Archie & The Gang go to comic cons... 3 3

[Robot Man]

Was cleaning up from Terry’s show today and ran across these. Probably wrong department but I figured a lot of you older geezers might get a kick out of these. 

First up Pep #601 from 1989. This is when SDCC was at the older, smaller Convention Center. Loved these days. Met Siegel & Shuster, Bob Kane and one of my big favorites Wally Wood among others here. This one pictures the building and features Shel Dorf, John Rodgers and Jackie Estrada in the story. Good times!

[Robot Man]

This one is from two years later and features several older cons. 

The SDCC was now in it’s current location. Anybody remember just walking up and buying a ticket after parking in the garage below? I love that it features Tom and Virginia French. DeCarlo and Goldberg were a fun touch. Also, anybody have one of those new dangled cell phones? 

[N e r V]

1989 was my first year as a dealer. I think Tim Vigil was in and around our booth that year. Not sure if it was that year for sure though. 1991 was the move to the new convention center. Here’s another SDCC  Archie from 2003. Show was growing but still not like today’s juggernaut...

 

[Robot Man]

9 hours ago, N e r V said:

1989 was my first year as a dealer. I think Tim Vigil was in and around our booth that year. Not sure if it was that year for sure though. 1991 was the move to the new convention center. Here’s another SDCC  Archie from 2003. Show was growing but still not like today’s juggernaut...

 

Haven’t seen that one. Any interior appearances by notable people of the time? 

[Crimebuster]

There are two or three more comic con themed Archies as well, though I'm not sure if they have any real people in them. I think one might be cover only. There's one that takes place at a Riverdale Comic Con. I'll see if I can remember the issue numbers...

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

17 hours ago, Robot Man said:

This one is from two years later and features several older cons. 

The SDCC was now in it’s current location. Anybody remember just walking up and buying a ticket after parking in the garage below? I love that it features Tom and Virginia French. DeCarlo and Goldberg were a fun touch. Also, anybody have one of those new dangled cell phones? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I must have gone for the first time when they moved in 1991. I took a leisurely drive down the coast highway on a Saturday morning and arrived about 11:30; parked in the garage and walked upstairs and bought a ticket. No thought given to crowds or not being able to get into the show. Lots of comic dealers too. That was the only year I got in the garage; the next couple of years we parked a block or two away and sometimes even found free parking on the street. By the mid nineties all that was over and the onslaught was in full gear but it was still manageable and fun. The 2000's were still good times but more work was required for logistics. By 2010 all hell had broken loose and the bloom was off the rose. Now I just don't go.

[Crimebuster]

Ah, here they are:

 

 

[N e r V]

2 hours ago, Robot Man said:

Haven’t seen that one. Any interior appearances by notable people of the time? 

Don’t have mine in front of me so I pulled the list from elsewhere...

 

teen

Characters

Nancy Woods; Betty Cooper; Archie Andrews; Chuck Clayton; Hiram Lodge; Veronica Lodge; Jughead Jones; David Glaner; Gary Sassaman; Stan Goldberg; Craig Boldman; Bill Liebowitz; Sharon Liebowitz; Mark Evanier (uncredited cameo); Martin Jaquish; Jackie Estrada (cameo); Batton Lash (cameo)

 

So it looks like a few...

[N e r V]

If I knew it doesn’t look anything like it used to inside I would visit where my first one was in 1974...

 

The performing arts run for the con was after this...

[Robot Man]

37 minutes ago, N e r V said:

If I knew it doesn’t look anything like it used to inside I would visit where my first one was in 1974...

 

The performing arts run for the con was after this...

The El Cortez was my first one as well. I think the first or second year it was held there. I remember driving down from LA and cramming 6 or 7 guys in a room to save money. I also slept in the movie room one time. They ran films all night. Ate at Denney's right next to it on the cheap. Spent all our money in the dealer's room. I also remember Kirby, Eisner and others sitting out by the pool at night. Getting away from our parents was also a big draw. Good times!

[oceans11]

I used to live in San Diego area so it was easy to just drive down to SDCC and buy a ticket at the door and walk right in. I believe my first one I attended was 1987, so the older location before it moved, although time has made the exact location and set up of the room hazy in my memory. Unfortunately, and this is the ignorance of youth, I went there looking for movie stuff instead of comics  or trying to meet comic creators. I remember picking up a bunch of movie posters at the time, Aliens, The Shining, Lost Boys, and a couple movie related shirts, Aliens and Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai. Still have those shirts to this day, although the no longer fit. I had been picking up comics at this time as I was in high school, but i confess it just didn't occur to my teenage self that I could meet the creators there .  I know I went another one or two time after that, and I believe it was around 1989 and then again in 1991 after they moved. It still hadn't occurred to my naive young self that I could meet comic creators there though I believe I had gone for comics related stuff at this time. I moved to Sacramento in 1993 and dropped off comics for a few years, getting back into it and then attending Wonder Con in Oakland in 1999. where I finally got on board for meeting people; Romita Sr and Romita Jr, Dan DeCarlo, Garth Ennis , Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, among a few others.  Older and wiser I made the trek back to SDCC a couple times, 2005 and 2008, but by then it had changed and was overrun and crowded. I remember in 2008 I stood there saying never again and I'd stick with Wonder Con in S.F., which I did.. until they moved that down to Anaheim. Still haven't gone back to SDCC though and not sure I ever will. 

