As of 9:45 PM there were only a few of them in line, but they’d already been waiting since 1:30 pm.  They were queing up and camping out for Comic Con’s biggest event… the Twilight: New Moon panel that would feature bloodthirsty thespian Rob Pattinson.

Oddly, fandom for sexy teen vampire movies attracts girls who enjoy being out all night… in the dark.  By morning, the line circled the entire San Diego Convention Center, but only those die-hards willing to spend long hours will get in…  and those first in line will get the best seats right up front.

Anne To is the first in line.  She is also a Comic Con virgin, but no stranger to waiting in line.  Annie’s last line excursion lasted a mere 12 hours for the recent Harry Potter movie, but this wait will last 24.  She is totally prepared with reading material… all vampire-related, of course. Annie is a 20 year-old fan who traveled from Torrance, California just to be in the same room with the cast of Twilight: New Moon.  So what attracts the girls in line and makes them so willing to wait and brave the San Diego night?  “Once you start reading the books, it’s really difficult to put down. Stephenie Meyers has a great flow to the story. And once you get hooked on the books, you can’t wait to see the movie.  It’s all about teen angst, and teen romance.”

Most girls would not be ashamed to admit that they are really there to see leading man Rob Pattinson up close.  But not Annie. “No, I’m here to see the entire cast,” she says with a smile.  I believe her.

Is there anything else Annie would wait 24 hours to see?  “Yes.  The movie.”

Words by Chris Gore, photos by Dustin Downing