atlanta starcon & comics

ATLANTA STARCON & COMICS?

Yes, ATLANTA STARCON & COMICS was a one-time show from the former Atlanta Fantasy Fair organizers. After the disappointing 1995 show, the administrators ditched the AFF brand and replaced it with a new convention featuring a wide slate of guests from Hollywood, the comics industry, the martial-arts stars of the WMAC MASTERS, and the usual costume contests, video rooms, gaming, con suites, panels, art shows, and dealers.

I did not attend this show because it was held on the same weekend as the second Anime Weekend Atlanta. As it turned out the second AWA was a total success and the convention is still rockin' it after seventeen years. How did Atlanta Starcon & Comics go? I don't know.

I was told that the dealers were packing up on Saturday afternoon, which doesn't bode well for any show. First year conventions, even if they have a staff pedigree stretching back for years, are always a tough sell. This was the last attempt by the former AFF administration to keep a yearly show alive in the face of both Dragoncon and public indifference.

Note the hotel, the Marriott North Central - Dixie-Trek had already been there a few times and AWA would move in for its next two shows. But Atlanta Starcon & Comics would vanish into the mists of the '90s.

Dragon-Con 1989

Dragon-Con, or Dragon*Con as it likes to be known, is now the big dog in the Atlanta fandom scene, a permanent fixture on the calendar not only of the nerd world but of the city at large, with media attention, parades, traffic congestion, and the kinds of  inexperienced-with-the-big-city crowds that make grifters, scam artists and panhandlers salivate from as far away as Warner-Robins or perhaps Waleska. But at one time it was just the new kid on the fan convention block, and this is what their advertising looked like at that embryonic stage.

I've often thought of the growth of Dragon-Con and the concomitant shrinkage of the AFF / Dixie-Trek as emblematic of a paradigm shift among Atlanta's fan community - the older Trekkie/Whovian fan power structure being replaced by a younger crowd more interested in D&D, fantasy, and Bettie Page Look-A-Like contests. And sure, I probably think about this too much.

Dragoncon started in 1987 and quickly swelled in attendance to match that of the AFF. Dragoncon's administration has freely admitted inflating their attendance figures in the early days, but it's the truth, that was one crowded show. By 1989 they were infringing upon AFF's turf, which was the Omni / World Congress Center downtown.

I'm pretty sure I went to this show and wandered around all weekend without a badge, setting a Dragoncon tradition that many thousands would repeat over the years. I'm not a gamer, not a fan of fantasy or horror movies, so there really wasn't much for me to do at the show other than gawk at the nerds. Again, a tradition many thousands would repeat over the years.

Wow, $65 a night for a hotel room in downtown Atlanta! At the Omni! Did the Omni still have the skating rink in 1989? The late 80s saw the transformation of the Omni complex into "CNN Center", when it was an oasis of light and order amidst the wasteland of Marietta Street. Which, thanks to the Olympics and subsequent urban renewal and the construction of a few parks, Coca-Cola Worlds and aquariums, is now tourist central. How things change.

I spent many a fine convention meal at that Chick-Fil-A in the Omni, as well as a fine convention quarter in the Gold Mine arcade. At one point CNN Center had a movie theater that showed first run films AND "Gone With The Wind." Every day.

Whoever had this flyer before me helpfully listed some video room programming, which included Dune, Robocop, Alien, Aliens, three Star Trek movies and the always-entertaining Star Trek Blooper Reel, required by law to be screened at every SF convention forever. Apart from the blooper reel this could very well be USA Cable's schedule for any given weekend.

Ten years can zip by in the blink of an eye and suddenly it's 1998 and Dragon*Con is the Last Con Standing among Atlanta's science-fiction-comics-gaming-movies crowd, presaging the kind of all-embracing pop culture attraction that is now merely called "(Name Of City) Comic Con" and happens everywhere. '98's Dragon*Con had a big squarebound program book with a cover by Roger Dean, hundreds of guests, and dates for Dragon*Cons through 2005.

