Jump to content

List of fan conventions by date of founding

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Fuddle (talk | contribs) at 01:52, 31 October 2016 (added Category:Lists of events using HotCat). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

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 organised 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 1935-1960, 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. Impeti 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

References

  1. ^ Mike Glyer. "THE FIRST EVER CONVENTION," The Story So Far (Worldcon, 1987).
  2. ^ 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, Volume 1 (TwoMorrows Publishing, 2006), p. 99.
  3. ^ Gabilliet, Jean-Paul. Of Comics and Men: A Cultural History of American Comic Books (University of Mississippi Press, 2010), p. 265.
  4. ^ Nolte, Robert. "Latest Collecting Fad: Funny Thing Happened to Comics --They're Arty," Chicago Tribune (09 May 1965): n1
  5. ^ Thompson, Maggie. Newfangles #2 (May 1967), p. 2.
  6. ^ Beerbohm, Robert. "Update to Comics Dealer Extraordinaire Robert Beerbohm: In His Own Words," Comic-Convention Memories (June 24, 2010).
  7. ^ Skinn, Dez. "Early days of UK comics conventions and marts," DezSkinn.com. Accessed Mar. 3, 2013.
  8. ^ Thompson, Maggie. Newfangles #9 (Apr. 1968).
  9. ^ Groth, Gary. "Editorial: Con Games," The Comics Journal #76 (Oct. 1, 1982), pp. 4-6.
  10. ^ Comic-Con Souvenir Book #40 p.61 (2009).
  11. ^ Pinaha, Bob. "Creation '71 No Turkey!" Comic Fandom Monthly (Jan. 1971), pp. 4–7.
  12. ^ a b Beerbohm, Robert. "Update to Comics Dealer Extraordinaire Robert Beerbohm: In His Own Words," Comic-Convention Memories (June 24, 2010).
  13. ^ "Newswatch: NYC Comics Convention Cancelled, Fans Irate," The Comics Journal #185 (Mar. 1996), pp. 18-19.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_fan_conventions_by_date_of_founding&oldid=747034026"