On Monday, July 24, 1964, in New York City around 100 fans met at the Workman’s Circle Building, located on 4th Avenue near Union Square. They gathered in a large open hall in the Circle Building, filled with wooden folding chairs, not quite sure what to expect. Each was given a metal button two inches in diameter with red and blue lettering that spelled out “Comic Con 1964.” Steve Ditko was in attendance that day. Dealer Malcolm Willits arrived with a box of comics that included an Action Comics #1, Captain America #1, and Superman #1. Whether those fans realized it or not, they were gathering for the birth of a new part of the growing movement known as comic fandom and the comic convention. Organized by 16 year-old Bernie Bubnis and his partner Ron Fradkin, this one-day gathering became an annual tradition of shows devoted to the celebration of the comic art form. It would develop over the rest of the decade and carry on with ever increasing fervor until today.

This first show was quickly followed by others in New York City. In 1965, the Academy of Comic-Book Fans and Collectors hosted a convention at New York's Broadway Central Hotel, which returned in 1966 and 1967. Nicknamed the “Academy Cons,” they featured such industry professionals of the time as Otto Binder, Bill Finger, Gardner Fox, Mort Weisinger, James Warren, Roy Thomas, Gil Kane, Stan Lee, Bill Everett, Carmine Infantino, and Julius Schwartz. In 1968, established comic dealer and New York City Lafayette High School English teacher, Phil Sueling, would host his first comic show that would, in 1969, officially be called the NY Comic Art Convention. These shows would become a fixture in east coast comic fandom and would continue until his unexpected death in 1984. Following this, Creation Conventions, founded originally in 1971 by Gary Berman and Adam Malin in New York City, took up the void in New York running shows there until 1987. Comic con promoter Fred Greenberg and his wife Nancy had begun hosting conventions in 1977 after he discovered that there weren't regular shows in his area of Mount Laurel, NJ. From 1983 to 1987 his Great Eastern conventions hosted monthly shows in Mount Laurel. In 1992 his show expansion began when Great Eastern Conventions partnered with Cerebus creator Dave Sim in promoting small conventions in over 20 US locations. He hosted two New York Great Eastern Conventions annually at venues including the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and the New York Coliseum. Then in 1996, the Greenbergs canceled that had been advertised as a larger-than-usual NY Great Eastern Convention show at a very late point, which fans believed might herald a successor to the Comic Art Con.

This brings us to Mike Carbonaro, who has been a fixture in the world of comics for most of his life. His name can be found in program guides going back to the earliest Phil Sueling Comic Art Shows in the early ’70s. Whether as a dealer or show promoter, Carbonaro has left a permanent mark on the hobby. In 1996 he, Vincent Zurzolo, and Vince Gulla scrambled to create a substitute event for the canceled Greenberg show and in 48 hours, with a snow storm hitting the city, mounted the first Big Apple Convention. The show was held in the basement of the Church of St. Paul the Apostle located at 8-10 Columbus Avenue on the corner of West 60th Street, in the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

The success of that show lead to other Big Apple shows, now run solely by Carbonaro, and these shows attracted many comics creators and pop culture figures. By 2000 the convention had moved to the Metropolitan Pavilion on West 18th Street in Manhattan with its annual big show, called The National. By the mid-2000s the shows were taking place at the Penn Plaza Pavilion adjacent to the Hotel Pennsylvania, which is the same location of the original Sueling Comic Art Conventions. The Big Apple Cons were very popular, so much so that Carbonaro was running sometimes as many as six shows a year.

