San Diego Comic Con 1986

[Nexus]

A look at how much the con has changed the last 20+ years:

 

http://coppervale.livejournal.com/172650.html

 

These days, regional shows like Emerald and Super-Con are bigger. My first SD was in 1989. Even then, the show was quite a bit larger than this. However, if you're just talking about comics dealers, it looks about the same now as back then.

 

Some familiar OA names on the list: Conrad, Mitch, Rich Halegua...Ed Noonchester was a rep for Filipino artists and sold other OA as well (along with anime cels)...

 

Some other interesting names: former Dodgers Gold Glove 1st baseman, Wes Parker, had a table...George DiCaprio (Leo's dad)...

 

Finally, I give you "Jim's TV Guides". If I had gone to SDCC 1986 and bought TV Guides instead of...well, just about anything else, I'd be kicking myself with both feet!

 

 

[MONSTER]

The first time I went to the San Diego con was in 1991. I haven't missed a year since but man do I miss the way it was before Hollywood took over.

[Weird Paper]

Hey, I'm on that map, under table block "M." I remember, I was right next to the guy with the TV guides. One recollection was a very young S. Fishler coming around before the open, trying to buy up all the pre-hero DCs in the room. A tough negotiator, as I recall.

It was the only time I ever set up at San Diego. I returned 9 years later, and it was a very, very different critter.

[comicartcom]

yes I am also in block M, however I'm not sure the orientation of the entrances is correct. unless they mean the the emergency exit show at top left was also the comiccon entrance, then that would be correct

 

that was the old facility in the middle of downtown right next to my favorite hotel in San Diego, the Westgate.

 

It was great.. the roll up doors for dealers during setup were litereally right at my tables (I had 3 in one line. they would be the three at top right of the

M block as shown on the map) so loading in/out of the show was a breeze, and then during the show when I wanted to bring my portfolios all back to the hotel I would call the belldesk at the Westgate and they would roll a cart in & bring us to my room. Then in the morning, they would roll a cart up to my room and they would bring me back to my tables.. How much easier could it get??

 

Weird Paper.. you must have been behind me or something.. whats yer name??

 

Now let me ask this... how many of you remember that SDCC used to be 9am-9pm and that the costume contest/show had lots of topless women???

[thecollectron]

Now let me ask this... how many of you remember that SDCC used to be 9am-9pm and that the costume contest/show had lots of topless women???

 

I remember at least one topless barbarian babe in the contest. She had long hair that covered her breasts but she seemed to like flipping her hair out of the way.

I can't remember if she and her boyfriend won a prize from the judges but she definitely won the popular vote.

That might have been the same year a guy dressed up as the Comics Code Authority. Hmm......it wasn't too long after that when SDCC wrote a no-nudity clause in the costume contest rules. That damn CCA!

Down the street on Broadway was a strip club that advertised "Hypno-Sexism" and I always wondered what Hypno-Sexism was but by the time I was old enough to go in I think the place had closed......Did anybody go there? Please tell us about Hypno-Sexism! C'mon, 'fess up.

 

[Weird Paper]

Weird Paper.. you must have been behind me or something.. whats yer name??

 

Now let me ask this... how many of you remember that SDCC used to be 9am-9pm and that the costume contest/show had lots of topless women???

 

Actually, I misstyped. I was on block N, not M (Roger Keim). I was right next to Jim's TV Guides and back-to-back with Marvel Comics. I remember you on the end of the row, though. I bought a Graham Ingels EC page (I think from a Poe adaptation?) from you. Wish I still had it.

 

I didn't go to the costume contest. Sounds like I missed something.

 

 

[NelsonAI]

The good old days when men were men and women were topless?

 

It's always great to discover old photos of the early conventions as people post them on the internet. I for one have been trying to locate vintage pics from Phil Seuling's conventions.

 

I agree that SDCC has become a bit too Hollywood. However, it's still the place to be for networking or seeing vintage art.

 

Cheers!

N

[comicartcom]

Now let me ask this... how many of you remember that SDCC used to be 9am-9pm and that the costume contest/show had lots of topless women???

 

I remember at least one topless barbarian babe in the contest. She had long hair that covered her breasts but she seemed to like flipping her hair out of the way.

I can't remember if she and her boyfriend won a prize from the judges but she definitely won the popular vote.

That might have been the same year a guy dressed up as the Comics Code Authority. Hmm......it wasn't too long after that when SDCC wrote a no-nudity clause in the costume contest rules. That damn CCA!

Down the street on Broadway was a strip club that advertised "Hypno-Sexism" and I always wondered what Hypno-Sexism was but by the time I was old enough to go in I think the place had closed......Did anybody go there? Please tell us about Hypno-Sexism! C'mon, 'fess up.

 

I think they wrote nudity out about 1988-1990. It was one of the last years we were at the old convention center.

 

But lots of girls used to wear incredibly suggestive outfits and pasties were not an uncommon clothing article.

 

The good old days before we somehow became a conservative nation of complainers