“Nerds of the world unite!” These words thundered from the lips of the creators of San Diego Comic-Con more than half a century ago as they summoned their kindred spirits from across the land. The call went out to every sci-fi and fantasy lover — every comic book, dime novel, and movie-obsessed fan and collector — to begin a pilgrimage. “Our time is here,” they cried. “And the world shall tremble before what we build!”
Well, OK, maybe not exactly. But similar impulses, at least, guided the creation of the world’s most prominent geek gathering, which is back in full force in 2022 after two COVID-shuttered years, and bigger than ever (it’s completely sold out if you were hoping to join the 130,000 or so attendees). And the rallying call did work. Where once finding each other might have depended on decidedly analog means such as shortwave radio, fan mags, snail…
