San Diego Comic-Con International, the largest pop culture and comic convention in North America, is coming to the San Diego Convention Center July 13-17. As it was in 2004, the large Lucasfilm Star Wars Pavilion is a must-see for every Star Wars fan. Located in the front row of Hall D, the Pavilion will have great displays, events, give-aways, and fun at each of the booths, all set in a festive Star Wars street fair atmosphere. Watch film footage on the big overhead screen, play video game tournaments and impromptu Star Wars trivia games, enjoy special presentations, chat with Star Wars saga film stars, and spot surprise guests all weekend long.

Exhibiting this year in the Star Wars Pavilion:

Star Wars Shop / Hyperspace: Come by Star Wars Shop, the store for Star Wars fans, for a great selection of merchandise chosen especially for Comic-Con International. Hasbro's Holographic Princess Leia action figure will debut at the show, plus you never know what other collectible surprises might be available.

Have more fun shopping and cruising the Comic-Con International exhibit hall floor by ordering your Holographic Leia now. Then simply stop by the Pavilion with your ID and order confirmation and walk away with the goods without waiting in the cash register line.

Star Wars Hyperspace and Star Wars Insider magazine present the Comic-Con debut of the Darth Vader special souvenir magazine issue. This dark, slick magazine explores everything about the Dark Lord -- from behind-the-scene origins to untold tales, featuring original art and original fiction, you won't want to miss it.

Also in the booth, Hyperspace members can say hi to those fellow members that couldn't make it courtesy the Hyperspace webcam. The well-traveled camera has been brought back out of storage to gather the sights of the Pavilion and transmit them online.

Drop in to the LucasArts booth to compete in game tournaments throughout the weekend. Prizes and give-aways are planned daily. The innovative game company will be offering fans the chance to play exciting new titles that have not yet been released, including four kiosks of the sequel to their best-selling video game, Star Wars Battlefront II, scheduled for release on PS2, Xbox, PC, and PSP this fall. Players can relive their favorite Star Wars battles from either side of the conflict. As an extra bonus for thousands of fans worldwide, the immersive story in Battlefront II focuses on the history of the 501st Legion.

LucasArts will have two kiosks featuring a special preview of their coming grand strategy game, Star Wars: Empire at War, scheduled for release on PC in the spring of 2006. The real-time strategy game features persistent action, and every decision affects the next battle, and ultimately the fate of the galaxy. Players can wage war on the ground and in space in more than 40 locations throughout the Star Wars universe.

Fans can test drive favorite LucasArts games already on the market, too. There will be kiosks of the game that offers players a completely immersive experience in the Star Wars universe, Star Wars Galaxies: The Total Experience. Create your own character, explore 11 fully-realized Star Wars worlds and space sectors, while you adventure with any of the hundreds of thousands of players who are playing the game live when you are. Plus there will be tournaments of the best-selling Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, where players can live the most exciting moments from the movie and follow the film's tragic conflict through the perspective of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and duel against master swordsman like Count Dooku, Mace Windu, and Darth Vader.

3-Day Blinds and Home Fashions for Kids by Dan River will give away a "Star Wars Dream Bedroom," to one lucky fan during Comic-Con International. The give-away includes not only Star Wars blinds and bedding from these two great companies, but also toys, comics, and treasures from a number of Star Wars licensees who have pitched in to make this give-away even more exciting for fans.

Alienware will be showing off their "dark side" and "light side" PCs, including exclusive Star Wars content such as movie soundtracks, wallpapers, desktop skins, and game demos.

Anthony Grandio will offer exceptional, limited editions for Star Wars fans at Comic-Con International, including:

• Path to the Dark Side Premiere Pack -- a limited production check series commemorating Anakin Skywalker's transformation to Darth Vader in eight different scenes. Printing is very limited, and packs are only available while supplies last. The Premiere Pack includes a box of Path to the Dark Side checks and a special Path to the Dark Side exclusive checkbook cover.
• Show premiere of the Darth Vader, Episode III black leather checkbook cover
• Path to the Dark Side Commemorative Cache. Premiering at Comic-Con, this production run, limited to 2005 sets, contains one check or all 8 scenes and a hand-signed, hand-numbered Certificate of Authenticity. A special section of low numbered sets will be available for purchase at San Diego Comic-Con International.

