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Have you ever imagined a place where Vulcans and vampires get along? Where wizards and wookies can be themselves? Welcome to Comic-Con San Diego. What started as a fringe comic book convention for 500 fans has grown into the pop culture event of the year that influences every form of entertainment, now attended by over 140,000 strong.

COMIC-CON EPISODE IV: A FAN’S HOPE- a film by Morgan Spurlock explores this amazing cultural phenomenon by following the lives of five attendees as they descend upon the ultimate geek mecca at San Diego Comic-Con 2010:

• Eric, an aspiring illustrator, is hoping to impress publishers and land a job;
• Holly, costume and creature designer, hopes her creations will win the big prize;
• Chuck, a long-time comic book dealer, is looking for a big sale to pay off his debts;
• Skip, longtime amateur illustrator wants to be discovered at this year’s event;
• James, a young fan, hopes his girlfriend will accept a dramatic proposal.

One on one interviews with Comic-Con veterans who have turned their passions into professions include Stan Lee, Joss Whedon, Frank Miller, Kevin Smith, Matt Groening, Seth Rogen, Eli Roth and others are shared throughout the film along with up close and up front coverage of all the panels, parades, photos, costumes, crowds and camaraderie that make up one of the largest fan gatherings in the U.S.

Presented by Stan Lee and Joss Whedon, COMIC-CON EPISODE IV: A FAN’S HOPE is directed by Morgan Spurlock; produced by Spurlock, Jeremy Chilnick, Matthew Galkin, Harry Knowles and Thomas Tull; and written by Spurlock and Chilnick.

It was the summer of 2009 when I made the journey to my first- ever San Diego Comic-Con.

For years I had wanted to take this trip, my own personal Haj to the Mecca of Geekdom, but something always prohibited me from being there. I was shooting the Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special and I was in search of the most rabid and dedicated Simpson superfans.

What I actually found was a world that spoke to the core of my man-child being. As a geeky kid growing up in West Virginia, I rabidly consumed comics and horror films and Mad magazines. It was as if they were the only things keeping me alive; and in a way they were. You see, I wasn’t just a fan. I was addicted. And these books and stories gave my brain and my soul everything they were craving-a look at the world that I couldn’t get anywhere else, and the knowledge that there were other people out there who were just as off and confused and as twisted as I was.

But now, finally, I was here! It was a dream come true for me. For my first hour on the ComicCon floor, I was in awe. I was transported back in to the body of that wide-eyed twelve-year old boy, staring in disbelief at my idols and inspirations-Sergio Aragones, Frank Miller, and the man himself, Stan Lee.

When I shook Stan’s hand, I thanked him for giving that young boy the confidence and the desire to want to tell stories, and I thanked him for helping me become who I am today. He looked at me, smiled that Stan Lee smile, and said, “You know what, Morgan? We should make a movie together. We should make a documentary! We should make a documentary about Comic-Con!”

Almost every year for more than two decades, various filmmakers had attempted to make films that tell the story of this place, this little convention that once numbered only a few hundred, that now draws more than 150,000 annually and influences every side of the entertainment business. And every year, they were told “no.” This time it was different.

Joining forces with Stan Lee, Joss Whedon, Legendary Pictures founder Thomas Tull and the king of all fan boys, Harry Knowles, we created a geek “Dream Team” to tell the story of this magical event. We all weighed in with what we thought were the most important pieces of the story, but in the end, it all came back to the fans. The one’s who attend each year, as well as the one’s who live inside each of us.

Comic-Con is a place that is built and survives because of our love and our passions. There’s something for everyone there and there’s something that will make us all remember what it was like to be a child, whether we’re collectors or cos players, artists or addicts. It reminds us all of the importance of dreams and of wonder. It’s not just an event … it’s a state of mind, and this film reinforces why we love it and shows everyone else what they’ve been missing.

STAN LEE

Mr. Lee is the Founder of the POW! and has served as its Chairman and Chief Creative Officer since inception. Known to millions as the man whose Super Heroes propelled Marvel Entertainment, LLC to its preeminent position in the comic book industry, Mr. Lee’s cocreations include Spider-Man™, The Incredible Hulk™, X-Men™, The Fantastic Four™, Iron Man ™, Daredevil™, Silver Surfer™ & Dr. Strange™ as well as hundreds of others.

Now the Chairman Emeritus of Marvel Entertainment, LLC, Lee first became publisher of Marvel Entertainment, LLC, in 1972. He is recognized as the creative force that brought Marvel Entertainment, LLC to the forefront of the comic publishing industry.

GILL CHAMPION

Gill Champion has over 25 years of executive experience in global entertainment, marketing, retail and licensing industries. Prior to joining the Company, he was COO of SLM from July 1999 until it terminated operation in about June 2001. From about June 2001 until the formal creation of POW! in November 2001 Mr. Champion worked to form POW! and to start the development ofvarious POW! projects. He has been executive producer on all POW! projects and continues to supervise their development. Previous to SLM, he was COO and Vice President of Mirage Holdings, Inc. and concurrently worked as a production executive on the motion picture Jinnah. Mr. Champion was CEO and Chairman of American CinemaStores, Inc., a public company that operated location based retailing outlets. Mr. Champion also has exceptional depth and experience in television and motion picture production and technology.

