazaki making an exceedingly rare appearance in the United States. The greatest animator in the world didn’t even bother flying in when Spirited Away won an Oscar, but he’ll be there with Pixar’s John Lasseter as they talk cartoons and preview footage from Miyazaki’s upcoming Ponyo, Pixar’s Toy Story 3, and a few other Disney cartoons that will just look silly in comparison.

Conventioners will also be elbowing each other out of the way for appearances by James Cameron (previewing his 3-5 CGI creation Avatar), as well as Peter Jackson showcasing the spooky-looking Disctrict 9, which he produced. Oh, and also Tim Burton showing up with Alice in Wonderland, Terry Gilliam doing pre-emptive damage control for The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, and people from Battlestar Gallactica doing their best to get BSG fans into Caprica. Ooh! And first look footage of Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children, Watchmen) donning the knived glove to play Freddie Krueger in the new Elm Street. Robert Englund has earned his retirement. Oh, and the Tron sequel. THERE IS A SEQUEL TO TRON.

The Twilight sequel will also be there, but who gives a crap?

So hooray geeks! Enjoy your weekend of being pandered to by every Hollywood phony in the book, as they all hide their loathing for you and your oily skin in the hopes that you will tell all your friends that the new Kevin Smith movie looks unmissable or whatever. And if you see Michel Gondry stumbling around give him a big hug for us, because the car for his Green Hornet looks really bitching in this video.

Iron Man multi-tasks at annual comic convention [Reuters]
Japan’s Master Animator to Be Honored in U.S. Visit [NY Times]
Showbiz titans descend on comic convention [The Star]
Seth Rogen and Michel Gondry unveil ‘Green Hornet’s’ car [LA Times Hero Complex]