Comic-Con kicks off in San Diego

SAN DIEGO — Downtown San Diego has been converted into a “nerd mecca,” according to comic enthusiasts.

San Diego Comic-Con officially gets underway Thursday.

Approximately 130,000 comic-book lovers are expected to take part in some or all of the festivities.

The lucky individuals who were able to land the much-coveted four-day passes are certainly in for treat.

“The attendance has gone up, which makes it darn near impossible to get four-day passes,” said Jeff Pina of Samurai Comics in the Valley. “The last two years, four-day passes were gone in 30 seconds.”