Steve Schane would be a successful retailer in the pop culture world regardless, but he’s quick to acknowledge that San Diego Comic-Con was vital to jump-starting his San Diego business and has kept it thriving the past 39 years. “We show 50,000 items in four days … We have the best devoted fans who keep coming back year after year,” said Schane, owner and president of Schane Services and Products. The San Diego-based company, which buys and sells overstock inventory of pop culture items, including toys, animation art, comic books and nostalgic pieces, first exhibited in 1980, just a year after Comic-Con first came on the scene. The Con, as it’s known, will celebrate 30 years of bringing pop culture phenomena to the masses. It will be held July 23 to 26 at the San Diego Convention Center, 111 West Harbor Drive. “It’s a meeting place of likeminded people who show excitement and enthusiasm for the medium,” Schane said. The La Mesa resident started collecting comic books as a boy. He and his brother Bill then ran a comic book mail order business. Since 2000, his company has sold 30 million items to retailers, wholesalers and individual customers worldwide. He also offers consulting in sales and marketing for other companies looking to get started or to improve their businesses. His company grew from one booth to nearly 10 over the years. This year, he will have three booths in the Exhibit Hall. “We make sure we don’t have too much of one thing when another area is lacking. We look for diversity, something we think our attendees like,” said David Glanzer, Con director of marketing and public relations. For Schane, one of the best parts of the Con is seeing generations of families in attendance. People he sold to years ago now bring their children and grandchildren to the event, he said. Organizers are expecting big crowds again this year, with nearly 125,000 anticipated to take a sneak peek at upcoming comic books, movies and television series, novels and other literature, most with sci-fi and fantasy themes. A notable component of the Con involves the chance for fans to meet and talk with their idols. Panels of writers, producers, directors and actors give the fans direct access they would never normally have the chance to ask, Glanzer said. To offset overflow, some of the events will be hosted in neighboring ballrooms and meeting rooms. Organizers will also be erecting tents in and around the convention center. Part of this year’s celebration centers on a Con milestone. To commemorate 40 years, past board members, presidents and people involved from the start have been invited to sit on panels and forums to discuss what the convention was like during its early years. “We will hear what they had to work with and how it was perceived at the time. It will be a very interesting insight,” said Glanzer. “These past people will give great history lessons about where we came from and what they did to get where we are now and where we are going.” Organizers also published a hardcover book chronicling the convention and its birth in 1979, with highlights of artists, exhibitors and fans and a large pictorial. The coffee-table book can be purchased online for $31.99 or during the convention. Newcomers may be overwhelmed by the size and structure of the con. Glanzer gave some tips. “Decide in advance what you want to see so you can play accordingly. Stay hydrated and wear comfortable shoes… There is a considerable amount of walking,” he advised. He also suggested to come up with designated times and places to meet up with friends and family. “With 125,000 people over four days, you may not just be able to run into them,” he added. On Wednesday, July 22 from 6 to 9 p.m., there will be a preview night for VIP passholders. The remaining hours are Thursday, July 23 through Saturday, July 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, July 26 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will also be late-night programming for films, gaming and the Masquerade Ball. Ticket purchases and badge registration can only be done online at www.comic-con.org. However, a recent peek at the website showed that all tickets have been sold and that there will be no onsite ticket booth sales, Glanzer stressed.