New York Comic Cons of the Past

The 1960s gave birth to the Comic Book Convention. While they began as modest ventures at run-down hotels for fans to engage in the business of buying, selling and trading their wares, they soon expanded into larger extravaganzas at the hands of organizers who exploited the medium's burgeoning interest. The first Con was crafted by teenage fan Bernie Bubnis in 1964. The determined youngster made the rounds at several publishing houses and put the Con together at a small space in downtown Manhattan. You can read his first-hand account about it in a piece he wrote on this blog several years ago:  https://nick-caputo.blogspot.com/2022/06/ditko-and-kid-guest-post-by-bernie.html

Steve Ditko's cover adorned the first New York Comicon program booklet in 1964. Image talen from J. Ballman's detailed book on the Con, which you can still purchase from Amazon and other outlets. 

Soon others would take up the mantle. Dave Kaler, a fan who also wrote for The Comic Reader fanzine, operated shows from 1965-67. It evoled with a larger collection of guests from the world of comics, including professionals such as Stan Lee, Bill Everett, Carmine Infantino and Otto Binder. While Bubnis' premiere Con had guests such as Gold Key artist Tom Gill, Steve Ditko (who attended but did not take the stage for any questions; instead he sat in attendance as an observer and spoke with several fans) and, representing Marvel comics, corresponding secretary Flo Steinberg and intern Dave Twedt. 

The next, and longest-running Con organizer was Brooklyn born and raised Phil Seuling, a teacher who took over the operation and ran the NY shows from 1968-1983. While his premiere show was held in November, all later Cons were held over the Independence Day weekend. Under his tuteledge the annual festivites greatly expanded. Seuling oversaw the shows and was visibly in attendence; he often made programming announcements, interviewed guests and mingled with fans during the duration time of the convention.   

One of the earliest program books I aquired (where else?) at a Con! Cover art by newspaper cartoonist Hal Foster. 

Contents page inside the 1969 program booklet which listed the participants. A few notable names are John Benson, who wrote articles on guests Hal Foster and Harvey Kurtzman, Bill Pearson, publisher of Witzend, and Chris Steinbrunner, who ran film programs shown at the con, which he also did professionally at local NY station WOR-Channel 9 giving him access to the material, including serials, which could be shown at the con. Steinbrunner was an enthusiast of comics and wrote one of the earliest books on fantasy-sci-fi (and one of the earliest I read): Cinema of the Fantastic. You can read more about this fascinating man here:https://thethunderchild.com/BurnsintheCity/ChrisSteinbrunner.html 

The Con booklet included professional greetings from Marvel, DC and Warren, which provided an excellent oppotunity to promote their titles, comic strips by fan artists and plenty of ads for popular fanzines and back issue stores.

The comics occcasionally took notice of Cons, as seen by this satirical piece from the pages of Charlton. "Comics Convention", Abbott and Costello # 13, August 1970. Possible script by Denny O'Neil or Grass Green; art by Grass Green. 

In 1970 I atteded my first Con with my brother and fellow comics afficianado, John. I recall being baffled when we received a flyer in the mail announcing the upcoming event, drawn by humorist Sergio Aragones (of Mad fame). Neither of us had a history of buying comics or fanzines through the post, nor had any letters published in periodicals at the time. We still have no clue of how it was sent to us, as potential attendees. Neverthelless, John decided we would go. For my very first Con I can tell you little of what was seen. In the eyes of a young kid I was overwhelmed by the many dealers/books/fans around me. I only recall a huge room with the hustle and bustle of huge crowds. I don't believe we attended any panels; my brother was too busy adding to his collection! One notable event was, on our way home John asked me to carry the shopping bag of comics he purchased into the back yard while he sauntered into the kitchen to greet our parents. He figured they wouldn't take a liking to all those four color gems he picked up! Later on I would venture into the back yard and sneak them into our third floor bedroom. There was a lot of espionage in collecting comics back then! 

1971 program book. Cover by Jim Steranko. This event lasted four days and featured a smorgasborg of excitement. Along with guests such as Steranko, Jim Warren and Gardner Fox, there were costume contests, serials (Spy Smasher, Dick Tracy), bloopers from the Star Trek TV show, Superman cartoons, art exhibits, and, of course, a kalidescope of comics, fanzines, big little books, movie posters, monster mags, and a wide range of ephemra for sale.    

Program booklets were filled with an array of talented illustratons by a cadre of talent, both older and of more recent vintage. A young Frank Brunner contributed this illo to the '72 Con book.   

Inside page of the 1973 Comic Art Convention Program with art by Mike Kaluta. Five days of entertainment, with the events described above, and all for $2.50 cents a day!

