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Here's a convention film room shot from the Wayback Machine. I believe that's film collector Hal Crawford behind the paperback...

 

 

At San Diego con in the early days, we used to sleep in the film room if we couldn't get or afford a hotel room. They would run films all night and we would slump in the back in the dark. Oh, good times!

I did that too, a couple of times. I remember seeing "Spider Babies" in the wee hours of the morning and one year they showed "Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls." (Russ Meyer films ) Ah,....the El Cortez years!

Here's a convention film room shot from the Wayback Machine. I believe that's film collector Hal Crawford behind the paperback...

 

 

At San Diego con in the early days, we used to sleep in the film room if we couldn't get or afford a hotel room. They would run films all night and we would slump in the back in the dark. Oh, good times!

I remember doing that too. While at college in Okla. a couple of female students and I drove down to HoustonCon in '72. We shared a suite but decided to bring blankets down, crash in one of the 24 hour film rooms and watch Republic serials. It was entirely innocent mind you, but someone on the Con Committee apparently raised an eyebrow or two. The next year the HoustonCon program book included the rule "No sleeping in the film room or anything else."

There weren't many girls at the early SD cons. Although Mitch seemed to attract a few with that large bulge in his back pocket! Nothing like today's shows.

There weren't many girls at the early SD cons. Although Mitch seemed to attract a few with that large bulge in his back pocket! Nothing like today's shows.

HoustonCon/StarTrekCon attracted quite a few, but it required a bit more effort without the large bulge in my back pocket.

Maybe, but in those days Trekie girls wern't my target demographic if you know what I mean...

There weren't many girls at the early SD cons. Although Mitch seemed to attract a few with that large bulge in his back pocket! Nothing like today's shows.

Meaning that Mitch no longer has a bulge in his back pocket?

No, the sea has a lot more fish in it these days.

Maybe, but in those days Trekie girls wern't my target demographic if you know what I mean...

I get your drift, but back then I never judged fans by what attracted them to cons. As a Republic serial fan, I didn't want to be called a "Republickie" ...or worse.

What the Star Trek side of the programming provided was a non-gender specific appeal that made the convention attractive to a wider spectrum of collectors and interests. In retrospect, I think the concept was brilliant and far sighted.

HoustonCon grew, becoming HUGE for a number of years (bigger than SDCC during the same time period). At one point, HoustonCon was a full 5 days (noon Wed. Through Sunday), sported multi-track programming, 24 hour projector screened film rooms (16mm & 35mm), auctions, guest speakers, autograph sessions and a humongous dealer's room.

Eventually, the committee got burnt out. It was a lot of work. As management changed hands, corners had to be cut that made HoustonCon less attractive. There was competition from other regional shows, guest fees kept climbing, hotels raised rates and it became tougher procuring fascilities large enough to handle increased attendance. By the end of the 70's HoustonCon was on life support, but for awhile in the early 70's HoustonCon was da-bomb!

No, the sea has a lot more fish in it these days.

Is Mitch the sea or the fish?

I was lucky enough to attend the Houston Con twice in the early 1970's and they were the best shows I ever attended! The only reason I went to cons was to visit the dealer's room, and it was gigantic and the dealers had great stuff. The only thing that rivaled it was the early Chicago Cons. Great times!

Richard I always pop open a thread when I see you have posted. You have probably seen it all in the comic con world. I was never lucky enough to travel very far out of my geographical area to go to cons. (I still don't very often). I would have loved to go to some of the TX/OK cons or early NY shows. I got SD, small local shows and a lot of cool stores. In those days the west coast was a hot bed of cons, shows and shops. I feel lucky to have benn at the right place and the right time...

Richard I always pop open a thread when I see you have posted. You have probably seen it all in the comic con world. I was never lucky enough to travel very far out of my geographical area to go to cons. (I still don't very often). I would have loved to go to some of the TX/OK cons or early NY shows. I got SD, small local shows and a lot of cool stores. In those days the west coast was a hot bed of cons, shows and shops. I feel lucky to have benn at the right place and the right time...

Weeeeell doggies! Ya know Bob, it's never too late to take your "50 year" show on the road!

I got a chuckle when I read an article on-line (EgoKick) about Betty White and her three husbands.

