The robust sales patterns that have characterized the Spider-Man-influenced summer of 2002 continued to make their mark on ICv2's Top Ten List for July. Even more than usual, big ticket items tended to dominate the lists this month.

Rich Biedrzycki of Dreamland in Schaumburg, Illinois has seen our coverage of WizKids' convention sales of products not yet released to retailers and doesn't like the fact that he's allocated on products that WizKids is selling at conventions.

Marvel reported a vastly improved second quarter this year, with a net profit of $4.2 million (after preferred dividend) vs. a loss of $11.4 million in the year ago period, with the release of the Spider-Man movie getting lots of direct and indirect credit.

The 2002 Eisner Award Winners were announced at the recent San Diego Comic-Con, and the love was spread around. Four titles won multiple awards: 100 Bullets with three, and Eightball, Dork , and Akira with two each.

Toy distributor Marz Distribution announced that it was kicking off its new manufacturer fulfillment operation with its first client -- Factory X.

Daniel McAbee of The Tangled Web in Spartanburg, South Carolina was prompted by our article on Matt Ragone's departure from Marvel and Bill Rosemann's comment to let us know that he thinks both of them are stand up guys.

We're working our way through all the news from San Diego, but we've got a bunch of bits and pieces left over that aren't going to get into print unless we group them all together here. So without further ado, here's our News and Notes from San Diego 2002...

Although three actors from Mutant X were signing at the Inkworks booth in San Diego, and we thought we were being told with a nod and a wink that Inkworks had the license (and reported it as fact for about 16 hours on Thursday), it turns out it was just a nod and a wink--don't look for Mutant X trading cards any time soon.

J.J. Abrams' Alias, the lone bright spot in ABC's 2001-2002 season, garnered eleven Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe Award for lead actress Jennifer Garner (who plays Elektra in the new Daredevil film).

Max Allan Collins told an audience in San Diego that he is writing a comic series for Marvel that is based on his Road To Perdition graphic novel and which will chronicle what happened during the six month period that the Michael Sullivan, father and son, were on the road hitting banks where the Capone mob has stashed money.