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Post by Ish Kabbible on Oct 6, 2016 20:22:31 GMT -5
Reading a hardcover collection of Warren magazines when I come across a big write-up of the 1973 Phil Seuling Comic Art Convention held in Manhattan that summer. It was Phil's 6th annual convention and I know for a fact I was in attendence. Thought I'd share with you what the article recorded as occurring at that meeting where 5500 attended
Of course you had a costume event with the judges being Sergio Aragones,Jeff Jones and Rutland Parade Guy Tom Fagan. Winner was Ming The Merciless who beat out J.Jonah Jameson, Golden Age green Lantern,The Joker, The Marquis DeSaad and 2 Vampirellas
A Panel on War comics featuring Russ Heath, Archie Goodwin and Jim Warren
A Panel on Writing for Comics with Steve Skeats, Marty Pasko, Mike Friedrich, Steve Englehart, Elliot Maggin, E. Nelson Bridwell, Gerry Boudreau and John David Warner
The Film Festival included The Beatles' Yellow Submarine, 2001 A Space Odyssey, Marx Bros' Room Service, The Day The Earth Stood Still, Three Worlds Of Gulliver, War Of The Worlds, King Kong and the original Batman serial
There were other seminars, panels, auctions, exhibits and of course the large dealer's room
I can't say I have any specific memories of this particular convention. I began to attend these 4th of July weekend events in 1969 and did so for about 5 straight years so they kind of blur together at this point. Also keep in mind that at this point in time, just about every comic professional had to live in the surrounding area in order to get work at Marvel, DC or Charlton (Jack Kirby and Alex Toth being the biggest exceptions). So there were tons of creators in attendence or just milling about and making contacts with other professionals
And these were the days when autographs were all free.
The dealer's room was never cool enough, the water dispensers emptied out quickly, EC comics were the gold standard of collectibles, there were tons of fanzines for sale, Howard Rogafsky was the dealer with the highest prices, the Overstreet Price Guide was not quite considered the bible yet and nobody took credit cards
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Post by berkley on Oct 6, 2016 21:04:56 GMT -5
That sounds like a lot more fun than the ones I read about today. I feel kind of sorry I missed those early conventions - not to mention the even earlier SF ones.
Growing up in Nfld we never had anything like that and in fact I only went to my first comic con the summer before last. It was fun to see all the costumes and I managed to find a few back-issues I wanted, but I can't say I feel too gung-ho about going to another one in the near future. I didn't attend any panels or talks, though - maybe that would have made it more interesting. But if the panels are all about the latest Marvel or DC event or some other marketing ploy, forget it.
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Post by hondobrode on Oct 6, 2016 23:35:10 GMT -5
There are those, but there are also lots of panels looking back to the history of comics, and most are pretty well done.
Stories, back and forth between host and guest(s), questions from the audience, stories about what almost happened / could have happened / should have happened, office politics, things that nevered happened or were changed for one reason or another, etc
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Oct 7, 2016 7:23:37 GMT -5
I never attended what would be called a modern comic convention, having stopped in the early.mid 80s. So I can't compare now and then but I can very well imagine the key differences
Among them is the attitude of the professionals
Back then, in the 60s and 70s, comic book reading was something very much frowned upon as a sign of immaturity for an older person, even a older teen. Creators wouldn't readilly admit what exactly they did as a living to other adults. Stan Lee, for example, mentions that many rimes at party's he'd just say he was a writer or editor of young adult publications. Artists tended to stay home and not socialize as much too.
These conventions was their only opportunity to get out into the public, speak truly about their jobs and bask in celebrity adulation. That's why, for the most part, they were very friendly with their fans, very happy to give you an autograph and even a free quick sketch. I'm sure many of them really looked forward to these events
And at this time conventions were rare. In NYC, the Seuling cons were really the only ones, given once a year. I don't think there was any real competion until the end of the 70s when Creation Con began.
Also, there were no tables for comic companies. No official prescence for Marvel or DC. Panels about a particular company, for sure.
