COMIC-CON BEGINS: Origin Stories of the San Diego Comic-Con and the Rise of Modern Fandom

SiriusXM Podcasts
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COMIC-CON BEGINS: Origin Stories of the San Diego Comic-Con and the Rise of Modern Fandom

In the Summer of 1970, a ragtag group of teenage hippies, proto-punks, artists, and science buffs assembled in a small, obscure town called San Diego to celebrate their pop culture heroes … and each other. They couldn’t possibly have known that the San Diego Comic-Con would over the decades grow into the largest pop culture gathering worldwide. Join original scream queen and cosplay pioneer Brinke Stevens as she, nearly 50 of her childhood cohorts, and a cadre of uber-geeky celebrity guests reveal their most fascinating, funny, and fannish memories of how they brought the Comic-Con together in the “early days” … as well as the profound impact the fandom community it helped spawn has had on our shared culture at large. — Celebrity guests include: Kevin Smith, Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller, Felicia Day, Bruce Campbell, The Russo Bros., Scott Aukerman, Trina Robbins, Stan Sakai, Tim Seeley, Maggie Thompson, Sergio Aragones, Kevin Eastman, Ho Che Anderson, and many more!

Season 1

  1. EPISODE 1

    Days of Comics Past

    We plunge down the time tunnel to the earliest days of fandom: back before nerds were cool, before science fiction was taken seriously, and before comic book characters ruled Hollywood. It was a time when fans could only connect through ‘zines and specialty magazines. A time when MAD Magazine and The Twilight Zone expanded the minds of youth across the nation. And a time when a small group of high school kids in San Diego met a visionary super-fan from Detroit named Shel Dorf.

    1h 2m

  2. EPISODE 2

    First Geeks

    Just because they were geeks doesn’t mean our intrepid Con creators were any less impacted by the “drugs, sex, and rock-and-roll” of the 1960s. We delve deep into the intimate experiences of these colorful characters of the Comic-Con and how their passion for pop culture was affected by the volatile era’s seismic cultural, political, and technological shifts. Includes a special visit from Mr. “Turn on, Tune in, Drop out” himself, Dr. Timothy Leary, along with the birth of Star Trek fandom.

    1h 23m

  3. EPISODE 3

    The Con is On

    We forge ahead at light speed into the complex scenario of how the first San Diego Comic-Con was cobbled together by our illustrious cast of kooky characters. From there, we venture onward through the mid-1970s as the Con grows exponentially in both physical size and attendance, heralding the “golden years” at a ramshackle downtown hotel that had seen better days called the El Cortez.

    1 hr

  4. EPISODE 4

    Good Grief, Shel Dorf!

    Some would call late Comic-Con founder Shel Dorf “controversial,” others “#$%!!,” still others their “greatest inspiration and friend.” The only thing everyone can agree on is that the Comic-Con would never have happened without Shel. And now his closest Con compadres open up about the reason why. As well as thoughtful reflections of Shel’s contentious departure in 1984 … right as the Con and geek culture took a giant leap forward.

    56 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    I Love the Mid-to-Late ‘80s

    Navigating throughout the ever-expanding pop culture constellation of the turbulent 1980s, we seek out intelligent new life in the final frontier: the Hollywood blockbuster machine. Meanwhile, comics go uptown, with Pulitzer Prize winners, the birth of graphic novels, and four guys named Neil, Alan, Frank, and Art.

    56 min

  6. EPISODE 6

    SDCC Conquers the World

    Twilight, Robert Downey Jr., eight-hour lines. Time to ask the $64,000 question: Has Comic-Con become something completely different?! Why not ask those who made it all happen during the formative years of the Con? Luckily, that’s exactly what we did, and their answer may surprise you.

    1h 2m

  7. SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Comic-Con: Begins (coming June 22)

    Trailer for the new SiriusXM original podcast COMIC-CON BEGINS, launching as a six-part series starting June 22, 2021

    3 min

Trailer

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In the Summer of 1970, a ragtag group of teenage hippies, proto-punks, artists, and science buffs assembled in a small, obscure town called San Diego to celebrate their pop culture heroes … and each other. They couldn’t possibly have known that the San Diego Comic-Con would over the decades grow into the largest pop culture gathering worldwide. Join original scream queen and cosplay pioneer Brinke Stevens as she, nearly 50 of her childhood cohorts, and a cadre of uber-geeky celebrity guests reveal their most fascinating, funny, and fannish memories of how they brought the Comic-Con together in the “early days” … as well as the profound impact the fandom community it helped spawn has had on our shared culture at large. — Celebrity guests include: Kevin Smith, Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller, Felicia Day, Bruce Campbell, The Russo Bros., Scott Aukerman, Trina Robbins, Stan Sakai, Tim Seeley, Maggie Thompson, Sergio Aragones, Kevin Eastman, Ho Che Anderson, and many more!

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