Dragoncon is still going, in spite of scandals and assault and the baleful eye of the fire inspector. It's become the de facto Nerd Mardi Gras for costumers, fame mongers, gamers, and the newly empowered geek demographic as they parade through downtown in all their Klingon finery and Stormtrooper armor. And they said it couldn't happen here!

Dixie-Trek 1986

Dixie-Trek - which I wrote about extensively here -  was a SF convention held in Atlanta GA throughout the 1980s and half of the 90s. An outgrowth of the Atlanta Star Trek Society, it moved from strict Trek into the larger world of media SF, as its 1986 flyer demonstrates.

I attended the 1986 show mostly because of Peter Davidson; I was not then and never wound up being any kind of Star Trek fan. My memories of the convention include running a fan table promoting our Japanese animation club, filling a car with convention pals for a late night food run, wandering into a room party where BEER was being served (!!) and generally having a good time in the convention environment as an unsupervised teenager. Also note the ubiquitous presence of Brad Strickland.

Films at the convention were 16mm prints run off a clackety projector. These included, of course, the Star Trek Blooper Reel, which was a highlight of conventions since in the pre-VHS days conventions were the only place you could see them. Of course you couldn't get Dr. Who episodes on 16mm so the convention used their ten-foot video projection screen. Remember those three-lens RGB projectors?

The world of Japanese animation was only then beginning to carve out a foothold among the Trekkies and Whovians of the world, and I can assure you that every bit of anime shown at this Dixie-Trek was copies of copies of copies of Project A-Ko and the Macross movie. Advance tickets were only $22, which was probably a lot back in 1986, but these days is pretty much what you'd pay for an advance ticket at a comparable show. Though these days you will probably get gouged for autographs, priority seating, and "VIP Access". Note the Century Center was charging $59 a night. You can't get a Super-8 room for that price any more.

Dixie-Trek faded away in the mid 1990s as Atlanta fan conventions crumbled under the onslaught of Dragon-Con; the Trekkies of the 70s and 80s found themselves with kids, jobs, and no time for filking, while the new fandom of the 1990s wouldn't be caught dead getting Billy Mumy's autograph, instead preferring to play video games and get Todd McFarlane's autograph.

"Dixie-Trek" was also used as the name of a sci-fi convention in Mississippi attended by a character on the TV show "Big Bang Theory". Somebody owes Owen Ogletree some royalties, is all I'm saying.

AWA would hold its third and fourth conventions at the Century Center, which is now a Marriott property and seems to have undergone a complete makeover. If you are planning a 900-1200 person event I highly recommend the Century Center; lots of good memories there.

Overview: the 1990s

Okay, so there was this convention in Atlanta called the Atlanta Fantasy Fair, and according to the internets it might as well not have existed. But exist it did, from 1975 until 1995. The following is an incomplete overview of the AFFs of the 1990s, when and where they were held, and who was there. Information has been culled from various sources including AFF program books, convention listings, usenet posts, and comments from readers. I will keep updating this post as more information comes in. If you have any data, image files of flyers or artwork, t-shirts, program books, please contact me at terebifunhouse@gmail.com.

Thanks to all those who have contributed!

1990 Atlanta Fantasy Fair XVI
August 17-19, 1990
Omni Hotel & World Congress Center
Guests: Jack Kirby, John deLancie, Sandahl Bergman, Catherine Hicks, Julie Schwartz, Sharon Green, Linda Thorson, Martin Caidin, Greg Theakston, Boris Vallejo, and Carl Macek.

1991 Atlanta Fantasy Fair XVII
July 26-28, 1991
Atlanta Hilton & Towers
Guests: Marina Sirtis, Dean Stockwell, Marc Singer, Matt Wagner, Julie Schwartz, Greg Bear. Sneak preview of "Beastmaster 2". Costume Contest, "Wheel Of Fantasy". 

1992 Atlanta Fantasy Fair XVIII 
June 19-21 1992

Hyatt Atlanta Airport & Georgia International Convention Center
Guests: Peter David, Bob Burden, Stephen R. Donaldson, Kim Cattrall, Lance Henrikson (cancelled) 

1993 Atlanta Fantasy Fair XIX 
June 25-27 1993

Hyatt Atlanta Airport & Georgia International Convention Center
Guests: David Prowse, Grace Lee Whitney, Caroline Munro, Monique Gabrielle, Jeff Rector, Gunnar Hanson, Irish McCalla. 
Memberships: $27 until 6/5, $30 at door.