And very little of outside media. Minimal representation of games and toys. You might get some old-time actor as a guest star for a panel, such as Kirk Alyn of the old Superman serials of the 1940s, but no one of then-current reknown
Huge difference in the dealer room too. Remember, this was before comic book shops, so the only ongoing comic sellers were a couple of mail-order operators. The majority were folks just looking to sell down their entire inventory for what they can get. Overstreet was out for just a few years and wasn't established enough to be the "official " price guide. There were a few other fan publications that acted as price guides too. So haggling was expected. And comparative browsing would find a huge variety in pricing
A person looking to save money would wait to the final day of the convention. Most dealers didn't want to take their inventory back home. Prices were slashed dramatically
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Post by Farrar on Oct 7, 2016 9:01:33 GMT -5
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Post by MDG on Oct 7, 2016 9:39:20 GMT -5
I went to the Seuling conventions in, I think, 74-77. Also some of the Creation Cons.
I don't think I've been to a NYC con since the 90s, and not a BIG con since maybe 2000 (Westchester County, where they brought in a ton of gold,silver, bronze artists--it was great). But my friends talked me into going to the Akron Con in November.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Oct 7, 2016 10:16:55 GMT -5
That is some fantastic picture you found. And unfortunately no, I didn't go to the luncheon and my name is not there alas A funny thing about my attendance at that convention, my first one I noticed in the Marvel comics of that time a classified ad of a comics back issue dealer named Bob Bell. He advertised for several years, one of the first to do so. I was living in Forest Hills, Queens NYC at that time and saw he had a thrift shop a few subway stops away from me. So I checked it out personally and found he had many older comics for sale, very knowledgeable about comics too. This was about 1968. I would visit his shop twice a week, each time with money earned from odd jobs to buy older Marvel book to complete my collection. So I became a regular customer and pretty much completed the Marvel Superhero collection thanks to him. Early in 1969 he showed me his newest acquisition, the complete 26 (?) issue collection of Mad Magazine when it was an EC comic. All in beautiful condition. Asked me if I was interested and of course I was. It was going to cost me $100 in total. I was spending about $20 a month at his store and I told him it would take me a few months to save up for it and I'd have the money by the middle of summer. He agreed to hold it for me till I had the dough Summer came and I just about had the money ready. Then I noticed, either in a Marvel comic or a Warren magazine ad or letter page, the announcement of the 4th Of July convention. My mind, without the use of drugs, was blown away with the thought of a convention with dozens of dealers and activities. So what do I do? Keep my word with Bob Bell and buy the Mad Comics or go to this convention and buy books there? And what if Bob Bell was there at a table and saw me? I couldn't resist, I had to go to the convention to at least check it out, and bring all my money, just in case $100 could go a long way back then. FF#1 was generally $5 for example. I had a few Marvel books left to buy and was also interested in older DCs. The dealer room was stifling hot and crowded. But I had this adrenaline rush, bouncing from table to table, filling my shopping bag with old comics, so many priced below a buck. Condition was hardly an issue back then, it was either nice enough to keep or it wasn't. My shopping bag was filled up pretty quickly and getting very heavy. And I only spent about $20 so far. No problem. I went downstairs and a few blocks away got a locker at Penn Station. Stashed the bag there and returned like a pig to a feeding trough. Oh, thank the comic gods, Bob Bell did not have a table at the convention So, you see, for the 3 day event, I was mainly in the dealers room, working up a sweat filling shopping bags of comics and stashing it temporarily at Penn Station. I went to a couple of panels, more so to cool off a bit and regain my energy. But the lure back to the dealer's room was overpowering So that's generally why I didn't go to the luncheon. I also think there was a separate admission for it. But when it was all said and done, by the end of the convention, I had about 7 or 8 shopping bags filled with old comics at home. Got my first fanzines there too. Predominately old DCs going back to the 50s, the few Marvels and Warrens I needed and assorted stuff that caught my attention. Maybe about 500 books in total or more I was too embarrassed to ever go back to Bob Bell's store. I still feel guilty about it. |
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Post by MDG on Oct 7, 2016 10:34:11 GMT -5
I remember early on frequently getting books in bags with Robert Bell's name and store info printed on the flaps.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Oct 7, 2016 11:19:41 GMT -5
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Post by Prince Hal on Oct 7, 2016 13:19:55 GMT -5
Ish, I remember running over to a convention in the city on a lark, just paying for a ticket (cheap!) at the door, trading books with another convention-goer in one of the dealers' rooms (can't remember what titles now), and literally turning a corner to see Jack Kirby standing there signing autographs. No line, no wait, just a guy in a short-sleeved shirt standing there quietly. I was starstruck, tongue-tied, and goggle-eyed, basically held up my convention booklet that came with price of admission to him. He signed it with a bemused look on his face and I moved on.
