San Diego Comic-Con, an iconic event that has shaped the entertainment industry over the years, is set to celebrate its 54th edition this July. The roots of Comic-Con can be traced back to the youth culture of the 1960s and 70s, where a group of teenagers laid the foundations for an event that would eventually become a global phenomenon. A newly announced documentary aims to shed light on the origins of Comic-Con through a treasure trove of archival videos that have recently come to light.
Writer/producer Mathew Klickstein has explored the early days of fan culture and Comic-Con in his podcast series and oral history book. The documentary, produced by David Permut and filmmaker Oscar Boyson, will feature footage from the early 1970s shot by one of the original event production staff, Alex Astrachan. The project aims to tell the underdog story of young fans who turned their passion into a cultural phenomenon that would go on to define popular culture.
The documentary will showcase videos captured by Scott Smith, an enthusiast who invested in videotape cameras in the early years of Comic-Con. The archive contains snippets of panels, interviews with comic creators, and behind-the-scenes moments from the convention. The production team is currently going through the archive to identify people and events, with one of the most interesting clips featuring counterculture icon Timothy Leary being interviewed by science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon and screenwriter George Clayton Johnson.
Surviving members of the founding generation of Comic-Con, including cartoonist Scott Shaw and Dr. Erin Hanna, have contributed to the documentary. These individuals played a crucial role in launching the event and shaping fan culture in Southern California. The documentary is not authorized by Comic-Con International, the nonprofit that currently runs San Diego Comic-Con, but rather focuses on the people who founded the event.
The current-day San Diego Comic-Con is a massive, family-friendly event that attracts nearly 150,000 fans each year and features major entertainment announcements. While the event has evolved significantly since its early days, it still celebrates its roots and includes longtime members among its staff. The documentary aims to provide a glimpse into the origins of Comic-Con and the cultural forces that drove its growth over the years.
Overall, the documentary promises to tell the story of how a group of young fans laid the foundations for an event that would become a global phenomenon. By showcasing archival footage and interviews with the founding generation of Comic-Con, the project aims to shed light on the origins of fan culture and the evolution of the iconic event. Despite not being authorized by Comic-Con International, the documentary is a tribute to the passion and creativity of those who helped shape one of the biggest entertainment events in the world.