 

[Tri-Color Brian]

I went to the 1975 and 1979 SDCC at the El Cortez.  I picked up my AF15 in '79 for $150, which seemed like a fortune at the time.    I didn't return until 1994 when I was buying GA again.  The show seemed to get bigger every year, but also had fewer comic dealers.  I hated standing in line to buy my ticket to get into the convention center.  In 1995 I walked up to the front of the line and told some kid I'd give him $5 if I could get in line with him.  He agreed, and my wait was very short.    The last time I went was in 1999 or 2000.  I got there around noon and parked across the street from the entrance and started walking toward the convention.   Some guy was walking into the parking lot with a box full of comics, so I asked him if he was done.  He said yeah, and gave me his badge.  I said thanks and just walked right in. Those were the days...

[N e r V]

22 hours ago, Robot Man said:

The El Cortez was my first one as well. I think the first or second year it was held there. I remember driving down from LA and cramming 6 or 7 guys in a room to save money. I also slept in the movie room one time. They ran films all night. Ate at Denney's right next to it on the cheap. Spent all our money in the dealer's room. I also remember Kirby, Eisner and others sitting out by the pool at night. Getting away from our parents was also a big draw. Good times!

 

15 hours ago, Tri-ColorBrian said:

I went to the 1975 and 1979 SDCC at the El Cortez.  I picked up my AF15 in '79 for $150, which seemed like a fortune at the time.    I didn't return until 1994 when I was buying GA again.  The show seemed to get bigger every year, but also had fewer comic dealers.  I hated standing in line to buy my ticket to get into the convention center.  In 1995 I walked up to the front of the line and told some kid I'd give him $5 if I could get in line with him.  He agreed, and my wait was very short.    The last time I went was in 1999 or 2000.  I got there around noon and parked across the street from the entrance and started walking toward the convention.   Some guy was walking into the parking lot with a box full of comics, so I asked him if he was done.  He said yeah, and gave me his badge.  I said thanks and just walked right in. Those were the days...

 

18 hours ago, oceans11 said:

I used to live in San Diego area so it was easy to just drive down to SDCC and buy a ticket at the door and walk right in. I believe my first one I attended was 1987, so the older location before it moved, although time has made the exact location and set up of the room hazy in my memory. Unfortunately, and this is the ignorance of youth, I went there looking for movie stuff instead of comics  or trying to meet comic creators. I remember picking up a bunch of movie posters at the time, Aliens, The Shining, Lost Boys, and a couple movie related shirts, Aliens and Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai. Still have those shirts to this day, although the no longer fit. I had been picking up comics at this time as I was in high school, but i confess it just didn't occur to my teenage self that I could meet the creators there .  I know I went another one or two time after that, and I believe it was around 1989 and then again in 1991 after they moved. It still hadn't occurred to my naive young self that I could meet comic creators there though I believe I had gone for comics related stuff at this time. I moved to Sacramento in 1993 and dropped off comics for a few years, getting back into it and then attending Wonder Con in Oakland in 1999. where I finally got on board for meeting people; Romita Sr and Romita Jr, Dan DeCarlo, Garth Ennis , Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, among a few others.  Older and wiser I made the trek back to SDCC a couple times, 2005 and 2008, but by then it had changed and was overrun and crowded. I remember in 2008 I stood there saying never again and I'd stick with Wonder Con in S.F., which I did.. until they moved that down to Anaheim. Still haven't gone back to SDCC though and not sure I ever will. 

 

It’s always interesting to me when talk of what the SDCC was and is today comes up. I’ve spent most of my life now living in San Diego but also lived in Los Angeles and San Francisco areas at times as well (among other places) and still have a lot of family and friends living all up and down the state of California including all of the big three (SF, LA, SD).

My point being the changes to the con exist as stated for sure but really little where I live looks or acts much like it did in the 70’s, 80’s or 90’s. It’s a rare thing to find anything that’s still here from back then let alone unchanged. I’m currently back living in a city that I lived in with my family as a kid which had 3,000 as its population when we moved here. Today it’s built out to 70,000+ surrounded by city after city with equal or greater growth.
 

You all remember the cons good old days well I do too but I also remember lots of open spaces, uncrowded streets, beaches, schools, etc... here. For goodness sakes I walked across part of the I5 drunk as a kid at 2am coming back from a party with little fear of getting hit. I dare anyone to walk across any part of the I5 today at any time. Lol
 

There was a time when the sleepy beach towns existed in California. Nothing like that exists today. I don’t miss just the old con I miss some of those times. Just sayin’....

[Robot Man]

Me Too...

