July 23, 2024
WRITTEN BY:
Melinda Head

Comic-Con

Rooted in a deep passion for comics‍

Comic-Con is THE convention to attend for anyone interested in comics, science fiction and related geeky things.

Sheldon (Shel) Dorf, the original man behind Comic-Con, was a kid from Detroit who was possessed by comics. Some have said that his relentless passion for comics stemmed from undiagnosed autism.

At 16, Dorf met the creator of Dick Tracy, Chester Gould, which cemented his dream to join the comic strip profession.

Though Dorf studied art in high school and at the Chicago Art Institute, he never achieved his teenage ambition. The closest he came was providing lettering and speech balloons for Milton Caniff who created Terry & the Pirates and Steve Canyon comic strips. But, hey, who ever said lettering is unimportant?

A letterer is a member of a team of comic book creators responsible for drawing the comic book’s text. The letterer’s use of typefaces, calligraphy, letter size and layout all contribute to the impact of the comic. Historically, sometimes the person who drew comics also lettered them; however, this was more common at independent publications and for comic strips. Large organizations, such as Marvel and DC, usually employed different people for drawing, inking, coloring and lettering, due to the sheer volume of comics they produced. No surprise … the computer age has turned that all upside down.

These images from “Steve Canyon” (1984) were lettered by Shel Dorf

Dorf’s true legacy is Comic-Con, the largest comic convention in the world, which today covers comic books, science fiction, fantasy, horror, animation, anime, video games, tabletop games, movies, television and general pop culture.

 This year’s Comic-Con will be held from July 25-28 at the San Diego Convention Center

In 1965, Dorf was a member of the Detroit Triple Fan Fair team. The “triple” stood for fantasy literature, fantasy films and comic art. When his parents chose to retire in San Diego, he moved there, became part of the comic fan club scene and started Comic-Con, using his persuasive powers to convince comic book artist Jack Kirby and science-fiction writer Ray Bradbury to appear at the inaugural event.

“He (Dorf) is a fine friend.” (Jack Kirby, Co-creator of Captain America)

Shel Dorf (left) and sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury, who wrote about thought control and freedom of speech control in his famous dystopian novel “Fahrenheit 451” (1953)

Over time, Comic-Con grew into the largest convention of its kind. While a success, the event became so large that, in Dorf’s words, “It’s too big and too depressing … the last time there, I could barely find any comic books”.

The disillusioned founder of Comic-Con walked away from his brainchild and became reclusive in his final years, suffered poor health due to complications from diabetes and died in 2009.

Comic books rarely have an ending, they are driven by an eternal second act. The way I see it, Comic-Con is Shel Dorf’s second act.

“The guy just lived and breathed comics his whole life.” (Mark Evanier, Comic book and television writer)

Now that you’ve read today’s blog, why not take what you’ve learned and play today’s matching quiz on your Quizefy app? Many of the answers can be found right here. We publish an on-trend, hint-filled blog at www.quizefy.com every Tuesday, along with a matching quiz in your Quizefy app. We think they’re a great combination and a great way to Strut Your Smart.

Coming Up For Quizefy

Every day:  a new trivia Quiz of the Day on continuously changing topics. Available for 24 hours only

Every Tuesday:  our FACT-ory blog on www.quizefy.com, with a matching Quiz of the Day in our Quizefy app. Read our blog for hints that will improve your Quizefy score

Every Sunday:  the Week in Review, our comprehensive review of national and global events in the past 7 days. This would be a great addition to your Sunday routine

Always:  trivia questions on a myriad of topics that you can choose yourself
Tuesday, December 10th: F1 Goodbye Hello
Wednesday, December 11th: Stretching Day
Thursday, December 12th: Poinsettia Day
Friday, December 13th : Cocoa Day
Saturday, December 14th: Bingo's Birthday
Sunday, December 15th: Week in Review
Monday, December 16th: Barney & Barbie Backlash Day
Click here to Download Quizefy
About the Author

A serial entrepreneur, Melinda is a sociologist and statistician who believes there is no currency with greater value than knowledge

Join The Conversation