Comic-Con International: San Diego (Comic-Con), the largest comic book convention of its kind in the world, will open its Comic-Con 2011 attendee registration for four-day and one-day passes at 9 a.m. PT on Monday, November 1 at Comic-Con.org. In advance of the occasion, the organization today announced the first 20 special guests for its 2011 show.

Jordi Bernet, Dave Gibbons, Alan Davis, Jonathan Hickman, Jamal Igle, and Patricia Briggs are just a few of the special guests scheduled to take part in Comic-Con 2011. Four-day passes for last year's convention were sold out eight months prior to the show, and one-day passes were gone by April.

"2010 was the fourth straight year in which we reached a self-imposed attendance capacity," said David Glanzer, Comic-Con's director of marketing and public relations. "With the impressive roster of talent we already have lined up for 2011, we expect that enthusiasm to continue and for the 2011 show to be one to remember."

Comic-Con 2011 will be held July 21-24 at the San Diego Convention Center. Passes to the show's Preview Night on July 20 were sold out during this summer's 2010 convention, although more four-day passes with Preview Night may be released closer to the show, depending on returns or cancellations.

Following is the current list of special guests confirmed for the 2011 convention:

Jordi Bernet
Spanish comics artist known in the U.S. for the hardboiled Torpedo series and for DC's Jonah Hex

Patricia Briggs
Author, Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega series

Jo Chen
Award-winning cover artist for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Runaways

Alan Davis
British writer/artist on such titles as Captain Britain, Excalibur and JLA: The Nail; currently artist on Avengers Prime

David Finch
Artist known for Cyberforce, Avengers, New Avengers, and Brightest Day covers; he's now writing and drawing Batman: The Dark Knight

Dave Gibbons
British artist on the classic Watchmen comics series, and Give Me Liberty/Martha Washington; writer/artist, The Originals graphic novel

Kim Harrison
Author, Rachel Morgan, Madison Avery series

Jonathan Hickman
Writer, Fantastic Four, Secret Warriors, and S.H.I.E.L.D.

John Higgins
Long-time British artist on 2000 AD titles; colorist on the classic Watchmen comics series

Charlie Huston
Crime/horror novelist, Hank Thompson series, Joe Pitt Casebooks; comic book writer, Wolverine: The Best There Is, Moon Knight

Jamal Igle
Artist (Marvel, Image, Devils Due, Disney), whose latest work includes Supergirl

Richard Kyle
Writer, Graphic Story Magazine, highly influential fanzine of the 1960s; coined the term "graphic novel" in 1964

Rebecca Moesta
Co-author (with Kevin J. Anderson), Star Wars Young Jedi Knights series, Crystal Doors series; author, Buffy novels

Christopher Moore
Author, humorous vampire novels, including Bite Me: A Love Story, You Suck: A Love Story, Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story, etc.

Bill Schelly
Historian of comics fandom; books include The Golden Age of Comics Fandom, biographies of Joe Kubert and Otto Binder, etc.

Frank Stack
Pioneering underground cartoonist (as "Foolbert Sturgeon"), artist on many of Harvey Pekar's American Splendor stories as well as the graphic novel Our Cancer Year

Mark Tatulli
Cartoonist with two ongoing syndicated strips: Lio and Heart of the City

Roy Thomas
One of the first fans to become a pro: published early 1960s fanzine Alter Ego, went on to be editor-in-chief at Marvel and write titles such as Conan; currently editing revived Alter Ego magazine

Maggie Thompson
Editor of Comics Buyers Guide; co-creator of Comic Art, one of the earliest comics fanzines in 1961

Scott Westerfeld
Author, Uglies, Midnighters series

About Comic-Con International:
Comic-Con International: San Diego (Comic-Con), the largest comic book convention of its kind in the world, is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular art forms, primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture. In addition to its San Diego convention each summer, Comic-Con organizes the San Francisco-based WonderCon each spring and the Alternative Press Expo each fall. On the web: Comic-Con.org, Facebook.com/comiccon, Twitter.com/comic_con.

Press Release for October 27, 2010