Comic book convention
A comic book convention (one-day event) or comic con is a fan convention with a primary focus on comic books and comic book culture, in which comic book fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other. Commonly, comic conventions are multi-day events hosted at convention centers, hotels, or college campuses. They feature a wide variety of activities and panels, with a larger number of attendees participating in cosplay than most other types of fan conventions. Comic book conventions are also used as a vehicle for industry, in which publishers, distributors, and retailers represent their comic-related releases. Comic book conventions may be considered derivatives of science-fiction conventions, which began in the late 1930s.
Not to be confused with Comecon.
Comic-cons were traditionally organized by fans on a not-for-profit basis,[1] though nowadays most events catering to fans are run by commercial interests for profit. Many conventions have award presentations relating to comics (such as the Eisner Awards, which have been presented at San Diego Comic-Con International since 1988; or the Harvey Awards, which have been presented at a variety of venues also since 1988).
At commercial events, comic book creators often give out autographs to the fans, sometimes in exchange for a flat appearance fee, and sometimes may draw illustrations for a per-item fee. Commercial conventions are usually quite expensive and are hosted in hotels. This represents a change in comic book conventions, which traditionally were more oriented toward comic books as a mode of literature, and maintained a less caste-like differentiation between professional and fan.
The first official comic book convention was held in 1964 in New York City and was called New York Comicon.[2][3] Early conventions were small affairs, usually organized by local enthusiasts (such as Jerry Bails, later known as the "Father of Comic Fandom", and Dave Kaler of the Academy of Comic-Book Fans and Collectors), and featuring a handful of industry guests. The first recurring conventions were the Detroit Triple Fan Fair, which ran from 1965 to 1978, and Academy Con, which ran from 1965 to 1967. Many recurring conventions begin as single-day events in small venues, which as they grow more popular expand to two days, or even three or more every year. Many comic-cons which had their start in church basements or union halls now fill convention centers in major cities.[4]
Nowadays, comic conventions are big business, with recurring shows in every major American city. Comic book conventions in name only, the biggest shows include a large range of pop culture and entertainment elements across virtually all genres, including horror, animation, anime, manga, toys, collectible card games, video games, webcomics, and fantasy novels.
San Diego Comic-Con International, a multigenre entertainment and comic convention held annually in San Diego since 1970, is the standard bearer for U.S. comic-cons. According to Forbes, the convention is the "largest convention of its kind in the world";[5] and is also the largest convention held in San Diego.[6] According to the San Diego Convention and Visitor's Bureau, the convention has an annual regional economic impact of $162.8 million,[7][8] with a $180 million economic impact in 2011.[9] However, in 2017, SDCC lost its record of the largest annual multigenre convention to São Paulo's Comic Con Experience (first held in 2014).[10]
Internationally, the world's largest comic book convention, in terms of attendees, is Japan's Comiket (first held in 1975), which boasts annual attendance of over half a million people.[11] Italy's Lucca Comics & Games (first held in 1965) and France's Angoulême International Comics Festival (first staged in 1974) are the world's second and third largest comic festivals, respectively.
History[edit]
Origins[edit]
In 1961 or 1962, Jerry Bails was vital in the formation of the Academy of Comic-Book Fans and Collectors (ACBFC), the first official organization of comic book enthusiasts and historians. The ACBFC brought fans of the medium together, administered the first industry awards, and assisted in the establishment of the first comic book conventions.
The academy's first order of business was to administer the Alley Awards, which traced their origin to "a letter to Jerry dated October 25, 1961", by fellow enthusiast (and future comics professional) Roy Thomas, in which he suggested to Bails that his fanzine Alter-Ego create its own awards to reward fandom's "favorite comic books in a number of categories" in a manner similar to the Oscars.[12] The first Alley Awards, given for the calendar year 1961, were reported in Alter Ego No. 4 (Oct. 1962).
