List of fan conventions by date of founding explained
The list of modern fan conventions for various genres of entertainment extends to the first conventions held in the 1930s.
Some fan historians claim that the 1936 Philadelphia Science Fiction Conference, a.k.a. Philcon, was the first science fiction convention ever held. Others, such as Fred Patten and Rob Hansen, make this claim for the January 1937 event in Leeds, England,[1] organized by the Leeds Science Fiction League, which was specifically organized as a conference, with a program and speakers. Out of this came the first incarnation of the British Science Fiction Association.
While a few conventions were created in various parts of the world within the period between 1935 and 1960, the number of convention establishments increased slightly in the 1960s and then increased dramatically in the 1970s, with many of the largest conventions in the modern era being established during the latter decade. Impetuses for further establishment of local fan conventions include:
- The return of superhero characters and franchises during the Silver Age of Comic Books (1956-1970)
- science fiction adaptations for television serials (e.g., Star Trek) in the 1960s-1970s
- the growth of role-playing (in the 1970s and 1980s) as a genre of tabletop, live-action and eventually video/computer gaming, which not only inspired roleplay of favorite characters in full-body costumes but also inspired existing franchises to adapt their themes for said methods of gaming
- the growth in home taping (starting with VHS in the late 1970s) of television broadcasts, including popular serials.
- the growth of computerized communication, including the Internet and Internet-dependent applications in the 1980s and 1990s.
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970s
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980s
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990s
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000s
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010s
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Notes and References
- Web site: Mike . Glyer . THE FIRST EVER CONVENTION . The Story So Far . Worldcon . 1987 . July 14, 2019.
- Book: Thomas, Roy . Splitting the Atom: More Than You Could Possibly Want to Know About the Creation of the Silver Age Mighty Mite! . The Alter Ego Collection . 1 . TwoMorrows Publishing . 2006 . 99.
- Book: Gabilliet, Jean-Paul . Of Comics and Men: A Cultural History of American Comic Books . University of Mississippi Press . 2010 . 265.
- News: Nolte . Robert . Latest Collecting Fad: Funny Thing Happened to Comics --They're Arty . Chicago Tribune . May 9, 1965 . n1.
- Thompson . Maggie . Maggie Thompson . Newfangles #2 . Newfangles . 2 . May 1967 . 2 . July 14, 2019.
- Skinn, Dez. "Early days of UK comics conventions and marts," DezSkinn.com. Accessed Mar. 3, 2013.
- Thompson . Maggie . Maggie Thompson . Newfangles #9 . Newfangles . 9 . April 1968 . July 14, 2019.
- Groth . Gary . Editorial: Con Games . The Comics Journal . 76 . October 1, 1982 . 4–6.
- Comic-Con Souvenir Book #40 p.61 (2009).
- Pinaha . Bob . Creation '71 No Turkey! . Comic Fandom Monthly . January 1971 . 4–7.
- Web site: Beerbohm . Robert . Update to Comics Dealer Extraordinaire Robert Beerbohm: In His Own Words . Comic-Convention Memories . June 24, 2010 . July 14, 2019.
- Newswatch: NYC Comics Convention Cancelled, Fans Irate . The Comics Journal . 185 . March 1996 . 18–19.
- Web site: For the Love of Sci-Fi . June 2, 2020.
- Web site: Comic Con Africa . July 14, 2019.
- Web site: Comic Con Liverpool . June 2, 2020.
- Web site: Comic Con Scotland . June 2, 2020.
- Web site: Empire City Con . July 14, 2019.
- Web site: For the Love of Horror . June 2, 2020.
