Thanks SO much for the pictures. I can’t stop looking through them.

Wait a minute. Frank Miller SMILED??

I think your whole story just fell apart there, Ed.

If that’s the case, then I love John Byrne’s sign and Frank Miller’s sign.
But not John’s sense of humor.

I’ve been a comics fan since 1967, but never made the trek to San Diego until 2005. Not only did I not regret it, I went last year and this year as well. I had a great time! This year alone, I finally met about a dozen people I’ve corresponded or worked with over the years but never actually met. I also bumped into old comics pals, such as Don Rosa and Bob Ingersoll.

If one has the time and the funds to go, I highly recommend going at least once in one’s life — after all, it is like a Mecca for comics fans.

Hey, Alan — Thanks for sharing these cool pics. I wish I’d gone to San Diego when so many of my creator heroes were still around.

As for me, I was practically looking for myself in the crowd scenes, but I would not attend until 1985 when I was 15 years old and was getting back into comics as a teen after having abandoned them as a youngster. I have all my badges from my attendance in the 1980s and 1990s glued into a scrapbook.

Indeed, there were lots of movies on offer, at least at my first con, movies and animation rooms — there was always something novel going on at Comic Con. Great photos.

Thanks so much for sharing these photos! Man, Caniff, Eisner, Hogarth,… Any appearances of Frazetta, Wrightson, Kaluta, or Jeff Jones in your collection?

At the same time, in the same box, I found 25 negatives from the 1982 Minneapolis comic-con. There are several shots of C. C. Beck, including a pretty nice one of him holding a lightning bolt in front of him a la Captain Marvel. Here is the link to those photos, or you can click on my name above, in red, I think, if the website box in this comment area works properly.

http://flickr.com/photos/alan-light/sets/72157601417578722/

I remember that vividly, because John Byrne eventually noticed Frank’s sign and tore his own down and left. Not exactly in a huff, but not enjoying Miller’s joke.

It was weird how seeing all those pictures made me vividly remember that convention year. I was 16 that year, and it was my 9th Comic Con already.

“Legendary Donald Duck artist Carl Barks (1901-2000) shakes hands with Burne Hogarth (1911-1976) at the 1982 San Diego Comic Con…”

Read it again if you didn’t catch the boo-boo.

My thanks to Alan for making this possible.

This was my second or third SDCC and yes they were simpler times, and a lot less harried, but I still wouldn’t trade the growth we’ve shown for anything. Although a time machine would be nice.

What is truly wonderful is seeing all these greats so casual and enjoying themselves, and contributing to the industry. So many faces that I still know today. Seeing their younger versions only cements their dedication to the medium. Yes, SDCC is bigger badder and all that, but it still has heart.

I’ve never been to San Diego, always wanted to go. I wish I’d been able to swing it 15 years ago when I was in college; I’m hoping to actually go next year but from everything I read it seems like maybe it’s more of a hassle than fun to go.

Image isn’t for everyone (it wasn’t always for me), but they’re still creator-friendly, and exactly the right fit for my work when I was there.

What I love is that the whole thing looks like the Artist Alley section. That is inspiring. Just a table, maybe a small backdrop… the artist and the readers meeting and mingling.

What I wouldnt give for a time machine.

Those Image founders made a BIG difference, and forced Marvel and DC to make some changes they might otherwise have not had to…