A talk I gave for a panel connected to the Destroy All Monsters exhibition at Bird Library at Syracuse University.
I focused on the 1964 Who’s Who in Comic Fandom publication that was largely put together by Jerry Bails, often called the “father of comic book fandom.” It collects the names and contact information for many of the comic fans at the time so they could get in touch with each other. It also presents some information on the history of comics and fandom in that era.
I noted that many of the teenage fans listed in the Who’s Who later became well-known comics professionals, such as Mark Gruenwald and Jim Starlin. I talked about comic letter columns as a another forum for fans to contact each other and the professionals. I gave examples of letters by fans who also became professionals, as well as my own Letterhack project.
The panel was moderated by Danny Sarmiento and Victoria McCollum. The other panelists were Will Schiebel and Meghan Healy.
Chris Wildrick 