It's coming: a distant thunder of marching stormtroopers, sketching cartoonists, strolling collectors and movie stars explaining how their roles in action films are deeply fulfilling. All this can only mean one thing: the 2006 edition of the Comic-con International San Diego is mere weeks away.

This year, the colorful brew of exhibiting comics publishers, videogame companies, back-issue dealers and movie studios will be joined by an increasing number of traditional book publishers. First-time exhibitors include Henry Holt's First Second imprint and Abrams, while Del Rey, Andrews McMeel and Disney will be returning to the fray. And more book editors and marketing people will be roaming the floor than ever before. San Diego has become a whole new rite of passage for book publishers who want to woo comics culture nerds.

The advantages of attending are obvious: the show offers a chance to meet up with creators and scout out new talent, as well as sell books. A comic-con is also the most effective way to reach fans and comics-only retailers—crucial for publishers entering the graphic novel field. But the San Diego fest also provides unique challenges. With around 100,000 attendees expected, it's probably the biggest consumer show most book publishers will ever attend.

Many first-time attendees to this year's San Diego event got their initiation into the comic-con experience at New York Comic-con in February. Despite the overcrowding that led to some ticket-holders being turned away at the door, it proved a successful show, with plenty of opportunity to meet talent and fans.

Hill & Wang publisher Thomas LeBien, the man behind Novel Graphics, H&W's line of nonfiction graphic titles, is among the first-time attendees. Although Novel Graphics will not have a booth, the line will be represented on a panel featuring veteran comics editor Sid Jacobson, talking about his own and artist Ernie Colon's work on Novel Graphics' comics adaptation of The 9/11 Report.

Even without a booth, LeBien says it's important to go to represent the line, as well as look at talent. Still, he admits that going in as a first-timer can be daunting. "I don't know what to expect in terms of reaction to the kind of graphic nonfiction that I'm publishing," he says. At the New York Comic-con, LeBien found that the traditional comics audience wasn't necessarily ready to embrace Novel Graphics' subject matter, but he's willing to give it another try. "It's been interesting. I believe that there will necessarily be kind of a running conversation between publishers like myself and the comics industry, because I think the expectations and usual working assumptions differ. It's a learning experience for everyone."

First Second's Mark Siegel is also a San Diego first-timer, although his experiences at the huge Angoulême festival in France may have served as basic training. "I'm ready for the whirlwind," he quips. First Second creators Eddie Campbell (The Fate of the Artist), Gene Yang (American Born Chinese) and Derek Kirk Kim will appear at the booth.

"San Diego is the unavoidable one," says Siegel, who offers a line of books very much influenced by European comics. "It's almost a responsibility to make sure we have a presence there, even though we are playing a different game than publishers that are a staple." Connecting directly with the readers is a key part of First Second's plan. To that end, the imprint will be selling books at the booth and offering a special deal: buy any two books from its first list and you'll get a free book from the second season, which officially launches in September.

In contrast to these eager newcomers, Del Rey editor-in-chief Betsy Mitchell is a comic-con veteran—science fiction and fantasy house Del Rey has been attending the show for 10 years and will have an expanded presence this time, with separate booths for its manga line and its SF offerings.

"We've always found it to be a great opportunity for novelists," says Mitchell. Unlike a science fiction convention, where writers are surrounded by other SF writers, San Diego offers a unique spotlight. San Diego's wide demographics provide a great way to reach people who would never go to a science fiction convention, Mitchell points out. And despite the overall size of the show, a publisher can make itself heard. "The thing that book publishers have to learn—and that we've learned over the years—is that there are various tricks to get authors noticed over the hubbub."

Although Mitchell is keeping some of her Yoda-like secrets to herself, one method is the old-fashioned way: spending. Del Rey is printing 115,000 copies of a 32-page excerpt of Naomi Novik's His Majesty's Dragon,which will be handed out to every convention attendee.

Another San Diego veteran is Abrams editor Charles Kochman, who earned his comic-con stripes during a 12-year stint in licensed books at DC Comics. Abrams will be promoting Art Out of Time, a survey of historically oddball comics by Dan Nadel, as well as Mom's Cancer,a graphic memoir by Brian Fies, and such upcoming projects as a Jules Feiffer collection and Cartoon America: Comic Art in the Library of Congress.

Kochman, who joined Abrams last year, will be overseeing the publisher's first-ever booth at the show. For him, the reason to be there is simple: "If you're doing jazz books, you would go to jazz conventions. You have to go where the fans are."

Scholastic creative director David Saylor is heading for his fourth visit to the show. "I guess that makes me an old-timer," he chuckles. Although last year Scholastic had a large booth, this year, "we weren't sure having a booth was the right way to be there," he says. Even without a booth, Scholastic is sending 10 staffers to the show, and will sponsor a panel and a cocktail party. Getting face-to-face time with creators is a key reason to attend. But Saylor also notes that having a booth isn't necessary to get attention where it counts. "Even in my first year, just passing my card around created a lot of buzz from people in the community."

Consumer outreach is such an important part of the show that some companies are expanding their presence. For example, Disney's booth has usually concentrated on the publishing end, but this year it will house a Disney Museum, with a consumer products—oriented display—the Pirates of the Caribbeanpublishing program will be highlighted and editors will still be around to meet the current talent and search for new ones.

There's no denying Comic-con's reputation for hurly-burly—several publishing folks confide that they view the looming San Diego maelstrom with mingled enthusiasm and dread. However, even while stocking up on food and water for booth duty, they recognize that a crazy party with movie stars and Stormtrooper Elvis can be enjoyed on its own merits.

"It's my favorite convention of the year," Mitchell says. "There's so much energy and so much fun."

Siegel says the show has developed its own mythology. "There is a geeky subculture that I feel some close ties to. I really hope we can make our own place in the overall folklore."