Southwesterncon was a series of regional multi-genrefan conventions held annually in Texas and Oklahoma between 1966 and 1971 (and then sporadically afterward until 1981). On a rotating basis, conventions were held in Dallas ("D-Con"), Houston ("Houstoncon"), and Oklahoma City ("Multicon"). Southwesterncon is credited with being one of the earliest ongoing comic book conventions in the United States.
The initial plan for Southwesterncon was explained by Oklahoma Alliance of Fans co-founder Bart Bush: "Dallas held the first Southwesterncon in 1966, Houston held the second one in 1967, and then it went back to Dallas in 1968. The idea is that they would each do the con every other year."[1] Oklahoma City joined Southwesterncon in 1970.
Most Southwesterncons took place over three days in June. The convention featured a large range of pop culture elements, primarily comic books but also radio and television serials, science fiction/fantasy (particularly Star Trek), film/television, animation, toys, and horror. Along with panels with comic book professionals, Southwesterncons often featured screenings of classic science fiction films, old television serials, and such evening events as a costume contest. The convention featured floorspace for exhibitors, including comic book dealers and collectibles merchants. The show included an autograph area, as well as an Artists' Alley where comics artists signed autographs and sold or did free sketches. (Despite the name, Artists' Alley could include writers and even glamour models.)
History
Predecessor
There was an earlier "Southwesterncon": a science fiction convention held in Dallas on July 5–6, 1958. Organized by Tom Reamy and James and Gregory Benford of the Dallas Futurian Society (DFS) (so named after the earlier New York Futurians), Southwesterncon was the first science fiction convention held in Texas. The professional guest of honor was Marion Zimmer Bradley. Longtime science fiction fan personality, collector, and literary agent Forrest J Ackerman came from Los Angeles and served as the convention's banquet toastmaster.
The 1958 Southwesterncon was actually the sixth edition of a regional, rotating city and state series of cons which had started as "Oklacon", editions of which had previously been held in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Enid.[2] On the last day of the convention, as part of Southwestercon VI's business meeting, the members of the DFS disbanded their club (due to much behind-the-scenes intrigue and politics). That event spelled the end of the Oklacon/Southwesterncon series of science fiction conventions.
1966–1971: Southwesterncons I–VI
1966 Southwesterncon I (Dallas)
In 1966, Dallas-based comics enthusiast Larry Herndon (co-publisher of the fanzine Star Studded Comics)[3] revived the Southerwesterncon name as a multi-genre convention with a strong comic book focus. On July 23–24, 1966, the new Southerwesterncon (originally titled "Southwestern Con") was inaugurated at Dallas' Hotel Southland. The official guest was Academy of Comic-Book Fans and Collectors executive secretary and Academy Con promoter Dave Kaler. There were approximately 70 attendees at the convention,[4] including Tom Reamy (of the previous iteration of Southwesterncon) and Camille Cazedessus Jr.[2] Events included a costume contest, with Howard Waldrop among the participants.[5] The 1936 British film Things to Come was shown instead of the promised 1933 film King Kong.[2]
1967 Southwesterncon II (Houston)
Meanwhile, in 1965, Houston-based enthusiasts Ray Bonario, Marc Schooley, and Jerry Poscovsky formed the Houston Comic Collector's Association (HCCA).[6] In 1967, the HCCA produced the second Southwesterncon, officially known as the "Houston Comic Convention",[7] expanding it to three days and staging it at the Houston Ramada Inn on June 16–18 of that year.[8]
The third Southerwesterncon was held in 1968 at the Hotel Southland in Dallas. Produced by Larry Herndon and Tom Reamy,[11] official guests included special guest Fritz Leiber,[12] guest of honor Harold LeDoux, and H. H. Hollis.
Meanwhile, in March 1967, Oklahoma-based comics enthusiasts Bart Bush, Paul McSpadden, John Wooley, and others had founded the Oklahoma Alliance of Fans (OAF) in an Oklahoma City garage.[16][17] OAF joined the Southwesterncon "team" in 1970,[18] as explained by OAF-co-founder Bart Bush. "Dallas announced that it was bidding to host the 1973 World Science Fiction Convention, so it didn’t want to do the Southwesterncon in 1970. That’s when OAF stepped forward to do the 1970 con. Dallas put their support behind us, as did Houston, who didn’t want to do the con in two successive years."[1][lower-alpha 1]
The third leg of Southwesterncon, officially dubbed "Multicon 70," was held at the Skirvan Hotel in Oklahoma City on June 19–21, 1970. Don Maris and Robert A. Brown of OAF acted as convention chairs.[1]Buster Crabbe was the guest of honor[20] and Reed Crandall was the guest speaker.[21] Other guests included Jim Harmon. The show featured an exhibition of the world's largest private collection of Frank Frazetta's art.
