Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, San Diego Comic-Con International, taking place July 21-25 at the San Diego Convention Center, has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Attendance at the first mini-con, held at the U.S. Grant in 1970 as a fundraiser for a slightly bigger event the same year, was 145, a far cry from the sold out crowd of 126,000 people who jammed the aisles in 2009. This year’s event is also a complete sell out. Although originally centered on comic books, Comic-Con has always had a pop culture component, taking in horror films, toys and animation. However, over the past two decades, there has been a slight shift to include major film and television. In the process, the event has become known as a major place for Hollywood to debut product. With films such as “Jonah Hex” and “Iron Man” or TV show “The Human Target,” the crossover with comic books is obvious, but from the “Twilight” movie series to CBS sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” San Diego is now the place to promote studio projects directly to the fans, with cast and crew in attendance. As fun as Comic-Con is for attendees, it has also become a crucial spot to conduct business, with all manner of media converging on one spot, from artists to publishers, writers to directors. The San Diego area is home to numerous comics creators, all of whom consider Comic-Con the year’s highlight. “It’s very important if you have a new book out,” said artist Mary Fleener. “I think people enjoy meeting the person who draws it. I’ve met a lot of retailers and after a chat or two, they are usually more interested in ordering your book. You never know, someone who you talk to will buy a pricey painting from you months later, so there is a ripple effect that is great.” Batton Lash, creator of “Wolff & Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre,” concurs on the event’s importance to creators. “From it I can gauge what the year was like and what next year might hold for the industry,” he said. Meanwhile, comic publisher BloodFire Studios gets up to 70 percent of its annual business through Comic-Con, said co-founder Lee Kohse. “Not in direct sales at the show, though those are great, but through the contact with fans and various business meetings we have throughout the show,” he said. “We find new talent for future projects, meet with our partners in other media, such as TV, film or Webcomics, and talk with other small companies to see how we can help each other.” Bloodfire’s Dennis Greenhill agrees. “It’s vital,” he said. “Being the single largest concentration of fans and professionals in the United States, we have the perfect opportunity to connect with them, face to face. With Hollywood buying up so many titles, it is the place to get noticed.” He considers that there is both good and bad as far as major studios being such a large presence at Comic-Con. “The upside is the high concentration of pros from outside the comic industry that allows us to network and move into other markets such as toy, TV and merchandise,” he said. “The downside is that I do feel kind of squeezed out almost.” Greenhill noted the difficulty for a smaller company to compete against the giant movie studios in terms of drawing sales. “Attendees often rush past us to stand in line for some give-away,” Greenhill said. “We just can’t afford to give $50,000 worth of stuff like that.” While the Comic-Con is definitely a work situation for creators, Greenhill concedes it’s also a good time. “It is four days when all is right withthe world,” he said. “It is a chance to meet people from all walks of life. Everyone is there to have fun. Downtown San Diego comes alive unlike any other time of the year.” He said the people watching is “world class.” “Where else can you stand at a bar, rubbing elbows with Hollywood elite, and laugh, in a good way, as costumed people roam the streets?” Greenhill said. Kohse is aware of rumors that Comic-Con could leave San Diego for Los Angeles or Anaheim. A comics convention veteran, he feels the best location for Comic-Con is right here. “I have done conventions in pretty much every major venue, in every major city over the past few years and the only one that has so many hotels as well as ample entertainment or restaurants centered around the convention center is San Diego and the Gaslamp District,” he said. Fleener was even more succinct. “The atmosphere is zero in Anaheim and it will be at least 15 degrees hotter up there, so I hope it stays here. San Diego is just prettier than O.C.,” she said.