It featured the above photo from Alan Light which was probably taken at the Emmy Awards. I don't think they were ever married.

I hope it is the quality of the photo and not the mistaken identity that caused the authors to use Alan's photo.

Richard I always pop open a thread when I see you have posted. You have probably seen it all in the comic con world. I was never lucky enough to travel very far out of my geographical area to go to cons. (I still don't very often). I would have loved to go to some of the TX/OK cons or early NY shows. I got SD, small local shows and a lot of cool stores. In those days the west coast was a hot bed of cons, shows and shops. I feel lucky to have benn at the right place and the right time...

 

Weeeeell doggies! Ya know Bob, it's never too late to take your "50 year" show on the road!

 

Will he get a heapin' helpin' of your hospitality?

Richard I always pop open a thread when I see you have posted. You have probably seen it all in the comic con world. I was never lucky enough to travel very far out of my geographical area to go to cons. (I still don't very often). I would have loved to go to some of the TX/OK cons or early NY shows. I got SD, small local shows and a lot of cool stores. In those days the west coast was a hot bed of cons, shows and shops. I feel lucky to have benn at the right place and the right time...

 

Weeeeell doggies! Ya know Bob, it's never too late to take your "50 year" show on the road!

 

 

Will he get a heapin' helpin' of your hospitality?

Darn tootin'!

Wheeeee doggies! Me and Jed are old friends...

Wheeeee doggies! Me and Jed are old friends...

 

Fabulous!

Speakin' of doggies, what happened to Jed's hound dog? >>>

Duke didn't end up in your collection too, did he? >>>

SoonerCon 24 (SF Literary & Art convention) in OKC this past weekend...

[font:Times New Roman]Guest of Honor Artist Lubov, Guest of Honor Authors Elizabeth Moon & Rachel Caine and Author/Toastmaster Selina Rosen[/font]

I was so busy with panels, auction and art demonstrations that I didn't get many photos of the events, but I'll add the best of what I have after sorting through my image files. There were a few shots taken of a rascally Captain America with the awesome and adorable Golden Girl, one of which has been posted in the Timely thread. Alas, cosplay is such a big part of the convention scene nowadays that even the stoic Cat-Man isn't immune to the occasional impulse. Just don't ask me about the Kereoke.

JULY 4TH!

To some of us who were in the New York area back in the seventies this meant one thing; Phil Seuling's annual comic convention! Held for many years in the old Commodore Hotel, an establishment that had long since seen its luster fade away. But as a boy and later teenager walking into the ballroom I might as well have been walking onto Pinnochio's Pleasure Island; a four color fantasy was at hand. I have so many amazing memories; I'll share a few.

The lines! Yes, they were tens deep! I remember waiting to buy my ticket and having a guy pull out a copy of Batman 3 to show off. What a sight! The Seuling's kids worked the ticket booth and to my conservative suburban eyes looked like they were from another planet with early seventies big hair and New York City fashion.

I can't describe entering the ballroom the first time; comics everywhere and comics I had never seen! Remember the only reference books were Overstreet and Steranko, and those were in black and white!

Look an Action 1! It exists, but they want $1,0000; are they crazy!

A few pros would show up to see what all the fuss was about. Gil Kane came up and tried to talk to me but I was shy and I didn't want to talk to him.

I ran across a table filled with unread BLB's. If you haven't seen such a sight it is unreal. The colors, the titles, the imagination ran wild with the thoughts of the stories that lay in those thick little books.

Box after box of Golden Age for about a dollar each at those early shows. I was on the hunt for Disney's in those days so I missed some stunning deals.

At my first show I came across the Sassaman brothers in a side room off the ballroom, Gary would later go on to work with SDCC. They had early Walt Disney Comics And Stories priced at a dollar or maybe 75 cents. My mouth was open,my head exploding, I was in awe; I plunged in and bought a couple. I still remember waking early the next morning to read my newly found treasures!

Then on the car or train ride home we would drive back to suburban New Jersey with fireworks going off as we tooled along. Clutched tightly would be our latest treasures; to be read the next day or in the coming week.

Now that was July 4th; I'll post some early program books later today!

Great story. I would have robbed my babysitter to work up the scratch for a Action 1.