It's everything you've heard it to be and more! Yes, it's a collection of geeks and nerds, comic book fanboys, movie aficionados and toy collectors coming together to fawn over the latest comic books, movies and action figures. But, it's also panels on everything from how to write a comic book to girls who kick ass. Officially named Comic-Con International, this is the world's largest comic book convention and every comic book publisher comes - major and indie - to show off their wares, as do exhibitors to sell priceless editions of comics and toys and studios to promote upcoming movies and television series.

What began in 1970 as the Golden State Comic Book Convention in the basement of the U.S. Grant Hotel in downtown San Diego for 300 people has morphed into a major pop culture event for upwards of 126,000 people, many of whom fly in from all over the world to attend. It is held over a four-day period in July (five days if you include Preview Night on Wednesday) with a Masquerade Ball, hundreds of panel discussions, presentations of upcoming movies and television shows, exhibits of soon-to-be-sold video games, retail stations, autograph signings, presentations and who-knows-what else connected to comic books and show business. Every major network in Southern California covers the event (G4 built its own stage right there in the middle of the Exhibit Hall so it could cover as much as possible without missing a beat).

Comic-Con has a big impact on the films and television series whose creators and actors come here to promote them. For example, some people credit Comic-Con with fostering the raging success of Iron Man after clips of the movie were shown to a sold-out audience in the famous Hall H (which seats 6,000), along with a discussion from the filmmakers and cast. Two years ago, I waited for almost four hours for a chance to see the Twilight panel (yet could hardly hear a word for all the screaming that occurred whenever Robert Pattinson - Edward Cullen for the uninitiated - opened his mouth to speak). Last year, Glee made its debut here. I'm still wondering how this teen musical on Fox manages to fit into this convention, however its presence here brought tons of interest and, well, you know what happened next - worldwide phenomenon.

Comic-Con is now spread across two hotels and a huge convention center, with shuttles from hotels in Mission Valley and Shelter Island. Rumor has it that there isn't a vacant hotel room anywhere in San Diego as costumed crusaders invade the military town for these four days. If you're a normal, sane person, you just don't fit in here!

This year, it seemed that even more movies and television panels were scheduled. (The only one I wanted to see - Burn Notice, featuring the creator, Matt Nix, and the show's ever-popular, unflappable co-star, Bruce Campbell - was filled to capacity and I couldn't get in. It was like waiting in line at Disneyland for two hours and not getting on the ride. What a bummer!).

There were also lots of video games on display - not that I could get anywhere close to them, what with all the gamers hogging the controllers and not giving them up! Marvel Entertainment came with its new action-packed Super Hero Squad Online, which offered Con-goers the opportunity to put dozens of Marvel's iconic Super Heroes into action. EA and Maxis Studio arrived with Darkspore, their new Sci-Fi RPG, along with a panel on the development process and inspirations behind the upcoming game.

Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment was there promoting The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest, an RPG in which the player becomes Aragorn and is able to relive the hero's "most valiant battles." Con-goers had a chance to pick up a Balrog trading card and use it to create an augmented reality video. The person who made the "coolest, most creative video" would be awarded his own Balrog statue.

SEGA Europe Ltd., and SEGA of America, Inc., arrived with Marvel, trumping their upcoming Thor: The Video Game, scheduled for release on all five major platforms in 2011. They promised that their third-person adventure will bring the "immense power of this iconic hero to lifelong fans" as well as introduce the God of Thunder to a new generation of gamers.

Not to be outdone, Sony Online Entertainment did something a little different by offering a weekend tournament featuring the online world of DC Universe Online. Teams competed for cool prizes and the chance to create a character for Sony Online's upcoming MMO, DC Universe Online.

And, for plain, old run-of-the-mill geeks, Nexon America presented playable demonstrations of Vindictus, the first physics-based action multiplayer online RPG.

All in all, Comic-Con organizers would say that the convention was another smashing success. I would agree - numbers don't lie. But, at times, I also wished that it wasn't quite so successful...to be able to walk down a hallway without bumping into Darth Vader or Batman, to be able to sit down without feeling like you were in the middle of a conversation between nerds and to be able to get into the panel you really wanted to see (I'm talking about you, "Burn Notice"!) would have made my experience more pleasant.

Despite these setbacks, am I giving it another try next year? You betcha!