For pop-culture geeks, San Diego Comic-Con International is like an overflowing treasure chest stuffed with gold doubloons, shiny jewelry and gem-inlaid goblets. For the easily distracted, it’s hard to know where to start digging in.

Last year, those who burrowed beneath sparkling appearances by Keanu Reeves, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Hayden "Darth Vader" Christensen would have found a diamond in the rough: A sneak peek at what would become the hit television series Lost.

Comic-Con has spread far beyond its origins as a comic book convention to embrace cartoons, anime, science fiction and fantasy, independent film, gaming, television, and, of course, motion pictures.

For the first time in years, this year’s convention - July 14-17 - won’t have the giant shadow of an upcoming Lord of the Rings or Star Wars film hanging over it - though it may still have the shadow of a giant looming, with Rings director Peter Jackson’s King Kong due out Dec. 14.

And there are giants underfoot in the literary world as well. This year’s convention coincides with the July 16 release of the latest novel in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The convention always draws its share of costumed fans, so expect a larger-than-usual representation of Harry Potters and Hermione Grangers.

True comic fans don’t need any special enticement to come to the con with its acres of comic vendors, massive displays by the likes of Marvel, DC and Dark Horse and the opportunity to meet with top-notch drawers and inkers, but Comic-Con always offers more.

This year, that will include a celebration of the life of comics icon Will Eisner and the usual assortment of Comics Arts Conference panel discussions - including one on the new trend of comics blogging. Though there’s something for just about every type of geek every day, Comic-Con does follow its own rhythm.

Wednesday night is preview night, an opportunity for professionals and those who’ve preregistered for all four days to get into the exhibit hall one day early. * Thursday and Friday feature many of the industry-oriented professional panels. * Saturday is when the big-name stars have shown up in the past and when the most popular of pop-culture events are celebrated. * Sunday is generally "kids day," when events begin to slow down and focus on children’s programming.

More names will be added as Comic-Con firms up its schedule, but special guests confirmed so far include:

* Robert Jordan, author of the best-selling "Wheel of Time" novels. * Infamously popular B-movie actor Bruce Campbell, best known for his "Evil Dead" roles. * Iconoclastic filmmaker Kevin Smith. * Legendary cartoonist Sergio Aragonés. * Science fiction icon Ray Bradbury. * Stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen. * Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski

Four-day admission is $65 for adults, and $30 for juniors 7-16 years old and seniors 60 years old or older - and only four-day admission gets you into the exhibit hall on preview night. One-day admission for adults is $25 for Thursday or Friday; $30 for Saturday, and $15 for Sunday; about half-price for juniors and seniors.

And, for those who care, the Disembodied Brain and crew will be covering the con again this year, by blog and by video.