Today marks the beginning of this year's San Diego Comic-Con, so how about we look back at the early years of the convention? Before the convention blew up with celebrity guests and big blockbusters, Comic-Con was about, well, comics! A shocking concept, I know. However, the focus wasn't on just comics. Fantasy, sci-fi, and the subject of this blog, cartoons, were all present and accounted for from the very beginning. And because Comic-Con started in the seventies, a lot of the artists and voice actors behind many classic cartoons were still around, and would frequently be guest stars to these conventions. Today, we're going back to those simpler years, and showcasing some of the stars who came to San Diego to talk about toons!
Starting off, we have a woman who needs no introduction, June Foray. Here she is side-by-side with Shel Dorf at the 1973 Comic-Con. Dorf, for those unaware, was one of the founders of SDCC.
From 1976, here's Hanna-Barbera superstar Daws Butler at a table during the convention. The woman to his right is Myrtle Butler, Daws' wife.
Coming from that same Comic-Con is this picture of another voiceover legend, Mel Blanc. According to the caption on this photo from the SDCC website, the girl requested Blanc to give her a performance of Jack Benny's car, to which he obliged.
Jumping forward to 1982, we have a photo of the original Donald Duck voice actor Clarence Nash strolling through the walls of the convention.
Last but most certainly not least, I thought I'd share this CBS news footage of the 1972 Comic-Con, which showcases an interview with Bob Clampett, a Looney Tunes legend if there ever was such a thing. Enjoy the video, and if you happen to be attending SDCC, enjoy the convention as well!
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