The first comic book convention was a memorable one. Jerry Siegel – the co-creator of Superman – was guest of honor, with DC editor Julius Schwartz and the Dynamic Marvel Duo of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby likewise in attendance. At the ensuing art auction, meanwhile, original pages from the first issue of Fantastic Four sold for a mere six dollars while fans and pros alike mingled throughout the gathering.
Or not. The above is actually a fictional account of what a comic book convention could look like as envisioned by a teenage Bernie Bubnis in the 1962 inaugural issue of his self-produced fanzine Comic Heroes Revisited. “I am willing to throw my house open to any fen in the area of New York State who are willing to come to a rather small convention,” he added in the preface. “If enough people are willing to come we might be able to rent a hall somewhere around New York.”
Two years later, Bernie Bubnis made both his fictional convention and subsequent invite reality when the first “comicon” was held on July 27, 1964, at the Workmen’s Circle in Manhattan. In his 2016 book The 1964 New York Comicon: The True Story Behind the World’s First Comic Convention, author J. Ballmann explores the efforts of Bubnis and his small circle of friends who pioneered the future staple of Geek Culture and set the stage for additional cons across the nation – from Detroit to San Diego and everywhere in between.
Although the popularity of comic books exploded in 1938 with the publication of Action Comics #1 and the introduction of Superman, it wasn’t until the early 1960s and the dawn of the Silver Age of Comics that its fandom began to form in earnest. At the 1960 World Science Fiction Convention in Pittsburgh, for instance, Dick and Pat Lupoff dressed as Captain Marvel and Mary Marvel during the traditional Saturday night Masquerade Ball and likewise distributed ninety copies of their new fanzine Xero, which included an article about Captain Marvel.
The Lupoffs continued to include articles on comic book superheroes in future issues of Xero, which was joined the following year by Alter Ego, a fanzine devoted entirely to costumed heroes published by Jerry Bails. Soon additional fanzines began popping up, many of which were designed and featured articles written by teenage fans of the medium.
Science fiction fandom formed in a similar fashion following the appearance of the first sci-fi pulp magazine Amazing Stories in 1926. Utilizing the addresses of fellow fans from the letter section of the pulps as a mailing list, fanzines quickly began to circulate. The idea of science fiction fans meeting in person soon crystalized as well, leading to the first World Science Fiction Convention in 1939.
It didn’t take long after the establishment of comic book fanzines that the idea of a comic book convention was likewise raised. J. Ballmann notes in The 1964 New York Comicon that it was a thirteen-year-old Bernie Bubnis who was the first to suggest such a possibility in the January 1962 edition of The Rocket’s Blast. Other fanzines also chimed in, with fellow fan Parley Holman even coining the moniker “comicon” as the perfect name for such an event in the summer 1963 issue of Spotlite.
In early 1963, the editor of The Comicollector – Ronn Foss – embarked on what he referred to as a “traveling comicon,” meeting with fans in Utah, Missouri and Indiana, while Jerry Bails from Alter Ego did the same in his “mobile comicircuit.” While such meetups helped solidify comic book fandom across the country, however, they were not actual conventions. After an attempt by Charles “Chuck” Moss and Bill Regier to hold a more formal gathering in Nebraska failed to materialize, the August 6, 1963, issue of The Comic Reader announced the formation of a committee to organize an actual comicon in New York City the following year.
Bernie Bubnis was not a member of that committee but had been making a name for himself within comic fandom nonetheless, having befriended a number of artists living in New York that included the legendary Steve Ditko. Bubnis capitalized on these connections by conducting interviews and publishing them in The Rocket’s Blast. He also met Ron Fradkin, a fellow fan who had likewise made contact with such comic book luminaries as Jack Kirby, Stan Lee and Flo Steinberg, Lee’s secretary at Marvel who acted as a liaison between the publishing company and its fanbase.
After being invited to a meeting of the New York Comicon committee at Penn Station, Bernie Bubnis concluded that the group was more interested in talking about comics than organizing an actual convention. “If we want this thing to happen, we are going to have to do it ourselves,” he told Ron Fradkin afterwards. “There are too many elves yearning for a two-day affair and no captains to lead. We have to move on and shorten it to one day.”
Bubnis soon secured the YMCA in Newark, New Jersey, for an unspecified date in July 1964, and drafted a progress report that outlined his vision of a comic book convention. First and foremost, it would be a way for fans to meet face-to-face and discuss their shared interests in person rather than through fanzines. “Pros” would be in attendance, with a wish list of artists and editors included that Bubnis hoped would attend. Comic book dealers would likewise be invited to set up at tables at the convention, allowing fans to trade and purchase both old and new copies of their favorite comics. Lastly, door prizes consisting of original artwork would be given to everyone present.
As July came closer, Bernie Bubnis began to realize that the event to be held in New York City instead of New Jersey, since that was where the majority of comic book artists both lived and worked. As fate would have it, college student and fellow fan Ethan Roberts called Bubnis from a pay phone around this time and offered to help with the planning of the convention. More importantly, he knew the perfect site – the Workmen’s Circle union meeting hall in Manhattan.
Another college student – Art Tripp – showed up unannounced at Bubnis’ house and offered his assistance as well. It was Tripp who paid for the manufacturing of 100 buttons with the simple words “1964 Comicon” emblazed on them that were given out at the convention. Tripp also made the rounds on the day of the con to the offices of both Marvel and DC, securing the original artwork that would be used as door prizes. He even spoke with Stan Lee, and although the Marvel editor was too busy to attend, Flo Steinberg was suggested as a replacement.
The 1964 New York Comicon was held on Monday, July 27, at the Workmen’s Circle, located on the corner of 4th Avenue and 12th Street in Manhattan. A total of 56 fans attended, including a fifteen-year-old George R.R. Martin, who had purchased the first ticket to the event months earlier and would go on to create Game of Thrones decades later.
After fans had a chance to mingle and get to know one another, Bernie Bubnis officially opened the 1964 New York Comicon by introducing Marvel intern Dave Twedt as the first speaker. Twedt spent over an hour answering questions from the fans in attendance, offering insights into how Marvel operated and hints regarding future issues of Sgt. Fury and Fantastic Four as well.
It was during Twedt’s presentation that Steve Ditko entered the room and took a seat in the back row. Ditko had promised Bernie Bubnis that he would attend, and while he later hinted that his work schedule might prevent him from doing so, he made his one-and-only convention appearance at the 1964 New York Comicon nonetheless. Although he had declined to speak at the event, Ditko did converse with attendees throughout the proceedings and even sketched images of Spider-Man for the covers of future fanzines.
A few hours later, it was time for artist Tom Gill to take the stage. Gill was the illustrator for The Lone Ranger comic book series published by Gold Key. Instead of talking about the famed “masked man” from the Old West, he gave a 45-minute presentation on the various types of print cartoons and comics in existence while likewise drawing original sketches as he spoke. Gill also came equipped with numerous art pages that he had drawn through the years, which he graciously handed out for free amongst the fans in attendance.
In the end, the 1964 New York Comicon lasted a mere five hours, but those five hours set the stage for future cons not only in New York City but elsewhere across the country as well. Five hours and 56 fans may pale when compared to the four days and 130,000 attendees that encompass today’s San Diego Comic-Con, yet it was those five hours and 56 fans that transformed comicons from a mere dream into reality– creating the singular and most important social event of Geek Culture in the process.
Anthony Letizia