Comic-Con reveals underground hits

SAN DIEGO, July 20 (UPI) -- Some ratings-challenged TV series can get a promotional boost if they catch on at the Comic-Con International in San Diego, series creators say.

Eric Kripke, who created The CW series "Supernatural," said people who attend the convention tend to see their embrace of lesser-known series or cult classics as a badge of honor, the San Diego Union-Tribune said Sunday.

"I think the fact that we are not an out-of-the-box hit actually helps," said Kripke, whose series has been a moderate ratings success. "Everyone feels like they're in on this very, very cool, wonderful thing that the general public doesn't know about. It makes them feel like insiders, and who doesn't want to feel that way?"

Among the series likely to attract fan attention at this year's sold-out convention, scheduled to begin this week, will be the long-running "Battlestar Galactica" and the British import "Torchwood."