years of

A Retrospective of the History of Fandom

Attendance The “Golden State Comic-Minicon” is
thrown at the U.S. Grant Hotel by
march 21,
14 5
superfans Shel Dorf, Ken Krueger, and
1970 Richard Alf.
Shel Dorf Ken Krueger Richard Alf
Guests at the first official comic-con,
the “Golden State Comic-Con,”
include author Ray Bradbury and A three-day

1970 30 0
August 1-3, comic creator Jack Kirby. ticket is $3.50.

More influential guests join,

including science fiction writers
Leigh Brackett and Edmund
1971 800 Hamilton as well as Superman
actor Kirk Alyn.
Superman

1972 900 Source: The Unofficial

SDCC Blog

Source: San Diego

Comic-Con
The show officially changes its name to International Source: Los

1973 1,000 the San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC). Angeles Times

The first The first Inkpot Awards, which are

masquerade given to professionals within the fields
1974 2,500 ball takes
place.
of comic strips, animation, comic books,
and science fiction, are given out.
Source: San Diego
Comic-Con
International

July
1975 2,450 In Iron
Iron Man
Man No.
No. 72
72, Tony Stark
checks out Comic-Con.

A second, smaller
November
1975 1,100 con is held this year.
Source:
Iron Man No. 72

A man named Charles Lippencott hosts a

panel for an upcoming science-fantasy

1976 3,000
film that seems certain to flop, attended (That film is
by only a handful of open-minded fans. Star Wars.)

Sci-fi writer Robert A. Heinlein offers to sign

1977 4,000
autographs of his books only for people who
donate blood, launching a blood drive that’s
still going.

1978 5,000
Source: Lucasfilm
A thief takes $12,000 in receipts from the
Comic-Con International treasurer’s home
— the organization asks for donations and
1979 6,000 takes bids on artwork to pay off the debt.

Source: San Diego

Comic-Con

1980 5,000 The organization adopts a new logo. International

One of the first featurettes shows off

1981 5,000 a film fans might like: Blade Runner.

The creator of Scrooge McDuck, Carl Barks, appears at

Comic-Con, drawing swarms of fans. After toiling in anonymity

1982 5,000 under the Disney Studio for many years, he became known as
the Good Duck Artist.

5,000
The Toucan, designed by Rick Geary, debuts, becoming
1983 a hallmark/logo for SDCC for the next decade.

Source: San Diego

Comic-Con
International

1984 5,500

1985 6,000
Source: San Diego
Comic-Con
International

1986 6,500 SDCC’s sister convention, The

Wonderful World of Comics
Convention, or WonderCon,
opens in San Francisco.
Source: San Diego

1987 5,000 Comic-Con

International

Batman fans, initially angered at The prestigious Will Eisner Comic

the casting of Michael Keaton, Industry Awards (aka the Eisner
warm up to the concept of the film Awards) begin this year, honoring
as Batman creator Bob Kane talks exemplary work within the comics
1988 8,000 about the set, bat suit, and
batmobile.
industry. One of the first winners is
Alan Moore for Watchmen.
Watchmen.

1989 11,000
Source: VisitSanDiego.com

1990 13,000 The SDCC moves into its new, huge

home, where it will stay for more
than two decades: the San Diego
Convention Center.

1991 15,000+
Francis Ford Coppola attends the con
to show off Bram Stoker’s Dracula. This
move shows Hollywood the con’s
importance.
1992 22,000 Source:
San Diego Comic-Con
Comics No. 2.

28,000
The character of Hellboy is introduced
1993 in San
San Diego
Diego Comic-Con
Comic-Con Comics No. 2.

31,000
Sister convention Alternative Press
1994 Expo (APE) opens in San Jose.

Richard Bruning creates the iconic

“eye” logo, and the convention changes
1995 34,000 its official name to Comic-Con
International: San Diego (CCI).

A couple of young
Power Rangers Source: San Diego
watch Ron Lim of
1996 36,000
Comic-Con
Marvel Comics International
sketch Batman.

Source:
Los Angeles Times

1997 40,000

1998 42,000

1999 42,000
Source: San Diego
Comic-Con
International

An annual film festival called the

Comic-Con International Independent
2000 48,500 Film Festival begins this year.