Other than living in the midwest and FL for a few years as an adult, I am a CA native. I grew up in Pasadena. Before they built the 605 freeway, we used to have to take city streets all the way down to go to the beach. I also remember driving the 5 freeway from Pasadena to Disneyland with my family. There were long stretches of farms, orchards and chicken farms. We would be driving, and whining "how long?" to my dad and then we got a glimpse of the Matterhorn!

Traffic was minimal and you could get anywhere fairly quickly. People got wise and there that went. I sure miss those days...

[Robot Man]

18 hours ago, Tri-ColorBrian said:

I went to the 1975 and 1979 SDCC at the El Cortez.  I picked up my AF15 in '79 for $150, which seemed like a fortune at the time.    I didn't return until 1994 when I was buying GA again.  The show seemed to get bigger every year, but also had fewer comic dealers.  I hated standing in line to buy my ticket to get into the convention center.  In 1995 I walked up to the front of the line and told some kid I'd give him $5 if I could get in line with him.  He agreed, and my wait was very short.    The last time I went was in 1999 or 2000.  I got there around noon and parked across the street from the entrance and started walking toward the convention.   Some guy was walking into the parking lot with a box full of comics, so I asked him if he was done.  He said yeah, and gave me his badge.  I said thanks and just walked right in. Those were the days...

I think I bought my Flash #1 at that 1975 show for $150. Was a TON of money at the time to me and took away most of my spending money. But I was the hero of all my friends. Everybody wanted to read it. I treasured it for a long time when it became time to buy my first house and away it went.

[MrBedrock]

My first SDCC was 1978. I was 15 and wanted to go, so my dad bought me a plane ticket and gave me his credit card. I flew out by myself. Stayed at the Whitehall hotel. I remember noisy drunk navy guys on Broadway late on Friday night. I remember loving the fact that it seemed like none of the women wore bras. I remember seeing pot for the first time in my life at a dealer's table. I hung out at Ron Pussell's table for most of the show as we had been corresponding through the CBG. The whole experience still seems magical and certainly inspired so many of the subsequent events of my life.

[Robot Man]

22 minutes ago, MrBedrock said:

My first SDCC was 1978. I was 15 and wanted to go, so my dad bought me a plane ticket and gave me his credit card. I flew out by myself. Stayed at the Whitehall hotel. I remember noisy drunk navy guys on Broadway late on Friday night. I remember loving the fact that it seemed like none of the women wore bras. I remember seeing pot for the first time in my life at a dealer's table. I hung out at Ron Pussell's table for most of the show as we had been corresponding through the CBG. The whole experience still seems magical and certainly inspired so many of the subsequent events of my life.

Man, your dad must have either very cool, crazy or trusted you a lot. But what you’ve said about him, maybe a little of all three. Sounds like an amazing guy. My dad was too but none of the above. I probably gave him good reason. . I was probably one of those guys along with Redbeard who had the pot.... I doubt my dad even had a credit card and certainly you’d have given me any money for comics. But he had a big heart and loved the heck out of us. I sure miss him. I think both our dads would be happy how we turned out...

Redbeard is still a good friend. He taught me a lot about comics and business. We had some wonderful times there that I sure miss. 

And wern’t there any braless women in Houston???

Edited February 1, 2020 by Robot Man

[MrBedrock]

6 minutes ago, Robot Man said:

Man, your dad must have either very cool, crazy or trusted you a lot. But what you’ve said about him, maybe a little of all three. Sounds like an amazing guy. My dad was too but none of the above. I probably gave him good reason. . I was probably one of those guys along with Redbeard who had the pot.... I doubt my dad even had a credit card and certainly you’d have given me any money for comics. But he had a big heart and loved the heck out of us. I sure miss him. I think both our dads would be happy how we turned out...

Redbeard is still a good friend. He taught me a lot about comics and business. We had some wonderful times there that I sure miss. 

And wern’t there any braless women in Houston???

Being a good dad is a wonderful thing. You and I have talked about the importance of our fathers before, particularly in relation to baseball. I was very lucky that my parents were very trusting. And I was very good at giving the impression that I could be trusted. Plus as Nerv said, it was just a different time. In hindsight it probably wasn't the safest thing. I definitely love my dad for making it happen though.

Ron is great and he was also awesome to me back then. I went from 1978-1981 and was at his booth most of that time. Just having a base to hang out when I didn't really know many people. And we did a ton of trading. I got the Larson Mystic 2 from him at one of those shows.

As for the bras, Houston had some free spirited women but there just seemed to be so many more of them in California. 

[lou_fine]

55 minutes ago, MrBedrock said:

I remember seeing pot for the first time in my life at a dealer's table.................................... The whole experience still seems magical and certainly inspired so many of the subsequent events of my life.

Hey Richard;

Are you referring to smoking pot in the potty when you got back home to boring mundane Texas?    

[lou_fine]

23 minutes ago, MrBedrock said:

As for the bras, Houston had some free spirited women but there just seemed to be so many more of them in California. 

Are you thinking about the music and lyrics to this song when it comes to California girls:

 

As for me, whenever I am driving down to beautiful sunny California, I am always thinking about the music and lyrics to this song here: