August
28 Comic-Con: Attendance hits 125,000

In several interviews, Comic-Con spokesman David Glanzer pegs attendance at this year’s con at about 125,000, up only a slight bit from the previous year’s 123,000. Of course, this year saw for the first time caps on ticket sales, with four-day badges and one-day badges for three out of four days selling out. In an interview with Tom Spurgeon at the Comics Reporter, Glanzer mentions some of the things the organizers are considering for the future, including finding locations for some events outside the already-packed convention center. Glanzer also debunks the constant rumor that the show will move to a new city (it’s set in San Diego through 2012) or the new rumor that it will add more days to the show.

The slate of conventions rolls on, with Wizard World reporting attendance of 68,000 at its Chicago show. The Toronto Comics Art Festival, an indie-focused show, earned great reviews, with the massive Fan Expo rolling into town the following weekend. Up next is the Baltimore Comic-Con on Sept. 8-9.

And making all of these shows look small, was the semi-annual Comiket in Japan, which drew more than 500,000 fans from Aug. 17-19.