2001 53,000

2002 63,000 Big names like Angelina Jolie

(promoting Tomb
Tomb Raider
Raider) and
Halle Berry (promoting Gothika
Gothika)
are now making more frequent
appearances.

2003 70,000

2004 95,000

2005 103,000

2006 123,000

2007 Twilight fans swarm into Comic-Con, lining up

125,000
a day in advance to see Robert Pattinson, Source: Friends
Kristen Stewart, and Stephenie Meyer in a of Harvey Dent
Source:
preview of the film. Popsugar.com

2008 Source: Syfy.com 126,000

James Cameron
previews a whopping
ar
Avatar.
25 minutes of Avat

2009 126,000
Source: NYDailyNews.com

At the end of his panel, Edgar Wright

Also this year, Harrison stands up and invites fans to walk
In a historic Ford finally appears, not with him over to the nearby Balboa
panel, the to promote Star
Star Wars
Wars, Theater to watch Scot
Scott vs.
Pilgrimvs.
t Pilgrim
2010 Aven gers
Avengers
assemble in
Runner, or a new
Blade Runner
Indiana Jones movie but his
the Worl
the d. Afterward, the cast comes
World.
out to thank the fans. 130,000
real life! film Cowboys
Cowboys && Aliens.
Aliens.

Andrew Garfield starts the trend of showing up at SDCC in

2011 a costume of his character.
126,000
In a presentation of The Hobbit, the screen in
The Hobbit,
Hall H suddenly starts to expand almost
completely around the audience, surprising fans.
2012 130,000 Source:
Tom Hiddleston one-ups Garfield by showing up in
The Mary
and in character as Loki.
costume and Source: Sue
Collider.com

2013 130,000
The convention hosts close to
700 separate events this year.

2014 130,000
Attendance hits an all-time high, with previews of films
like Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens and
Batman v Superman drawing in fans to the con in droves.

2015 167,000
The tickets for this year’s
event sell out in one hour.

2016 135,000
Stan Lee makes his last
appearance at Comic-Con.

2017 130,000
Big names like Marvel, HBO, and Star Wars do not make
an appearance, but many fans are glad, as it allows
the opportunity to find smaller creators.

2018 Source: San Diego

130,000
Comic-Con
SDCC celebrates its 50th anniversary. International

2019 135,000

The Future A year-round Comic-Con Museum is slated to open in

Balboa Park in downtown San Diego.
Source: San Diego
Comic-Con
International

Sources:
https://www.comic-con.org/about
https://visitsandiego.com/2019/07/breaking-down-comic-con-2019-numbers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego_Comic-Con#History_and_organization
https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2018/07/san_diego_comic-con_2018_without_marvel_and_hbo_ot.html
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/entertainment/television/Comic-Con-2012-Need-to-Know-161586785.html
http://www.mtv.com/news/2770893/the-most-memorable-panels-in-comic-con-history/
https://ew.com/gallery/star-wars-comic-con-76-pics/?slide=352878#352878
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-comic-con-san-diego-timeline-htmlstory.html
https://www.ocregister.com/2019/07/12/50-facts-about-san-diego-comic-con-in-honor-of-its-50th-year-of-cosplay-and-comics/
http://www.today.com/id/25840911/ns/today-today_entertainment/t/twilight-creates-fan-frenzy-comic-con/#.XYkl7cZ7kbw
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/tourism/sdut-comic-con-badges-sell-out-quickly-2016feb20-story.html
https://www.sandiegovideoproduction.com/topics/sd-comic-con/
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/san-diego-comic-con-the-untold-history-194401/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inkpot_Award
https://www.forbes.com/sites/robsalkowitz/2019/07/15/comic-con-at-50-looks-back-to-its-roots-and-ahead-to-its-future/#2c3ce0ac6405
https://sdccblog.com/san-diego-comic-con-frequently-asked-questions/
https://www.npr.org/2019/07/19/743341846/san-diego-comic-con-is-turning-50-heres-its-origin-story
http://mentalfloss.com/article/51751/31-facts-about-san-diego-comic-con
https://www.kpbs.org/news/2019/jul/22/comic-con-50-pop-culture-convention-ever-changing-/