Check out the Cingular kiosk for exclusive Star Wars graphics, ringtones, games and more.

Code 3 Collectibles will return to the Star Wars Pavilion with its high quality, limited-edition Star Wars collectibles including die-cast models and unique three-dimensional movie posters.

Dorling Kindersley is the publisher of some wonderful Star Wars books, including Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary, Incredible Cross Sections, and the Ultimate Sticker Book. Stop by the booth and thumb through some books.

Fossil, makers of limited-edition, collectible Star Wars watches, will be showing its wares in the Pavilion.

It's not too early to start planning for a Star Wars-themed holiday! Look for decorated holiday trees in the Kurt S. Adler booth, and Star Wars ornaments to purchase in the Star Wars shop.

LEGO will sponsor fun for kids of all ages with games and winners every day of the show. Come by and admire their spectacular "Death Star," guess the number of LEGO bricks in the huge Star Wars models, or play trivia contests. The booth's Darth Vader archway will be hard to miss, too!

The Master Replicas booth will host a "Comic-Con Live the Dream Sweepstakes," with drawings starting on Sunday around 3 P.M. The prize packages include sets of replicas from films that are pop culture favorites, including a set from the Star Wars saga. Master Replicas will also give away two one-of-a-kind Comic-Con exclusive prop cases:

• Rebel Alliance Prop Case -- up to 6 Rebel Alliance Master Replicas props displayed in a one-of-a-kind prop case
• Rise of the Sith Prop Case -- up to 6 Sith Master Replicas props displayed in a one-of-a-kind prop case

Official Pix, the official source for authentic Star Wars photographs and autographs, will offer a wide variety of photos of favorite saga stars, and some of those stars will be in the Official Pix booth during the weekend to greet fans and sign autographs.*

Amy Allen (Aayla Secura)
Kenny Baker (R2-D2)
Daniel Logan (Young Boba Fett)
Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca)
Temuera Morrison (Jango Fett, Clone Commander Cody)
Ray Park (Darth Maul)
David Prowse (Darth Vader)
Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian)
Matthew Wood (Voice of General Grievous)

*All autograph star appearances are subject to last-minute changes due to professional or other reasons.

Rubie's Costumes will give away limited-edition, high-end Star Wars merchandise in raffles scheduled to take place every day of the show:

• Thursday: Yoda Collector's Bust ($200 MSRP)
• Friday: Clone Trooper Replica Helmet ($1,200 MSRP)
• Saturday: Darth Vader Replica Helmet ($1,200 MSRP)
• Sunday: Life-sized Yoda Statue ($650 MSRP)

The Pavilion will be the Star Wars heartbeat on the exhibit hall floor, but there's more fun for Star Wars fans throughout the weekend. Star Wars Day, a tradition at Comic-Con International, is Friday, July 15, and there will be panels, presentations, and fun for fans all day long. Steve Sansweet, Head of Fan Relations at Lucasfilm, will top off the day with the Lucasfilm Star Wars Spectacular in Hall H. Fans never know what surprises Sansweet might pull out of his sleeve, making this show a must-see for the weekend.

Very early Saturday morning, members of the Official Star Wars Fan Club will gather at the Marriott Hotel & Marina for the 3rd annual Fan Club Breakfast during Comic-Con International. Fans at the breakfast will hear from Steve Sansweet, as well as other Star Wars personalities, receive a Hasbro Holographic Leia action figure, have a chance to win prizes, go home with a Lucasfilm goody bag, and ... oh yes ... have breakfast!

On Saturday night, the Comic-Con Masquerade offers a prize category specifically for Star Wars fans. The individual or group judged to have the best Star Wars costume will receive a special limited-edition prize from the Lucas Licensing archives, awarded by Lucasfilm.

Sunday is Kids' Day at Comic-Con International, and there will be special activities for kids throughout the convention. Kids can stop by the Star Wars Shop area in the Pavilion for free Star Wars coloring pages while supplies last. There's also a "How to Draw Star Wars" class taught by Star Wars artist Randy Martinez on Sunday from 11:30 AM -- 12:30 PM in Room 1AB.

We'll have more announcements on Star Wars Comic-Con International activities as the show draws closer. Keep checking starwars.com for the latest updates. If you can't make the show stay tuned for our great coverage from the floor of the San Diego Convention Center.