Phil Seuling wrote several articles in the '73 program book, one in concert with Joe Parente on artist Mac Raboy. Parente's ad for his Litle Nemo shop also appeared in that issue. I was not aware of his store until about a year later. My brother and I made frequent visits to his Foerst Hills shop, purchasing the latest comics, along with fanzines such as The Comic Reader, Mediascene and The Comics Journal. From my conversations with him I soon discovered that Parente was knowledgable about comics and comic art, and I even saw and met artists such as Al Milgrom in his store.

   

1974 Program cover. Art by Joe Simon. The booklet continued with spotlights on creators Frank Robbins, Will Eisner, Roy Thomas and Joe Simon, accompanied by aselection of photos, art and advertising by a plethora of comic stores and fanzines. 

My brother and I may have attended more Cons from 1971-74 - we just don't remember. He was a collector, mainly of Marvel Comics, although he purchased from other companies as well, including selected DC, Charlton, Warren and Gold Key titles. I read all the comics he bought, and occasionally, in between collecting gum cards (if you're so inclined, you can venture to this post for more: https://nick-caputo.blogspot.com/2024/02/card-collecting-in-1960s-memories.html ) I'd buy a comic or two of my own, such as the Adventures of Jerry Lewis. Hey, I'm seven years younger than him, so we sometimes had different tastes! 

In any event the next Con I specifically recall attending was engineered, not by Mr. Seuling, but Marvel comics, in 1975. It was a three-day affair and we, accompanied by John's friend Ben, had a blast every day. We found our way at many panels and saw pactically the entire Marvel staff. I also was floored by seeing plenty of original cover art, many for issues not yet published. It was exciting to see the large art, sans copy, in glorious black and white. In addition to the panels and art, there were costume contests and films to be seen. And on the last day, at a Fantastic Four panel, Jack Kirby, who had left Marvel to work exclusively for DC in 1970, made a surprise appearance!  

                        Cover to the '75 Mightry Marvel Comic Convention. John Romita art. 

Two pages of autographs and a triad of art by Marvel staffers, including a Daredevil sketch by John Romita; Forbush Man by Marie Severin and the Vision by Don Heck. Back in the day a kid could go over to his favorite creators and just ask for a sketch without renumeration. 

Kirby joined Stan Lee, Roy Thomas (I believe) and others on the podium to thunderous applause! It was an thrilling moment, and as can be seen by my program book autographs above, I was able to acquire Kirby's signature as well!

We met an array of creators on those three days, including Marie Severin, Don Heck, George Perez, Steve Gerber, Joe Sinnott and many others I'm forgetting. Practically everyone working for Marvel was there, and we all enjoyed the festivities.

Checking into the Caputo archives I discovered that I still have my ticket from attending the 3 day event. 

   

Jack Kirby did the cover honors for the '75 Seuling Comic Art Convention Con in his own incomparable style.  

Before we knew it we were back for another Seuling Con several months later. The program book was filled with fascinating material. It featured interviews with Kirby, Barry Smith, Frank Robbins, Joe Simon, Roy Thomas and Stan Lee, accompanied by articles related to comics from the 40s to the 60s, photos of guests from previous years and related material.

It's evident that Seuling had a satirical edge, as evidnced by this wittily writtten house ad, illustrated by Steve Harper and Mike Kaluta, that appeared in the '75 program.Besides running the Con and being a teacher, Seuling also sold comics.  

Marvel produced its second (and final) Con the following year, with a much smaller program book. Art by Mike Nasser and Al Milgrom. I attended that one as well, but it was not as memorable as the first.

Jack Kirby was celebrated with two articles in the issue, this one looking back at his career and the other to his current Marvel efforts.  

The exceptional Bernie Wrightson provided the cover for Seuling's special event. It was a thick and nicely designed book designed by Sal Quartuccio and Bob Keenan.  

Inside, artist Mike Nasser crafted this image for Seuling's celebration which took place in Philidelphia instead of NYC that year! 

It was the tenth anniversary of Seuling's Cons, and he celebrated it admirably. His essay paid homage to Bernie Bubnis and his nascent foray into the shows, but Seuling elequently segued into his own person feelings:   

"I believe collectors have some traits in common. We all have a sense of history, for instance, for the relevance and signifigance of our favorite titles and issues in the contexxt of the times. Another shared feeling is intellectual curiosity. Who was responsible for such an idea, or such an innovation? Why was it published, or discontinued? When did this artist begin his career, or that one retire?  Perhaps we share an aquisitiveness, also, wanting to keep what we have and add even more to our hoard. We certainly share an affection for fantasy and adventure. But I think we share one more characteristic, too. I believe we have an instinct for grouping - an urge to gather, to be among others with the same interests." 

The program book offered articles on Bernie Wrightson and John Stanley, two very different and hugely expressive creators, the former immersed in horror-themed images. the latter a wtiter/artist who offered children's tales such as Little Lulu, but adorned with wit, wisdom, humor and charm. I had not been aware of Stanley at the time, but years later read the book collections of his work and was so amused I passed them on to other comics fans/friends. They alll loved them, and proved Stanley's theory that he wrote the stories to please himself and his peers, but in essence he produced work that had universal appeal.

