Comic Con & More.
My Adventures at my first Con…
DETROIT TRI-CON: The First Comic Con
Yes, The First Comic-Con & I Was There For The ’72 Edition. My Favourite Convention
As I wrote in an intro to my popular post IN MY DREAM: Meaning of Dreams – Your 12 Most Common Dreams: “I’ve always had a fascination with the meaning of dreams. Especially after a long yarn with science fiction and fantasy author/editor Lin Carter at Detroit TriCon 1972…
“Lin believed that dreams were the source of the primal motifs of mythology, folk tales and the best fantasy fiction. He spurred me to continue along that road — Carl Jung being our mutual guide.”
And I’ve continued on with that study through all these years.
I’m not one for conventions, but that Detroit assemblage was a memorable one: My First Comic Con & My Favourite Con.
The preliminary July ’72 TRI-CON REPORT for the upcoming August event had promised, among other goodies, Lin Carter’s “Days of Golden Trash and Garbage.” Described as “Lin Carter’s semi-autobiographical talk. A reminiscence of his misspent youth, together with that era’s comic books, movie serials, Big Little books and radio mystery shows.”
The next day, he would be interviewed in a “talk-show format.”
Due more to good fortune and Coors than audacity, I actually had a yarn with him later. And that talk with Lin certainly had an influence…
Lin Carter was a compelling little fellow who came across as a kind of old-time Southern gentleman. A cross between Doc Holliday and Colonel Saunders, complete with fancy walking stick. A bit full of himself, but I liked him.
He had read and liked my first published story ORNITHANTHROPUS. Which, having just appeared in both of the latest “Best Science Fiction Stories of the Year” anthologies, had a lot of buzz then. His love and knowledge of imaginative literature was immense and enthralling.
I knew of Lin already as the author of THE WIZARD OF LEMURIA, which introduced his Thongor the Barbarian character.
And as the lead script-writer of the fantasy-rich Second Season of the animated Spider-Man TV series. And as editor of Ballantine Books Fantasy Series, giving us writers such as William Morris, Lord Dunsany, Evangeline Walton, Hope Mirrlees and H P Lovecraft. Lovecraft’s earlier work, THE DREAM-QUEST OF UNKNOWN KADATH, remains one of my fave fantasies.
Lin’s introduction to each book in the series was a wondrous journey in itself.
DETROIT TRI-CON 1972: The First Comic Con – Science Fiction, Fantasy, Comic Books
The Detroit Tri-Con 1972 was a Science Fiction/Fantasy/Comic Book Convention held at the Detroit Pick-Fort Shelby Hotel. Founded in 1965 and focusing on comic book artists, writers and creators, the Motor-City-based “Triple Fan Fair” has been called “the First Comic Con.” There was a special “Congratulations! To the ever-lovin’ Detroit Tri-Con from Stan Lee” notice at the back of my ’72 official program.
Found some great people at the Comic Con.
The evening before the Tri-Con revved up, I went down to the bar to try some American beer (I’m Canadian, eh?). Met some fellows gathered there. They were my age, long hair. Quiet. Thoughtful. You guys here for the Con? No — they were all U. S. Army draftees.
They talked about reporting first thing next morning for hair cuts. Then came “processing.” Nobody mentioned Vietnam. But I understood these guys. They were Working Family, like me. Putting aside plans for becoming a mechanic, carpenter, auto plant worker, working on the family farm — all for God and country. We talked well into the night. I hope you got back home all right, guys.
Detroit Tri-Con 1972 ID Badge Artwork by Terry Austin
Next morning I met the conventioneers. Mostly my age, long hair. University students and grads, middle class, some smelling slightly of pot. Got along with many of ’em. Dudes working on a novel, which was a lot of us. And ardent artists. None of them mentioned Vietnam either.
Afternoon and all-night movies — enjoyed the Fantasy adventures marathon. And the old silents “Metropolis” and “The Thief of Bagdad.”
Huckster room was a treasure trove of classic SF and new underground comix.
I was the only one who hoped to have a talk with John Jakes because he had started as a writer of Westerns. They knew him as the creator of Brak the Barbarian.
Along with Lin Carter, guests included cartoonist Russell Myers of Broom-Hilda comic strip fame.
Bob Taylor (animator, original Spider-Man TV series; cartoonist, see below). Ken Muse (animator, Flintstones, Yogi Bear & more). Gray Morrow. Al Williamson. And Rick Yager (Buck Rogers newspaper strips).
Gray Morrow was given the 1972 Tri-Con’s Nova Award to honour his fantasy illustrations and paintings. At the time, Morrow was known for his DC Comics work on their Westerns and titles like House of Mystery and Witching Hour. I knew him best for his cover paintings. Mostly Sword & Sorcery cover art of ACE and Lancer printings of Leigh Brackett, Lin Carter, Michael Moorcock (his Edward P Bradbury Mars Trilogy), the visionary Andre Norton, Clifford D Simak, Thomas Burnett Swann and Roger Zelazny.