Gave that book away years ago to a student who loved comics and needed a boost. Wish I could remember for sure what year it was...but I'm almost positive it was '73.
Nope, I think it was '72, because for some strange reason I remember the program.
(Look it up and you'll know why.)
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Post by Farrar on Oct 7, 2016 13:57:36 GMT -5
Hal, do you recall what was on the cover of the program booklet? That might help pinpoint the year.
These reminiscences are great. Some people who attended those early Seuling Cons have told me they got drawings/sketches (done on the spot--no charge) from the likes of Gil Kane, Neal Adams, and Bill Everett.
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Post by Prince Hal on Oct 7, 2016 14:11:32 GMT -5
Hal, do you recall what was on the cover of the program booklet? That might help pinpoint the year. These reminiscences are great. Some people who attended those early Seuling Cons have told me they got drawings/sketches (done on the spot--no charge) from the likes of Gil Kane, Neal Adams, and Bill Everett. Great minds... See my edited post. |
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Post by Farrar on Oct 7, 2016 14:32:45 GMT -5
Nope, I think it was '72, because for some strange reason I remember the program. (Look it up and you'll know why.) 'Nuff said...  |
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Post by brutalis on Oct 7, 2016 17:24:12 GMT -5
Thanks for the memories Ish. Reminds me of my 1st convention at the ripe young age of 16 in the summer of 1976 here in Phoenix. i can't recall how i came to know about it but most likely it had to be an advertisement in the local newspaper since there was no internet and no comic book shops as yet. It was a 3 day local science fiction/comic book convention, 1st one ever here i do believe and ran a Thursday, Friday and Saturday in June if i remember correctly. Since i didn't have a driver's license yet i had to get up at 5am in the morning to catch the city bus which came through my part of south Phoenix. At that time the bus came through only every 3 hours into my neighborhood on a very round about trip which took about 2-3 hours (depending on stops) to get to downtown Phoenix. From there i had to walk from the bus terminal about 3 blocks to the City Convention Center where the entire convention was being held in the lowest level/basement only. It was all conference rooms that would hold maybe 50 people if you were lucky but it to this young crazy boy it was the most wonderful experience ever!
A place where you could spend all day long meeting and listening and talking with real science fiction and fantasy author's. A room full of vendors set up with their own tables and boxes and grocery bags full of comic books and novels plying their trade. For a cost of $15 admission for all 3 days you had hours of entertainment. It was oddly strange to see maybe 20-30 of us teens hanging together at a time and the rest of the attendance being adults. Nothing much in nerd or geeks or collectors as this was just before comic book conventions became a thing and there was no cosplay. Phoenix was not yet the "hip big city metropolis" it now poses as.
Truly caught the fever being able to sit and listen to real true published author's talking about their creations and their craft. There was something special, a connection that was more personal and intimate and made you feel part of something more than being one in the hundreds or thousands of attendee's. I came home with purchases of books and comics and free posters, and flyers and i do believe that is when i became a true science fiction and fantasy and comic book addict that day. i still have a binder full of the freebie stuff that i drag out occasionally with joyful remembrance and reverence.
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Post by berkley on Oct 8, 2016 16:40:43 GMT -5
I was a bit surprised at first glance by how conservative the clothes and hairstyles look in that picture: if I hadn't been told beforehand it was from July 1969 I would have guessed it was from a few years earlier, probably three at the least. But I suppose it's a trick of the mind to think retrospectively that everyone under the age of thirty suddenly started wearing long hair and bell-bottoms after the summer of 1967. I know from looking at my old school pictures that in my part of the world long hair didn't peak until 1972 or 73 or so, but I assume we were a little behind the times. |
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