Among the 511 attendees was G. B. Love.[24] The teenage comics dealer Bud Plant drove from San Diego to attend the show;[25] he was nearly arrested for selling "pornography" due to the underground comix he displayed at his table.[26]
1971 Southwesterncon VI (Dallas)
In 1971, disputes amongst the Southwesterncon members[27] led to both Houston and Dallas staging conventions that year. The Houston Comic Collector's Association staged Houstoncon '71 on June 17–20, while the Dallas contingent put on "D-Con '71" — billed as the 6th annual Southwesterncon — on July 8–11; Robert Bloch was the guest of honor.[28]
1972–1981: D-Con and Multicon continue the tradition
With Houstoncon going out on its own and by 1973 becoming an annual event, the other legs of Southwesterncon — Dallas' D-Con and Oklahoma City's Multicon — continued the tradition of rotating convention sites (though not always every other year).
1972 Multicon
Multicon returned to Oklahoma City in 1972 with Eric Groves and Don Maris of OAF producing the convention.[1] Guests included Will Eisner,[29] attending only his second-ever comic convention[30] (and illustrating the convention booklet); other guests included Spanky McFarland, George Evans, Lum and Abner, and Tim Holt. For the teenage Chuck Rozanski, the 1972 Multicon was his first national comics convention; he sold $1,800 in comics in three days, at that point realizing that comics retailing could be a career. The young Robert Beerbohm also set up as a dealer at that show.[30]
Multicon 81, the final edition of that show, was produced by OAF chairs Bart Bush and Gary & Elaine Burleson;[34] guests included John Byrne, L. B. Cole, Jim Engel, Chuck Fialla, Mike McQuay, John Wooley, and Ron Wolfe.
A "Multicon '82" for the following year was promised,[34] but never ended up happening.
Legacy
Larry Lankford, who produced D-Con '79, went on to produce the long-running Dallas Fantasy Fair.[35]
OAF member Bart Bush later opened the first comic book retailer in Oklahoma: Down Memory Lane in Norman.[16] In 2007, the 40th anniversary of the formation of the Oklahoma Alliance of Fans, Bart Bush created OAFcon, a comics convention held in Norman. "OAFcon proved popular enough that it became an annual event and drew collectors from across the nation."[16] Bush died in 2020, and "Peter Purin, organizer of Uncanny Comic Expo, took over running the show in 2021."[17] OAFcon '22 took place September 17–18, 2022, at the Embassy Suites in Norman. Focusing "on Tarzan, The Shadow, and more," author Mike Chapman was the featured special guest, along with Anthony Tollin, J. David Spurlock, Buddy Saunders, and Steve Borock of MyComicShop.com.[17]
Convention locations and dates
This section is missing information about dates and venues. Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page.(February 2023)
D-Con (Dundee Convention), a defunct anime convention held in Dundee, Scotland
Notes
↑ Ultimately, Dallas was not chosen as the 1973 Worldcon host; that distinction went to Toronto, which hosted Torcon II.[19]
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↑ Wooley, John (December 22, 2017). "A Jim-Dandy Comic Con". Oklahoma Magazine. In 1970, following a few similar Texas-based get-togethers, a group called the Oklahoma Alliance of Fans held its first Multicon in Oklahoma City, celebrating comic books, old movies, radio plays and related material.
↑ austex23 (August 13, 2012). "Early Comic Fandom in Texas (and elsewhere)". CollectedEditions.com. I bought this copy either in 1967 at the first Houstoncon or in 1968 when the Southwesterncon, as it was briefly known, moved back to Dallas. For a very short period of time, Dallas, Houston, and Oklahoma City cooperated on the cons but territorial issues between Houston and Dallas ended the rotation and cons happened regularly in all three cities after 1970.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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