It’s here! Comic-Con 2011 – where Anime meets Popcorn meets 500 guys dressed like Superman.

My favorite part of Comic-Con is the attendees. It’s one of the few shows where the people who go are as varied and interesting as what’s being exhibited. Where else can you see a Stormtrooper eating lunch with Chopper and The Joker? Okay, New York City on any given day; but other than that city and San Diego during Comic-Con, pretty much nowhere.

Leslie Sobon is Ready For Comicon 2011!

Think about it. Do we ever talk about folks who go to CES or Computex or IFA? And – outside of the booth swag – the exhibits are almost an afterthought from the panels, parties, and patrons. Comic-Con visitors are a fantastic mixture of comic book aficionados, enthusiast gamers, and movie buffs. They are at least as interesting as the event itself – some more so.

If you happen to be one of the lucky 100,000+ attending Comic-Con this year – with or without a cape – there are tons of things to do. Here are a few cool choices, some courtesy of AMD:

1. The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards. This year, the “Oscars” for the comic book industry is being sponsored by AMD, and we’re giving away a cool notebook based on VISION Technology from AMD to a lucky winner. Maybe it will be your lucky night Friday at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront.
2. VirtuSpheres. If you’re in the media and need a break, come visit AMD’s media lounge at the Omni Hotel. Recharge, power down, or just have some virtual reality fun playing Fallout New Vegas on a VirtuSphere.
3. Panels. There’s a gazillion panels at this Show. How do you choose? Well, if you like Robert Rodriguez movies, make sure to check out his panel on Thursday at 4:45pm in Hall H of the Convention Center. Robert will be discussing all the cool new flicks (including sequels!) produced by his QuickDraw Productions, using AMD technology.
4. Parties. In addition to the panel, AMD will be the technology provider for QuickDraw Productions’ evening event Thursday night at the Omni Hotel. We will help celebrate the new media projects and films from Robert Rodriquez’ QuickDraw Productions. We’re also sponsoring IGN’s party the same night at the Omni. So, if you’re looking for parties, I’m thinking Thursday night at the Omni is a good shot.
5. Ghost Rider 2. Last – but not least – on Saturday night there will be a panel for the movie “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” the sequel (sequel!) to “Ghost Rider”, one of my favorite movies. Yep, I said favorite. Why anyone wouldn’t love Nicolas Cage with a flaming skull riding a motorcycle is beyond me.

This is the first time AMD has been at Comic-Con in a big way – speaking on panels plus sponsoring parties and awards. Hopefully we will see you around. Maybe we can even catch lunch during the show – Stormtroopers and Jokers welcomed. Also, while at Comic-Con, if you Tweet a pic with the hashtags #AMD and #SDCC you will be entered in our contest with a chance to win a new VISION technology notebook!

Leslie Sobon is the corporate vice president, product and outbound marketing at AMD. Her postings are her own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.