Episode 5: A Brief History of Comic Book Conventions

A photo I took of the San Diego Convention Center back in 2009 while waiting for the trolley across the street

Once a mainstay of geek culture, comic book conventions have gone (mostly) mainstream, thanks in large part to media coverage. But how did these events get their start? This episode will explore the origins of comic book conventions and host Jacque Nodell’s memories of growing up in the ’80s and ’90s attending cons.

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast! If you’d like to support the show visit these links!

• Subscribe and leave a review at Apple Podcasts

• Support the podcast over at Patreon

• Join the Sequential Crush mailing list to stay up to date

• Buy books via Bookshop

• Purchase Jacque’s Book on Amazon

Sources Used and Further Reading

• Clip at the top of the episode compiled from 1994 Overstreet World of Comics Video - watch the whole amazing thing on YouTube

• https://www.waywardnerd.com/brief-history-comic-con

• https://daily.jstor.org/history-cosplay-and-comic-con/

• https://www.comic-con.org/toucan/maggie%E2%80%99s-world-080-changes

• https://geekfrontiers.com/geek-history/the-1964-new-york-comicon/

• Quote from Ben Zackheim: https://mfavisualnarrative.sva.edu/brief-history-comic-cons/

• Phil Seuling quote as said in the 1977 Comic Art Convention program book: https://mfavisualnarrative.sva.edu/brief-history-comic-cons/

• https://www.popmatters.com/95236-the-history-of-comic-conventions-2496038510.html

• https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/53402/phil-seuling-the-man-who-invented-direct-market/

• July 1971 Interview with Phil Seuling

• https://www.thetmca.com/comic-convention-giant-victorious-in-trademark-suit-comic-con-is-not-generic/

• Article Chicago Comicon to Oppose San Diego's Trademark Registration from Sat, 31 Aug 1996

• https://comicconmemories.com/2009/12/22/alan-lights-1975-san-diego-comic-con-lp-record-listen-to-it-here/

• https://comicconmemories.com/

Listen on Apple Podcasts or your favorite place to get podcasts with the RSS feed!