Walt Simonson contributed this Iron Man illo to the program book. He was one of many, including Jack Kirby, Alex Toth, John Severin and Gray Morow, who made the publication a visual feast. 

This was followed by 53 pages of illustrations by top pros, a short piece by Frank Thorne, the recognized artist of Red Sonja and a look at the very popular costumers, back in the days when contests were prevalent. All in all a well-realized "annual" production.

Seuling made an appearance on the syndicated Mike Douglas program, proudly showing off a handful of golden age comics. It aired on July 28,1977 and was likely taped around the time the Con was running. Douglas' show was produced in Philadelphia.

Another outstanding cover featuring a quartet of then-young and vibrant talent adorned the 1978 program cover.

The 1978 Comic Art Convention was yet another solid affair, with a beautifully shiny cover (the white background is STILL vibrant some 42 years later!) and spotlights on guests Roy Thomas, Trina Robbins, Jeff Jones, Bernie Wrightson, Barry Windsor-Smith, Michael Kaluta and Phillipe Druillet. . It included a 10 page portfolio of artwork and was finely designed.

 While Seuling's annual extravagana continued apace, it shoud be noted that he also produced a monthly con, which was often filled with dealers where you could search out comics to fulfill your want lists. I made many forays into these shows over the years and filled many holes in my collection! Art by Dennis Kitchen.

  

The 1980 program was reduced to a 32 page newsprint affair, less-slick than most of the previous efforts. The cover art was by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and Dick Giordano, and interior features were prepared for guests including Harlan Ellison, Bob Kane, Boris Vallejo and Wendy and Richard Pini by Cat Yronwode. Plenty of autographs were attained in my book, including Jim Aparo, Steve Leialoha, Jeff Jones, Charles Vess, Rudy Nebres, C,C. Beck and Bill Plympton! A few, including Plympton, added sketches gratis!   

 The last of my Seuling Program books, which was even smaller than the previous effort, clocking in at 20 pages. This was heading towards the end of the line for Phil, as the ringmaster passed away on August 11, 1984. In addition to his duties runing shows, Seuling was instrumental in overseeing Sea Gate Distributors, where he convinced major publishers (DC, Marvel, Archie, Warren) to ship their titles to comic stores on a non-returnable basis. Seuling was a major businessman and made the July Cons a sucsessful venture that predated the immensly popular San Diego Comic Con, which began in 1970. Putting this piece together reminded me how animated and prevalent Seuling was in this period. I'm happy to be devoting space to his accomplishments.  

The '81 program included and ad from Marvel promoting its 20th Anniversary. Frank Miller pencils; Terry ASustin inks; Irv Watanabe letters.   

Those days of traveling to conventions, often accmpanied by friends and fellow fans, or  occasionally on my own, was almost always worthwhile. With Seuling gone others took his place, and there were many excursions in the dealers room, searching out that one issue of Strange Tales to complete my Doctor Strange collection, or discovering a rare old fanzine I just had to have. The thrill of the hunt was satisfying.Don't forget, in those pre-internet, per-ebay days, one had to either get to a store that sold old comics (read more about that on the feature post on the right), purchase them through fanzines like the Buyer's Guide - and I bougtt many that way - or make it to Cons! As the years continued, into the '90s and beyond, I looked forward to meeting and chatting with a great many pros whose work I admired. It's a huge list: Kirby, Jim Steranko, Gene Colan, Gil Kane, Herb Trimpe, Dick Ayers, Joe Sinnott, John Romita, Larry Leiber, Roy Thomas,Stan Goldberg, Flo Steinberg - and that's just Marvel folks. There was also Sam Glanzman, Joe Gill, Steve Skeates, Irwin Hasen, Joe Staton. It was memorable to meet them all, exchanging thoughts and opinions on the medium. I'm also  likely forgetting a few, but looking at those names an unfortunate reality hits home - most of them have passed. 

With the absence of so many from the comic book firmament, along with my no longer collecting back issues, the thrill is largely absent from going to another Con. They have become "events" with overwhelming crowds, Movie stars abounding, and costumed figures in abundance. It's no longer fun for me. But I do appreciate the countless times I raced through the dealers room, or stopped over Gene Colan's table to see him and his wife. Conversations abounded, smiles were exchanged and memories made that last a lifetime. It was a good time to be buying and collecting comics. 

   This pic, from around 2014, was taken at the Comic Con located at the Javits Center, probably one of the last I attended. The erstwhile "Yancy Street Gang", a collection of scholars and wise-guys, was there to celebrate the publication of the oversized Taschen tome on display, Marvel Comics, From the Golden Age to the Silver Screen, which we greatly contributed to. Seen from left to right are "boisterous" Barry Pearl, "meticulous" Michael Vassallo, "Jovial" John Caputo and yours truly, "nifty" Nick Caputo. If only Phil Seuling were there to preside over the event!