1994 Atlanta Fantasy Fair XX
June 17-19, 1994

Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, Atlanta GA. 
Guests: Sarah Douglas, Bruce Campbell, Jeff Rector, Geraint Wyn Davies, John Russo, Ted V. Mikels. 
Memberships: $27 until June 5, $30 at door. Rooms $79 single/double, $99 triple/quad.

1995 Atlanta Fantasy Fair XXI, June 23-25

Castlegate Hotel, Atlanta GA.
Guests: Claudia Christian, Dirk Benedict, Dwight Schultz, Jeff Pittarelli, Don Hillsman II, Wayne VanSant, Joe Phillips. 
Memberships $35 for 3 days. Rooms $69.

So, as we can see, the convention went from being Atlanta's premier SF/Fantasy gathering with top-notch guests and venues (Stan Lee, Al Williamson, Jim Steranko, Ray Harryhausen, the Omni, the Hilton) to a confused mish-mash of scream queens, airbrush artists, and B-movie personalities, operating out of the Castlegate (!). More information about the Castlegate may be found here.

overview: the 1980s

Okay, so there was this convention in Atlanta called the Atlanta Fantasy Fair, and according to the internets it might as well not have existed. But exist it did, from 1975 until 1995. The following is an incomplete overview of the AFFs of the 1980s, when and where they were held, and who was there. Information has been culled from various sources including AFF program books, convention listings, usenet posts, and comments from readers. I will keep updating this post as more information comes in. If you have any data, image files of flyers or artwork, t-shirts, program books, please contact me at terebifunhouse@gmail.com.
Thanks to all those who have contributed!

1980 Atlanta Fantasy Fair VI
July 25-27, 1980

Location: Dunfey's Royal Coach 
Guests: Robert Bloch

Visions #2 published.

Gil Kane was due at 80 show, but didn't make it. Robert Bloch, however was there. They showed his 3 STOS episodes prior to/in conjunction with his presentation. (T. Johnson)

1981 Atlanta Fantasy Fair VII
July 24-26, 1981

Location: Dunfey's Royal Coach / Castlegate.

Guests: Al Williamson, Michael Whelan, Bob Burden, Mike Jittlov? Visions #3 published.

1982 Atlanta Fantasy Fair VIII
August 13-15

Omni Hotel & World Congress Center, Atlanta GA

Guests: Frank Miller, Ray Harryhausen, Will Eisner, Philip Jose Farmer, Forrest J. Ackerman, Bob Burden, Mike Barr, Dick Giordano, Brad Linaweaver, Somtow Sucharitkul, Len Wein, musical guests "Axis". 4000 copies of program book (Visions #4) published.

1983 Atlanta Fantasy Fair IX
August 5-7

Omni Hotel & Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta GA. Guests: Theodore & Jayne Sturgeon, Gerald Page, WSFAns Ted White & Forrest J Ackerman, Bob Burden, Forry Ackerman, Bob McLeod, Wendy and Richard Pini& more. Rooms were $44 a night, 3 day passes were $19.

1984 Atlanta Fantasy Fair X
August 3-5

Omni Hotel & World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA. GOH: Larry Niven. With: Forrest J Ackerman, Robert Bloch, Al Williamson, Marv Wolfman, Bill Sienkiewicz , Howard Chaykin, Chris Claremont, Sharon Webb, Richard Pini & others. Membership: $25. Write to: Atlanta Fantasy Fair. P.O. Box 566, Marietta, GA 30061

"Not only saw Buckaroo Banzai, but I have a real polyester Buckaroo Banzai headband given out as a freebie at the Atlanta Fantasy Fair in the summer of 1984. I wonder if anyone's insane enouW^W^W^^W what it would go for on Ebay? (jackd) "

1985 Atlanta Fantasy Fair XI
August 2-4, 1985

Omni/WCC. Newt Gingrich and Fredrick Pohl are guests.

