Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope

A photographic look at the world's most exciting pop-culture event.

One of the entertainment industry's most exhilarating, eccentric, and influential events of the year, San Diego Comic-Con International celebrates the weird, wacky, and wonderful world of TV, movies, graphic novels, and…let's not forget, comics.

Oscar-nominated director—and fanboy himself—Morgan Spurlock captures the magic and madness of Comic-Con in a new documentary. This companion book is a photographic celebration of the convention's heart and soul: the fans who attend in costume, in droves, with their kids, with their parents…and with love, awe, and admiration in their hearts.

Hundreds of stunning photos capture the whimsy and wonder, and are accompanied by interviews with the many celebrities who attend, as much to promote their projects as to be part of the fandom:

• Kevin Smith
• Seth Green
• Todd McFarlane
• Bill Plympton
• Guillermo del Toro
• Ellen Page
• Bryan Singer
• Eli Roth
• Kenneth Branagh
• Seth Rogen
• Matt Groening
• Ron Perlman
• Nathan Fillion
• Olivia Wilde
• Gerard Way
• Frank Miller
• Tara McPherson
• and many more

Comic-Con: An All-Access Look at the World's Largest Pop-Culture Event brings the magic, the masquerade, and the mayhem to you—no ticket required.

Morgan Spurlock was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary for his debut film, Super Size Me. He followed up with the well-received Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden, and produced three seasons of the acclaimed TV series 30 Days. Spurlock conceived, wrote, and directed The Simpsons's 20th Anniversary Special in 3-D! On Ice and contributed to the feature-length adaptation of the New York Times Bestseller Freakonomics. His most recent project, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, hit theaters in 2011.

Alba Tull is an accomplished photographer who has worked with artists and musicians including The Edge (of U2), Jimmy Page, Guillermo del Toro, Bryan Singer, and others. Mrs. Tull's work has been published and exhibited around the world. She served as the photographer and associate producer of Davis Guggenheim's It Might Get Loud, and she is currently working on a special project for the American Film Institute (AFI).

Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary for his debut film, Super Size Me, the third-highest grossing documentary film of all time. He followed up with the well-received Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (2008), and produced three seasons of his acclaimed television series 30 Days, which ran on FX. Most recently, Spurlock conceived, wrote, and directed The Simpsons's 20th Anniversary Special in 3-D, a documentary that examines the cultural phenomenon of this classic television show. He is currently completing work on a feature-length adaptation of the New York Times Best-seller Freakonomics, scheduled for release in fall 2010. His first book, Don't Eat This Book!, was based on his documentary Super-Size Me, and was published by Penguin in 2006 (over 86,000 sold).

Academy Award nominee Joss Whedon is a director, executive producer, and the creator/head writer of the massively successful television programs Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse. He is a successful screenwriter (working on scripts such as Toy Story, Speed, Alien Resurrection, and X-Men), and has also created comic book series (such as Astonishing X-Men). Recently, Whedon has ventured into online entertainment with the hugely popular musical superhero spoof, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, which is available on Hulu and iTunes. Whedon is a regular guest at Whedonesque.com, which New York Magazine describes as one of the Internet's most powerful online fan communities.

Stan Lee is a celebrated comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, and television personality. The creator of Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Avengers, Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, and many other iconic characters, Lee is currently developing new franchises for film and television. His company, POW! Entertainment, has a first-look deal with Disney, and Lee still hold the title of Chairman Emeritus of Marvel.

Harry Knowles is the iconoclast founder of the movie newsbuzz website, aintitcoolnews.com. Visited by over 1.5 million users daily, this site is THE resource for what is—and isn't—happening in the film industry. The site draws legions of devoted fans for its sneak previews, informed hunches on the biggest franchises in film history, and insider gossip.

Thomas Tull is the Chairman and CEO of Legendary Pictures, the production company which recently entered into a five-year, 25-picture deal with Warner Bros. and has most recently produced the hit film Inception. The company reaped resounding success with their first effort, Batman Begins, and is also responsible for Superman Returns, The Dark Knight, Watchmen, The Hangover, Clash of the Titans, and Where the Wild Things Are, among others.