This Thursday, thousands upon thousands of pop culture fanatics from around the world are going to arrive in San Diego for Comic-Con 2012, mecca for the uber geek in all of us. Now, while I’ve never been to San Diego Comic Con , watching Morgan Spurlock’s wonderful documentary Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope, I felt as though I received a crash course in what all the hype is about. Check out the trailer and then read more after the jump.

Out on DVD tomorrow, Comic-Con Episode IV is the story of a group of pop culture lovers who all descend upon San Diego in 2010 to experience. You meet the costume designer, a few aspiring artists, the geek lovers, the die-hard collector and the old time comic book retailer struggling to stay afloat. Not to mention celebrities such as Seth Green, Seth Rogen, Guilermo Del Toro, Joss Whedon, Stan Lee and many others who talk about what Comic-Con means to them and their audience.

While the film is about this specific and legendary convention that is has really become thee pop culture event of the year, watching Spurlock’s film made it very clear to me that the San Diego experience isn’t all that unique. Sure, it’s the one convention where Hollywood descends in full force to promote its various upcoming films. But as a yearly visitor to Fan Expo Canada in Toronto, and having made it out to Wizard World Chicago back in 2008, I can tell you that the fan experience is not unique to Comic-Con or San Diego. Every convention you visit, you’ll see fans dressed up, creators shaking hands and signing autographs, and celebrities drawing crowds at every turn. What San Diego has more than other is simply size. And sometimes, size does indeed matter.

Regardless, as a comic book and pop culture aficionado, there is definitely something special about watching Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope – mainly because of the feeling that it was made for us. The ones that love our stories and heroes and, even as we’ve all gotten older, refuse to abandon them, even as out hair turns grey. The film is a brisk 84 minutes, moving quicker than a line-up for a men’s bathroom at any comic book convention, and in leaves you with a feeling of excitement for the next time you can gather with a tribe of likeminded pop culture lovers. If you aren’t in San Diego this weekend, consider this film the next best thing.