Mr. Champion was executive in charge of Faerie Tale Theatre with Shelley Duvall while Vice President of Gaylord Productions. He was the producer for Fort Apache the Bronx with Paul Newman and won the Producer of the Year Award. In addition, he was in charge of production for The Shining and The Boys from Brazil, while Vice President of the Producers Circle Company.

JOSS WHEDON

Joss Whedon is a producer, director, screenwriter, and founder of Mutant Enemy Productions.

He is best known as the creator and showrunner of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and Dol/house. He has also done extensive work in film, comic books, and online media.

HARRY KNOWLES

Harry Knowles is an online film critic and the founder of the Ain’t it Cool News website. A member of the Austin Film Critics Association, he holds a yearly event called Butt-numb-athon (BNAT), also called “Geek Christmas,” a 24-hour celebration of film that features unofficial premiers and vintage films screenings.

MORGAN SPURLOCK- DIRECTOR/PRODUCER/WRITER

Morgan Spurlock is a New York based writer and Oscar® and Emmy-nominated director and producer. His first film, “Super Size Me,” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004 and won him Best Directing honors. The film went on to win the inaugural Writers Guild of America best documentary screenplay award as well as garner an Academy Award® nomination for best feature documentary.

Since then, Morgan has directed, produced and distributed multiple film and TV projects, including the critically acclaimed FX television series, “3 0 Days,” and the films: ‘Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden;” “Confessions of a Superhero;” “Czech Dreams;” “Chalk;” “The Future of Food;” ‘What Would Jesus Buy?; and Freakonomics.

In 2010 Morgan was nominated for a primetime Emmy as well as a Writer’s Guild Award for “The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special: In 3-D! On Ice!” His latest film “POM Wonderful Presents The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” was released in the US in spring 2011 and is launching in Europe and Australia and New Zealand this fall2011. The film and his accompanying TED talk explore the world of product placement and advertising while being completely funded by product placement and advertising.

In August 2011, Morgan launched HULU.com’s first original programming series “A Day In the Life Of…” and hosted the Current TV series “50 Documentaries to See Before You Die.” He is currently filming one of Yahoo.com’s inaugural original programming shows entitled “The
Failure Club.” He is also executive producer on the acclaimed documentary “The Other F-Word” which will be released winter 2011 in theaters.

Morgan’s latest feature film, “Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope.” will have it’s world premiere at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival 2011. The film will also be the closing night film for the Fantastic Film Festival in Austin- marking it’s U.S. premiere.

JEREMY CHILNICK- PRODUCER/WRITER

Jeremy Chilnick is an Emmy nominated film and television producer. He is a partner at Morgan Spurlock’s production company, Warrior Poets, where he currently oversees all aspects of production and development. After co-producing the Shopocalypse-chronicling documentary ‘What Would Jesus Buy?” as well as the official Cannes selection, “The Third Wave,” Jeremy has gone on to write, produce, and executive-produce multiple films and television shows. He has co-written and co-produced the film ‘Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?”; the FOX TV program “The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special: In 3-D! on Ice!”; the documentary adaptation of The New York Times best-selling “Freakonomics” and, most
recently, “POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.”

Jeremy was also nominated for a Writer’s Guild of America nomination for his work on “The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special: In 3-D! on Ice!”.

MATTHEW GALKIN- PRODUCER

Matthew Galkin is an American producer and director. Recent work includes the forthcoming ESPN Films documentary “THE DOTTED LINE”, his second film with Morgan Spurlock and Warrior Poets; “KEVORKIAN”, an all-access look at famed assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, which premiered on HBO in 2010; the award-winning HBO documentary “I AM AN ANIMAL: THE STORY OF INGRID NEWKIRK AND PETA” about the famous animal rights organization and their enigmatic founder. The film took the top prize for documentaries at the 2007 Hamptons International Film Festival and premiered on HBO in November of 2007; “loudQUIETloud: A FILM ABOUT THE PIXIES”, which chronicled the seminal rock band’s 2004 reunion tour. The film screened at film festivals around the world, was theatrically released in the US, and airs currently on the Sundance Channel.

Galkin has also produced or executive produced numerous non-fiction TV series including “FAMILY BONDS” for HBO, “KIM ORA: LIFE IN THE FAB LANE” FORE! and The Style Network, and “BOOMTOWN” for Planet Green. In 2012, Galkin will direct the scripted feature film INTO THE GREAT WIDE OPEN, based on a script adaptation by Galkin of Kevin Canty’s novel. The film will star Evan Rachel Wood, Julia Ormond, and Tom Sturridge.

THOMAS TULL- PRODUCER

Thomas Tullis Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Legendary Pictures, the production company behind blockbuster films such as Inception, The Dark Knight, The Hangover, and others. Tullis a board member of the American Film Institute (AFI); Hamilton College, his alma mater; the Fulfillment Fund; and the San Diego Zoo. He is also a minority partner in the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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