Now in its 42nd year, there is no question about it: in July, San Diego is all about Comic-Con International. Nothing comes close to it for spectacle, crowd size or commerce. Between July 20 and July 24 more than 125,000 people will hit the San Diego Convention Center, transforming it into one of the most important pop culture gatherings in the world. The event is now so big it includes street closures and events in the surrounding areas and venues. While there has been talk of some movie studios not attending this year, Comic-Con visitors won’t notice any slack, since both booth spaces and tickets have been sold out for months. Amongst the big guns expected this year are a preview of the upcoming “Captain America” movie with star Chris Evans, a live web broadcast with William Shatner and Avery Brooks moderated by Kevin Smith, and the cast and crews of shows such as “Dexter” and “Homeland.” Meanwhile, Fox will bring the casts of “Glee” and “Bones,” and director Jon Favreau will premiere his new film, “Cowboys and Aliens.” And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. With hundred of writers, artists, actors, producers and more on hand, there is more to see and do than a person could possibly take in during the convention’s four and a half days. While much of the hoopla each year surrounds the visiting movie and television studios, Comic-Con is also crucial link to bigger things for San Diego’s burgeoning comic’s community. There are a number of publishers in town, ranging from smaller imprints such as Top Cow, with books like “Witchblade,” to major publishers like IDW, which issues the “Star Trek” series, among others. As might be expected with so much industry clout in town, many creators also reside locally, from “Blue Monday’s” Chynna Clugston-Flores to “Amazing Spider-Man” colorist Jeromy Cox. According to Exhibit A Press’s Batton Lash, creator of the long-running “Supernatural Law” comic featuring the characters Wolff and Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre, when it comes to getting the word out about your work, nothing comes close to Comic-Con. “It’s very important,” he said. “Because when the general public comes in to see what’s coming up in movies or TV, they begin to wander around and look at independent comics and they see that it’s more than just superheroes. Nine times out of ten they’ll come back the next day and buy something.” Bloodfire Studios art director Lee Kohse, best known for his work on Star Wars trading cards and the forthcoming “Speed Racer” book, sees Comic-Con as a crucial step to establishing oneself. “So much of our business is just from the contacts that we make there each year,” he said. “The artists find new projects to work on and so forth. That’s actually how we first funded Bloodfire. The work we would get at this one event would keep us going for a year.” He also pointed out that selling their work directly to the public enables the publishers to make a slightly higher profit. Mary Fleener, creator of the “Slutburger” book and a renowned graphics artist who has done album covers for local notables like Buddy Blue and Cindy Lee Berryhill, agreed. While she sees the Internet as the best way to get word out about one’s work, “Comic-Con is nice because the publishers are there and you can sign and meet your fans. But, as it becomes more popular, it gets crazier. It’s a lot of work; it’s four days of go, go, go.” Kohse also considers being able to meet fans face to face a major attraction at Comic-Con. “The interaction with the fans is a lot of fun,” he said. “You get instant feedback. It’s much better to be able to look someone in the eye and ask them their opinion than reading the words of somebody who’s flaming you on an Internet forum.” As important as the business side of things at the convention are, Lash considers people-watching is still one of the top things to do each year. “I love watching the costumes,” he said. “Something I’ve noticed over the past couple of years is whole families dressing up, as the Incredibles or the Fantastic Four and so on, so they make it a family outing. It’s adorable.” Lash looks forward to making even more connections and meeting more fans this year, but said no matter what happens, there’s a simple reason whyComic-Con continues to be such a popular gathering: It’s fun. “It’s been commented on before, but this is a big, exciting event,” he said. “It’s sort of like Christmas, Halloween and Fourth of July all rolled into one.”