The strange case of the superheroes, the geeks and the studios

The prominence of big-money Hollywood at Comic-Con is a curious thing given that the event is run by a registered public charity that pays no tax. On its IRS filing, its mission is stated to be "sponsoring a comic convention and other events related to popular art which promotes education regarding the art and industry on an international basis and celebrates the contribution of comic books to art."

It should be pointed out that, in the mix of things at Comic-con, there are more actual comics than you can shake a Hellboy fist at. Moreover, we live in a digital age where media definitions are becoming increasingly blurred. Are Marvel or DC foremost in the business of publishing books or is that just one increasingly archaic and less relevant part of what they do?