In 2009, the Big Apple Comic Con was bought out by Wizard Entertainment with Carbonaro signed on as a senior adviser. The first Big Apple show held under Wizard was held October 2009 at Pier 94 in Manhattan. Carbonaro then ran a series of New York Comic Book Marketplace shows with the last held March 1, 2014. In that same year he regained the right to run shows under the Big Apple name and scheduled the “20th Anniversary Return of the Big Apple Convention.” The show was held on Saturday, March 7, 2015, once again at the Penn Plaza at 401 7th Avenue in New York City. Sadly, the famed Lindy’s restaurant, which was located right next door to the Penn Plaza and accessible from the hotel lobby, recently closed. Over the course of the last 30 years it served many convention attendees lunch, dinner, and the occasional drink at the bar while taking a break from the happenings at the many shows held at the Pavilion and the Pennsylvania hotel itself. Its staff was always friendly and would remember you from earlier visits. It will be missed.

Excitement was in the air on the morning of the show. The lines to get in the show were long and cosplay was in the air. Many long time regular dealers were happy to be back in familiar grounds, many in their former booth locations on the floor, and there was a very good dealer turnout. Metropolis Comics, Superworld Comics, Gary Dolgoff Comics, Harley Yee Rare Comics, Tomorrow's Treasures, and Dave's American Comics were set at the show. Other dealers in attendance were Brandon and Robin Faulkner, Anthony’s Comic Book Art, Good Time Toys, Dan Gallo's Comic Art Shop, and many others.

The hallmark for a successful convention is variety and there was plenty of that at the Big Apple Con. From dollar books to the most expensive issues, such as Action Comics #1, Batman #1, and Sensation Comics #2, collectors had a variety of choices of comics to add to their collections. Graphic novels and independent comics were available for sale as were other items as varied as custom comic costumes by Little Petal. Original comic art and a nice selection of recent toys rounded out a packed dealers room.

As with any Big Apple show there were many media guests in attendance. They included pro wrestlers "Hot Rod" Roddy Piper and Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Power Rangers Jason David Frank and Steve Cardenas, Ming Chen and Mike Zapic from Comic Book Men, and Johnny Brennan of Jerky Boys and Family Guy. Some of the many comic artists and creators who were there signing autographs and doing sketches included Herb Trimpe, Rich Buckler, Sean Chen, Tom DeFalco, Danny Fingeroth, Ramona Fradon, Larry Hama, Brian Kong, Justin Leiter, and Bob Rozakis.

From the earliest comic cons, panels have been an integral part of the con experience and this Big Apple show was no exception. Danny Fingeroth, Ramona Fradon, and Peter Sanderson led a panel on “Will Eisner Master of Graphic Storytelling,” Risa Marubashi conducted the work shop “WSYD: What Should You Do: the Red Cross Preparedness Fest,” sponsored by Cash for Comics Professor William H. Foster along with Alex Simmons, Trevor Von Edeen, Jamal Y. Igle, Ray Felix, and Jennifer Crute chaired the “Do We Still Have to be Black” panel, “Say the Word, Get the Action” was a work shop on how to break into voice acting for cartoons led by Vampire Freaks, and Ramon Gil, Tom DeFalco, and Tom Brennan conducted a work shop on “Comic Book Shark Tank.”

More than ever cosplay is an important part of any comic con experience. There has always been a strong turnout of cosplayers at Big Apple shows and this latest one was no exception. From Batman to Wonder Woman and Chewbacca to a truly excellent Dr. Mid-Nite, cosplayers turned out in droves for this show. Along with this there were many younger fans, not dressed as cosplayers, who were there to buy comics and get sketches and have their pictures taken with their favorite media guest or comic creator. It’s a positive sign for the continued health of printed comics.

Despite a dealer room that at times was just too warm (an unfortunate feature of the Penta) all in all it can be safely said that the show was a successful return of what has become a New York institution and fans, dealers, and professionals are all looking forward to future shows under the Big Apple banner.

Next up for Big Apple fans is the NY Winter Comic & Sci-Fi Expo which will be held December 5-6, 2015 at the Resort World Casino in Jamaica, NY located at 110-00 Rockaway Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11420. For more information you can check out the website at www.nywintercon.com.

Contributed by Collector and Overstreet Advisor Art Cloos
Photographs by Alice Cloos