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Comic Book Fans Flock To San Diego For Comic-Con

SAN DIEGO (CBS/AP) — Hoards of highly devoted comic book fans are headed to Comic-Con International, an annual convention in San Diego that has increasingly drawn Hollywood celebrities promoting films based on comic icons.

»PHOTOS: Comic-Con 2011

The convention runs July 21-24 at the San Diego Convention Center.

Fans this year are buzzing about "Captain America", a Marvel comic favorite story that's been made into a feature film, slated to be released Friday.

 

"Captain America" star Chris Evans is calling the latest Marvel film "everything a superhero movie should be."

Evans introduced the movie to a Comic-Con crowd on Thursday, a day ahead of its nationwide opening. He told throngs of fans, uniformed soldiers and dancing girls that he's not usually as "enthusiastic, because I don't always like my movies."

The actor plays Steve Rogers, a good-hearted but small-statured guy who enlists in the Army and submits himself for an experimental treatment to become a super soldier.

Fans gathered before dawn for a chance to see the first public showing of the anticipated Marvel movie. They were rewarded for their devotion with free posters, buttons and T-shirts.

For more than 70 years Marvel Comics has created characters that have turned into pop culture icons.

Comic-Con attendees have grown to include fantasy, science fiction and video fans.

"Twilight" lovers camped out at dawn to get a glimpse of Ashley Greene, Nikki Reed, Elizabeth Reaser and other co-stars from the vampire movies, based on the best-selling book trilogy. Fans got to catch a preview of the next "Twilight" movie.

Summit Entertainment Presents "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" Comic-Con Fan Meet And Greet
(L-R) Actors Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart sign autographs for fans at Summit Entertainment presents "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" Comic-Con Fan Meet and Greet on July 21, 2011 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Summit Entertainment)

Greene, Reed and Reaser, who play members of the Cullen vampire family in "Twilight," were joined by Julia Jones and Boo Boo Stewart, who co-star as kinfolk in the rival werewolf pack.

The actors signed "Twilight" posters, mugs and other movie memorabilia, posed for pictures with fans and even served some breakfast goodies to "Twi-hards," some of whom were in line since Monday afternoon to get into the preview at Comic-Con, a massive gathering for fans of comics, video games, television and film.

(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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