Thousands flooded to the San Diego Convention Center in California July 21 for Comic-Con 2016. Attendees dress up as their favorite characters, see art exhibits and memorabilia, as well as get the chance to meet actors and the people who bring the stories to life.

But the convention is not only a fun event for fans, it is also a huge money maker for the city is San Diego.

CCTV America’s Mark Niu reports.

Fans line up for hours, some from the night before, waiting for the opportunity to meet their heroes and dress like them too.

Comic-Con has become about more than just comics. It is really a celebration of pop culture, which brings in a near $200 million windfall to the city of San Diego, California.

This year, superheroines are battling for equal attention, particularly as Warner Bros. promotes the 75th anniversary of Wonder Woman and the release of next year’s feature film starring Gal Gadot.

Right alongside the billion-dollar toy and game companies and powerful Hollywood studios, are thousands of up-and-coming artists working to create change in their own way.

Asian-American writer Sarah Kuhn is signing autographs for the first time at Comic-Con, having just released her novel “Heroine Complex,” which stars not one, but two Asian female superheroines.

She said when she pitched her “‘Devil Wears Prada’ meets superheroes” idea, some of the industry didn’t share her enthusiasm for one glaring reason.

“I thought that was a very commercial, accessible fun story,” Kuhn said. “And then, when I said the main character is Asian American, people would be like ‘it’s so niche, it’s such a hard sell, it’s such a limited audience,’ — all these words that I feel are code for these characters are not white. And I think instead of making me think, ‘Oh, this doesn’t have an audience,’ that made me more stubborn about it, because I’m an audience, my friends are an audience.”

But Kuhn said her book has nearly sold out at every stop on her tour, and the interest from both sexes has further encouraged her. In fact, a recent study shows both men and women fans equally attend Comic-Con.

Rob Salkowitz discusses Comic-Con

For more on Comic-Con and its impact on San Diego economy, CCTV America’s Rachelle Akuffo spoke to Rob Salkowitz, author of “Comic-Con & the Business of Pop Culture & Young World Rising,” about the boost Comic-Con gives San Diego and the influence of women at the convention.

Comic-Con day 1:

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