The Golden Age Of Comic Fandom!

In The Golden Age of Comics Fandom Bill Schelly offers up a surprisingly detailed account of how in the earliest days of the Silver Age of comics that certain fans were instrumental in initiating a club of sorts of like-minded individuals, what was dubbed a "fandom". The template was the fandom of science fiction which had formed through the mails in the 30's. It's not really a coincidence since Julie Schwartz who was key to igniting the comics fandom had been one of those important science fiction fans long before with his friend and fellow DC editor Mort Weisinger. Schwartz saw the enthusiasm of the fans who were eager to see their Golden Age heroes return from the mists of time. 

Actually those mists hadn't been around that long. The new Flash debuted in the pages of Showcase in 1956, a mere five years after the cancellation of the Golden Age Flash's comic. Five years feels like nothing compared to the decades now which have passed since the development of the comic book. But then it was a quarter of the time since the debut of Superman, so all things are relative I guess. Schwartz corresponded with fans like Jerry Bails and Roy Thomas and it's those communications which triggered the beginnings of fandom. It is Jerry Bails in particular that Schelly rightly gives much credit to for initiating many of the publications and events which marked an active fan group. 

Bails started Alter Ego and quickly joined by Thomas and that publication became the flagship of fandom in its earliest days. Schelly discusses important fans such as G.B. Love who was critical in keeping the fandom movement active with his publications such as Rocket Blast Comic Collector. We read of artists such as Ronn Foss, good enough to be a pro but never seeming to really want that, and Richard "Grass" Green who did and was good enough but somehow never caught that one break. It's talents like these which fired many of the amateur publications, since given that the professional ranks of comic book makers were stocked with guys returning to an industry which had only a few years ago been almost dead, there was little room for fresh blood. 

E. Nelson Bridwell hooked on at DC, Archie Goodwin made a go of it at Warren among other places and of course Roy Thomas became a big deal at Marvel. In the 70's many fans such as Rich Buckler, Frank Brunner, Sam Grainger, Dave Cockrum, Mike Vosburg, John Byrne, Bob Layton, Steve Gerber, Roger Stern, Marv Wolfman, Len Wein, Berni Wrightson, and many more landed filling spots left by veteran talents, some who left willingly and some who were unceremoniously shown the door. In the fan world two of the best artists Biljo White and Landon Chesney didn't break into the pros.  Mostly by choice, but clearly they were good enough. 

Most of the fandom was focused on superheroes and when the Batman TV show hit, it was a tsunami with the popularity of the form rocketing up and up and up. But some fans were hooked on vintage EC Comics and some others were intent on the business side of the comic book collecting. This gave rise to needs to regulate back issue prices and that made it possible for tools like Bob Overstreet's Price Guide to find a purchase in the landscape. 

Schelly spends a great deal of time talking about how the early conventions developed, first in Detroit and later in NYC and later still in San Diego. Of course we all know what became of that last one and that's really why this volume is about the "Golden Age" of fandom which Schelly puts between 1961 and 1972. Fandom did not wither and die by any means, but the early  attempts at communications such as fanzines were supplanted by professional efforts and the talent was sucked away by the pros. Also, many of the key members of that time moved on with lives that as they always do became complex and focused on other things than four-color funny books.

This is a hyper-detailed but still enjoyable read and I recommend it anyone interested in those olden golden days. 

Rip Off