But the driving force of the Comic-con will always be the reader and collector. They are a breed that communicates by bumper sticker, T-shirt slogan — the guy in a period outfit whose shirt read "I can't handle the truth," the Asian collector in a shirt reading "Got rice?"

They made up an army — dressed as fantasy characters, carrying backpacks loaded with treasures, standing in line for hours to get an autograph or to get a seat at session featuring Stan Lee, Robert Downey Jr., Ray Bradbury, Neil Gaiman and dozens of others.

Bill Plympton, creator of the "Your Face" animated short, shook hands, signed everything and tried to stay upbeat. "I'm hoping to get a film in the Sundance Festival next year," he said. He might have added, "if I ever get out of here alive."

By Sunday, readers, writers and artists had worn themselves out. Most were happy to be heading home.

Except, of course, for Stan Lee. The aging patriarch had more energy at the beginning of the Comic-con than anyone else.

But then as everyone knows, Stan Lee is no mere human like thee and me.

He comes from another world.

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E-mail: jerjohn@desnews.com