Capturing the history of Comic-Con International from its small beginnings to becoming the mega spectacle nexus of comics, films, TV, gaming, art and more, Comic-Con: 40 Years of Artists, Writers, Fans, and Friends is available for pre-sale.

This coffee-table 208-page, 9×12 full-color book features more than 620 images covering the 40-year history of Comic-Con. Much of the art here has not been seen since its initial publication in Comic-Con’s program and souvenir books (which themselves now sell on eBay and elsewhere as collector’s items!). The majority of the photos have never been seen outside of the Comic-Con archives.

Taking a decade-by-decade look at the show, special articles explore the Masquerade, the Comic Book Expo, WonderCon, the Alternative Press Expo, Comic-Con’s T-shirts, the Eisner Awards, and much more, there are articles and photos focusing on some of the most important writers and artists who have been Comic-Con favorites over the years, including Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, Ray Bradbury (who also provided the foreword for the book), Forry Ackerman, Dave Stevens, Frank Miller, Neil Gaiman and more. Each chapter ends with a comprehensive list of first-time guests who attended in each decade, and the book’s vast appendices contain a complete list of Eisner, Inkpot, Bob Clampett, Bill Finger and Russ Manning Award recipients. Sprinkled throughout the book are quotes and observations from leading professionals in comics, movies and television, commenting on their own experiences at the show.

The whole package is completed by a full-color wraparound cover by one of Comic-Con’s favorite special guests, legendary Mad Magazine and Groo artist Sergio Aragonés, colored by Tom Luth!

Advance sale books are $31.99, which includes California sales tax, but are only available to those attending Comic-Con 2009 and must be picked up on site during the convention. All orders for pick-up must be received by Monday, July 13, 2009. Books will also be for sale at Comic-Con (provided the books are still available) for the cover price of $40.00 + California sales tax.

Complete information on how to order and where to pick up the book at Comic-Con is available here. 

Comic-Con: 40 Years of Artists, Writers, Fans, and Friends was produced by Comic-Con and designed and published by Chronicle Books of San Francisco, one of the world’s leading publishers of pop culture, art and photography books.