1986 Atlanta Fantasy Fair XII
July 25-27, 1986

Omni/WCC.

I attended the 1985 and 1986 AFF.(...) But for the 1986 one, Stan Lee was there with a clip from the upcoming monster hit movie "Howard The Duck". It was a big deal at the time. Other guests for the 1986 AFF were Jim Shooter, Chris Claremont, Archie Goodwin and Tom DeFalco. (J. Helmick)

1987 Atlanta Fantasy Fair XIII
July 31-August 2, 1987
Guests: Adam West, Nichelle Nichols, Caroline Munroe, Tom Savini

Omni /WCC. Lamar Waldron displaced as con chair before the 1987 convention.

1988 Atlanta Fantasy Fair XVI
June 24-26, 1988

Atlanta Hilton & Towers in Atlanta, GA. Convention location displaced due to Democratic National Convention in Atlanta. Guests: Stan Lee, Mark Gruenwald, Chris Claremont, Steve Jackson and others.

1989 Atlanta Fantasy Fair XV
July 21-23 1989

Atlanta Hilton and Towers, Atlanta, GA.
Guests: George Perez, Michael Dorn, Jerry Robinson, Gary Gygax

enjoy a psychic adventure at AFF '89

overview: the 1970s

Okay, so there was this convention in Atlanta called the Atlanta Fantasy Fair, and according to the internets it might as well not have existed. But exist it did, from 1975 until 1995. The following is an incomplete overview of the Atlanta Fantasy Fairs 1975-1979, when and where they were held, and who was there. Information has been culled from various sources including AFF program books, convention listings, usenet posts, and comments from readers.

I will keep updating this post as more information comes in. If you have any data, image files of flyers or artwork, t-shirts, program books, please contact me at terebifunhouse@gmail.com

Thanks to all those who have contributed!

1975 Atlanta Comics And Fantasy Fair I
August 22-24, 1975

Ramada Inn, I-85 and Monroe Drive
attendance 500 (?)

"At the first Atlanta Fantasy Fair in 1975, the guests were Stan Lee, Kenneth Smith, and me, with my Superman collection." M. Curtis  Mike emailed me later to correct his name and to note that he sketched on stage while Stan Lee came out dressed as Superman, infringing upon any number of copyrights.

Listen to a WAGA radio news report about the first AFF here! (thanks to Don)

poster for the first Atlanta Comics & Fantasy Fair

1976 Atlanta Comics And Fantasy Fair II

August 13-15 1976
Location: Marriott Downtown

Guests: Frank Brunner, Steve Gerber, Dick Giordano, and Kenneth Smith

1977 Atlanta Comics And Fantasy Fair III

August 5-7, 1977
Location: Dunfey's Royal Coach (Castlegate)

Guests: Neal Adams, Kenneth Smith

There was the CONAN van, parked INSIDE for I think the 77 show at the Dunfey/Castlegate. (T. Johnson)

Dr. Smith was a guest at all of them up until 1988 or so I believe. He quit coming after he tried to intervene in a very loud and childish argument that some gamers were having while he was trying to give a seminar on techniques. On of the gamers viciously insulted him, and he's never been back to an Atlanta con since.("billy goat")

1978 Atlanta Comics And Fantasy Fair IV.

August 11-13 1978
Location Dunfey's Royal Coach (Castlegate).

Guests: Stan Lee, Jim Starlin, Howard Chaykin, Jim Steranko

1978, first convention: Atlanta Comics & Fantasy Fair. Stan Lee, Starlin, Chaykin, Steranko. For some weird reason, Robert Conrad was hanging around the lobby on Saturday night.

1979 Atlanta Comics And  Fantasy Fair V.
August 10-12, 1979

Location:  Sheraton Century Center.
attendance 1800 (?)

Guests: John Byrne, Dave and Deni Sim, Howard Chaykin, Jim Steranko, Gil Kane, Kenneth Smith, Richard Meyers

"In 1979 Deni and I had the table next to John Byrne at the Atlanta Fantasy Fair and we made a fortune on back issues and sketches... " (Dave Sim) Visions #1 was published.