I was aware of Al Williamson mostly as one of the group of artists, including Frank Frazetta and Roy G Krenkel, doing stunning paintings and line illustrations of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ fantastic works, including Tarzan.
I didn’t know until the Tri-Con that he had also done some of my fave comic book Westerns growing up such as Atlas Comic’s Ringo Kid and Western Outlaws as well as Dell’s Gunsmoke. Al was given a National Cartoonist Society Best Comic Book artist award for his work on the more recent Flash Gordon series from King Features.
And…
Writers.
John Jakes. Edmond Hamilton (who helped create the pulp fiction subgenre of Space Opera, as well as writing for DC — Superman, Batman, even originating the character Batwoman in 1956). And the capricious, idiosyncratic, life-affirming scripter of stories for Eerie, Creepy and Vampirella, T Casey Brennan.
Leigh Brackett. Who wrote of ancient Mars with poetry and dreamlike imagination. As well as screenplays of fave movies of mine like John Wayne’s Rio Bravo (she would later work on the film script for The Empire Strikes Back). She was also at TriCon ’72, sitting with her husband Edmond Hamilton.
Leigh was one of the essential writers in my formative years and I just wanted to go over and thank her. I didn’t. One of my few regrets.
I’m not one for group get-togethers, but had some fun there. Even got to like American beer…
“Live Free, Mon Ami!” – Brian Alan Burhoe
“Canadian Brian Alan Burhoe is the author of numerous articles and stories reflecting his interest in our spiritual connections to our Sacred Land – from his first short story ORNITHANTHROPUS – to his latest yarns of Civilized Bears.”
==>> To read more about Fantasy Fiction, Writers and Dreams, go to ORNITHANTHROPUS: Winged Humans in Dream, Myth, Religion & Literature
DETROIT TRI-CON 1972: The First Comic Con – Science Fiction, Fantasy, Comic Books
Special Thanks To: Tom Orzechowski, who sent patient hand-printed replies to my inquiries about the coming Tri-Con: “Shirt ‘n’ tie would be unique. Bare feet and denims would be the norm, if past Detroit cons are any indication.” Not barefoot, I showed up in boots, but blue denim has always been my default threads. Tom’s notes were written in neat red-inked block letters — could be his writing on my ID Card. I see that Tom, aka Orz, became a renowned letterer for Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine, Spawn & others.
Tom’s Tri-Con co-chairman and organizer, Michael Kucharski, has produced some amazing fantasy and commercial art. His wildlife paintings (a genre I love) are wonderful. See www.kucharskiart.com.
Other organizers included Arvell Jones, Martin Pasko and Tony Isabella, all going on to become top comic artists and writers. And Jerry Bails. Bails, who helped found the Detroit Con in ’65, is remembered as the “Father of Comic Book Fandom.”
Must have been something in the air at that Tri-Con, man…
Art Notes: Header illustration by Al Williamson, featuring Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and the world of Mongo.
“Dragon” image below header is a detail from the cover of the ACE Books first edition of Lin Carter’s THE WIZARD OF LEMURIA, painting by Gray Morrow. I chose this image because Lin and Gray were the two Guests of Honor at Tri-Con ’72.
Front cover art of ’72 TRI-CON REPORT shown above is by a young Ken Steacy. Looks like a scene from Edgar Rice Burroughs’ OUT OF TIME’S ABYSS. Ken went on to to create the artwork for comic book series like Astro Boy and Jonny Quest, as well as DC, Marvel and graphic novel collaborations with authors Harlan Ellison and Dean Motter.
Ken was inducted into the Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Fame in 2009. Ken’s latest work is WAR BEARS, in collaboration with Margaret Atwood and produced by Dark Horse.
Terry Austin’s choice of Batman’s cowl and cape to top his Tri-Con ’72 ID Badge illustration was prescient, since just four years later he was inking Marshall Rogers’ Batman pencils for DC’s Detective Comics. Terry earned numerous Eagle and Inkpot Awards. In 2003, he self-published AUSTIN ART: 60 Pages of Drawings by Terry Austin, which can’t be purchased anywhere (I searched).
The Bob Taylor “Birds of a Feather” cartoon appeared on the Welcome Page of the DETROIT TRI-CON 1972 PROGRAM.
And the Tradition continues. Check out MOTOR CITY COMIC CON 2024!
WANT TO READ MY STORIES, BOOK REVIEWS & ARTICLES ON YOUR MOBILE CELLPHONE OR TABLET? Go to my Mobile-Friendly BrianAlanBurhoe.com…
DETROIT TRI-CON 1972: The First Comic Con – Science Fiction, Fantasy, Comic Books.
Al Williamson, Atlas Comics, B Alan Burhoe, Bob Taylor, Comic Con 2023, Detroit Pick-Fort Shelby Hotel, Detroit Tri-Con 1972, Edward P Bradbury, first Comic Con, first comic convention. Flash Gordon, Gray Morrow Nova Award, Ken Steacy, Leigh Brackett, Lin Carter, Michael Kucharski, Ornithanthropus, Ringo Kid, Terry Austin, T Casey Brennan, Tom Orzechowski.
