I was a comic collector until my post college years. When I had to make adult decisions like pay the electric bill or get the new issue of X-Men, the geek in me lost every time. There was a time when I was laid off and I sold some of my prized collectibles to pay rent for a couple of months, so hording those books did come in handy. Comics have grown up over the years. Stories are more adult and much of it is very ingrained in pop culture. It's fueled the San Diego Comic Con's rise to prominence.

Comic Con 2010 starts July 22-25. And it's not a bunch of overweight fanboys dressed in costume debating which hero has the best superpower — OK, there is plenty of that, but that is not what the media will be covering. The event is sold out. Only a super scalper could probably get you in. Over the last few years, marketers discovered that Comic Con is a huge hype generator for movies, TV shows, online events and much more. If you want to create some early buzz for your action film or event, this is the place to do it.

Comic Con is a guerilla marketing, social media spectacle worth checking out. G4TV is offering complete coverage through the weekend. If you won't be embarrassed around your friends and family, check out all of the promotional work going into the next big Hollywood film. See how a less expensive grassroots effort may result in big profits in the future months. That's what you can tell people who catch you watching. I'm not ashamed. My wife still finds my former hobby to be cute.

If anyone deserves a free ticket to this sold out event, it's this pug.