You Know What I Mean?

Cannes has Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie on the Croisette. Sundance has Robert Redford on the slopes. And Comic-Con? It's got Klingons in Renaissance costumes running around downtown San Diego.

From July 26 to 29, tens of thousands of devoted pop culture fans will descend upon Southern California for the largest gathering of sci-fi and fantasy enthusiasts held on this or any planet. It's been called Woodstock for geeks, but these days it's a whole lot more. The annual Comic-Con convention is now one of the most critical industry events on the calendar, as important to Hollywood as any festival in France or Utah.

What started in 1970 as a small comic-book lovers' conclave (just 300 people made it to that first meeting) today draws more than 120,000 people. And it isn't just fanboys attending the convention's screenings, parties, and panel discussions; among the crowd this year will be Clive Owen (who'll build buzz for Shoot 'Em Up), Jessica Alba (The Eye), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Edward Norton (The Incredible Hulk), and Judd Apatow (Superbad), along with hordes of producers, directors, and writers, like J.J. Abrams, who may announce some of his casting picks for the upcoming Star Trek reboot. For certain genres — the ones involving superheroes, aliens, warriors in leather codpieces, and comic-book characters — there is now no greater launching pad than the floor of the San Diego Convention Center. These days, even some surprising genres — like Westerns (3:10 to Yuma), music-industry satires (Walk Hard), and Broadway musicals (Tim Burton will share clips from his upcoming adaptation of Sweeney Todd) — are finding their way to Comic-Con.

''It's the golden age of geekdom,'' says frequent Comic-Con conventioneer Brad Meltzer, a novelist and comics writer. ''Hollywood has figured out the location of the supergeek clubhouse. They've jimmied the locks, moved in, and spruced the place up. And we're sort of sadly and pathetically okay with it, because they bring lots of hot actresses and nice film clips.''

Actually, Hollywood began staking those guys out light-years ago. Lucasfilm set up its first Star Wars booth in 1976, well before the films became a multibillion-dollar franchise. Such TV shows as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xena: Warrior Princess, and The X-Files courted their fans at Comic-Con, while current hits like Lost, Heroes, and Battlestar Galactica have titillated rabid fans with preview panels. These sorts of movies and shows were once programmed for a niche demographic; today, they're mainstream entertainment. ''The comic-book culture has become more and more popular,'' explains Don Murphy, producer of such graphic-novel adaptations as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and From Hell (not to mention Transformers). ''People who have never even picked up one issue of Spider-Man have seen all three movies.''

And this new strain of fan often wears weird, ridiculous clothing — like suits and ties. ''The other day I saw someone — I'm guessing an attorney or banker — reading Spider-Man,'' notes Comic-Con regular Jeff Krelitz, head of management/production company Trac2 Media. ''You didn't see that two or three years ago, at least not in public. It used to be comic books were for nerds.''

But the diehards who actually make the pilgrimage to Comic-Con are still a breed apart. And that's another reason why studios are investing millions to showcase their products there. Unlike other festivals, this one isn't about sealing deals, stoking awards buzz, or signing talent; it's about making a direct connection with fans. For four days, Hollywood gets to pitch its wares to a blog-savvy army of early adaptors who then spread the word with the push of a button. It's partly why 300 ended up grossing $453 million worldwide this year. ''We premiered a special trailer we had prepared,'' says director Zack Snyder. ''The crowd demanded that we reshow it — three times. After Comic-Con, 300 changed its place in the collective consciousness and in geekdom in general.'' Says Murphy, ''You go to Comic-Con, tell a roomful of fans what your movie is going to be, and you end up not only reaching them but 500 Internet reporters as well.'' Adds a studio exec, ''I'd much rather spend money on Comic-Con than on a splashy premiere the day before my movie opens.''

And in the end, that's why the throngs flocking to Comic-Con will have Hollywood's undivided attention, no matter what they're wearing. ''They are your fan base,'' says Al Jean, a producer of The Simpsons Movie who'll treat the crowd to bonus footage. ''They are the people who put you where you are. A lot of them are dressed like Darth Vader, but you still have to give them a great deal of respect.'' (Additional reporting by Nisha Gopalan)

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