Alley Talley and other gatherings of 1964[edit]
On March 21–22, 1964, the first annual "Alley Tally" by ACBFC members was organized by Bails at his house in Detroit, with the purpose of counting "the Alley Award ballots for 1963".[12] This became notable in retrospect as the first major gathering of comics fans, predating the earliest comic book conventions, which were held later in the year.[13] Attendees included Ronn Foss, Don Glut, Don and Maggie Thompson, Mike Vosburg, and Grass Green. Comics historian Bill Schelly notes that the Alley Tally and "even larger fan meetings in Chicago ... helped build momentum" for these earliest conventions.[12] (The Chicago gathering occurred May 9–10, 1964; it featured "several dozen" attendees, a dealer room, and film showings.)[14]
In addition, an unnamed convention held May 24, 1964, in the Hotel Tuller, Detroit, Michigan, was organized by teenagers Robert Brusch and Dave Szurek,[13][15] with assistance from Bails[12] and members of the Michigan Science Fiction Society.[16] This gathering featured about 80 fans of the comic book medium.[17]
New York Comicon[edit]
The first recorded "official" comic book convention took place in 1964 in New York City. Known as the "New York Comicon",[2][3][18][19] it was held July 24, 1964,[14] at the Workman's Circle Building.[15] A one-day convention organized by 16-year-old Bernie Bubnis[20] and fellow enthusiast Ron Fradkin,[15] official guests of the Tri-State Con included Steve Ditko,[14] Flo Steinberg,[20] and Tom Gill.[15][21] Reports were of over 100 attendees.[21]
1965: The first recurring conventions[edit]
Continuing the momentum from the previous year, Bails, Shel Dorf, and the members of the Michigan Science Fiction Society formed the "organizing committee" of the ground-breaking multigenre convention Detroit Triple Fan Fair (DTFF),[22] which was held July 24–25, 1965 at the Embassy Hotel, in Detroit, Michigan.[12] The DTTF was held annually in Detroit until 1978.
Meanwhile, in New York City, teacher/comics enthusiast Dave Kaler[23] had taken over as ACBFC Executive Secretary; the organization produced Academy Con I (officially known as "Comi Con: Second Annual Convention of Academy of Comic-Book Fans and Collectors"),[24] held July 31 – August 1, 1965, at the Broadway Central Hotel.[25] Under Kaler's leadership, the academy produced three successful "Academy Con" shows in New York during the summers of 1965–1967,[20][26][27] attracting industry professionals such as Otto Binder, Bill Finger, Gardner Fox, Mort Weisinger, James Warren, Roy Thomas, Gil Kane,[20] Stan Lee, Bill Everett, Carmine Infantino, and Julius Schwartz.[26] As befitting a convention run by the Academy of Comic-Book Fans and Collectors, the Alley Awards were presented at all three Academy Cons.[28] The 1965 Academy Con also featured one of the first recorded "superhero masquerades", or costume contests.
1965 also saw the genesis of what became the annual Italian comic book convention Lucca Comics & Games. Rinaldo Traini and Romano Calisi (forming the International Congress of Cartoonists and Animators) held the Salone Internazionale del Comics ("International Congress of Comics") in Bordighera.[29] In 1966, it moved to a small piazza in the center of Lucca, and has grown in size and importance over the years.
Expansion and growth[edit]
In 1966, comic book conventions continued to evolve and expand, The July 23–24 New York Comicon (not to be confused with the later New York Comic Con) was held at the Park Sheraton Hotel, in New York. Produced by John Benson,[26] guests included Jack Kirby, Jim Steranko, Otto Binder, Len Brown, Larry Ivie, Jack Binder, Roy Thomas, Gil Kane, Archie Goodwin, Bhob Stewart, Klaus Nordling, Sal Trapani, Rocke Mastroserio, and Ted White. (There were four women in attendance: Pat Lupoff, Lee Hoffman, Flo Steinberg, and Maggie Thompson.)[30] Featured events included a keynote speech by Kirby, a discussion about censorship between Don Thompson and Comics Code Authority acting administrator Leonard Darvin, a panel about the Golden Age of Comics, and one on the "so-called 'Forgotten '50s", particularly EC Comics. Bhob Stewart, on a panel with Archie Goodwin and Ted White, predicted that there would soon be "underground comics" just as there were already "underground films".[31]
That same summer (August 12–14) in New York, Dave Kaler produced Academy Con II at the City Squire Inn.[26]
Meanwhile, also in 1966, the first Southwesterncon was held in Dallas, Texas. Organized by Larry Herndon (of the fanzine Star Studded Comics), the official guest was Dave Kaler;[32] about 70 attendees took part. Later Southwesterncons rotated between Houston ("Houstoncon")[33] and Dallas ("D-Con"), adding Oklahoma City ("Multicon") to the mix in 1970.[34] The Southwesterncon partnership lasted roughly until 1971, with Houstoncon, D-Con, and Multicon continuing separately until 1982.
In 1966, a new convention, Gateway Con, was inaugurated in St. Louis.[35]
In 1968, two important conventions had their start. Taking over for the Academy Con, Brooklyn native and school teacher Phil Seuling hosted the International Convention of Comic Book Art at the Statler Hilton Hotel in New York City on July 4–7. The guests of honor were Stan Lee and Burne Hogarth.[36] This annual convention, which later became known as the Comic Art Convention (CAC), hosted the presentation of the Alley Awards from 1968 to 1970.[28] CAC ran annually (occasionally in Philadelphia) over Independence Day weekend, until 1983. In England, Phil Clarke produced Comicon '68 (British Comic Art Convention) at the Midland Hotel, Birmingham, from August 30 to September 2, 1968. "Member"-guests include Alan Moore, Paul Neary, Jim Baikie, Steve Moore, and Nick Landau; there were 70 attendees.[13] The British Comicon ran annually, variously in Birmingham, London, and Sheffield, until 1981.
The 1970s and explosive growth[edit]
Comic book conventions increased dramatically in the 1970s, with many of the largest conventions of the modern era being established during the decade. In the early 1970s, conventions sprang up in almost every major American city (and some minor ones), as well as in London, with Comic Mart, a bimonthly trade show which ran regularly until the mid-1980s. Comic book creators, editors, and publishers began to make it part of their routine to attend conventions as official guests. Major comics-related news events were often broken at annual conventions: examples include the news that Jack Kirby was defecting from Marvel to DC, and DC's announcement that it was reviving Captain Marvel.[37]
On August 1–3, 1970, Shel Dorf produced the Golden State Comic-Con, held at the U.S. Grant Hotel, in San Diego. Official guests were Forrest J. Ackerman, Ray Bradbury, Jack Kirby, Bob Stevens, and A. E. van Vogt, and it drew 300 people.[38] The three-day show evolved into San Diego Comic-Con International, and now attracts 130,000 or more attendees.[39]
The Creation Convention debuted in 1971, organized by 14-year-old Queens schoolboys Adam Malin and Gary Berman,[40] and held over Thanksgiving weekend at the New Yorker Hotel, in New York City.[41][42] The guest of honor was Jim Steranko.[43] From that point until the late 1980s, Creation Entertainment continued producing large annual conventions in New York City, usually taking place over the weekend following Thanksgiving.[44] A popular venue for the Thanksgiving cons was the Statler Hilton Hotel.[45] In the mid-1970s, attendance at the New York Creation conventions averaged around 5,000 fans; the admission was around $5/day.[46]
The 1971 Comic Art Convention (held July 2–4 at the Statler Hilton Hotel, New York City) was notable for being the convention credited by Will Eisner for his return to comics:
Organization and staffing[edit]
Comic book conventions were traditionally run and staffed by volunteers,[82] though venues may require certain activities to be contracted out. Event funding typically relies on convention registrations.[83] Nowadays, many of the larger conventions are incorporated as non-profit organizations, usually to achieve tax-exempt status and safeguard the organizers' personal assets – in the US, some are 501(c)(3) charities, while others are registered as recreational clubs. The largest events may require up to a hundred volunteers. Volunteers often receive T-shirts or other benefits.
Most comic book conventions take place over a weekend, with events scheduled between Friday evening and Sunday afternoon. Saturday is typically the busiest day, as most fans must return home on Sunday. One-day passes are sometimes sold at a reduced price.
Reasons for this include:
In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both WonderCon and Dragon Con were canceled, and San Diego Comic-Con moved its programming online.[86]
