Detroit Triple Fan Fair facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Detroit Triple Fan Fair |
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Shel Dorf's design for the DTFF logo.
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| Status | Defunct |
| Genre | Comics, fantasy books, and science fiction movies |
| Venue | Pick-Fort Shelby Hotel (1968, 1972, 1973) Howard Johnson's New Center Motor Lodge (1969–1970) Detroit Hilton (1973–1974) |
| Location(s) | Detroit, Michigan |
| Country | United States |
| Inaugurated | 1965 |
| Most recent | 1977 |
| Organized by | Detroit Triple Fan Fair Productions |
| Filing status | Nonprofit |
The Detroit Triple Fan Fair (DTFF) was a big gathering held every year in Detroit, Michigan. It ran from 1965 to 1977. This event was special because it was one of the first regular conventions to focus on comic books.
The Triple Fan Fair also showed classic movies and celebrated science fiction books. It set an example for many future conventions. It brought together fans of comics, movies, and books all in one place. Besides typical convention activities like a dealer room (where you could buy things) and talks, the DTFF had a costume contest. They also showed "films till dawn," meaning movies played all night long! From 1967 to 1969, they gave out the Nova Award to special guests. Later, they even had a contest for amateur filmmakers.
History
In 1964, two teenagers, Robert Brosch and Dave Szurek, organized a small convention in Detroit. About 80 comic book fans attended. Jerry Bails, often called the "father of comics fandom," helped organize it.
The next year, Jerry Bails and local comics fan Shel Dorf took over. They named the event the Detroit Triple Fan Fair. The "Triple" part meant it covered fantasy literature, fantasy films, and comic art. They planned it as an annual event, though no show happened in 1966.
The first official DTFF was on July 24–25, 1965. It took place at the Embassy Hotel in Detroit. They showed old movies like Lon Chaney's Phantom of the Opera. A ticket for both days cost $2.00.
Many young comic book artists and writers came to these early events. Some even helped organize the show each year. For example, Carl Lundgren was only 18 when he helped lead the 1965 DTFF. Rich Buckler also attended as a teenager and later helped run things. Many famous comic creators from Detroit, like Jim Starlin and Al Milgrom, visited the shows. The convention became so well-known that other professionals would show up without being officially announced.
At the 1969 show, they screened classic Boris Karloff films like The Mummy and Frankenstein. Letterer Ken Bruzenak attended and met his hero Jim Steranko. He also met Howard Chaykin for the first time.
One of the co-founders, Shel Dorf, moved to California in 1969. There, he soon started what became the huge San Diego Comic-Con.
The 1970 show was organized by Rich Buckler and Robert Brosch. It lasted five days and shared events with "Dum-Dum '70," a convention for fans of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Guests included famous writers and artists like Jim Steranko and Philip José Farmer. They had talks about topics like the future of comics. The dealer room was called the "Huckster Room." Movies played all night, and there was a costume party with prizes. Many attendees at the 1970 DTFF later became comic book professionals themselves.
No DTFF was held in 1971. Some Detroit fans worried it would disappear. So, in 1972, they organized the Detroit Tri-Con. It was held in August at the Pick-Fort Shelby Hotel. Famous guests included Gray Morrow and Lin Carter. They showed classic films like Metropolis and The Thief of Bagdad.
Greg Theakston became a big part of the DTFF after Shel Dorf left. He owned the convention from 1973 until it ended in 1978. To show the Triple Fan Fair was still active, Theakston held a DTFF in October 1972. This show was shared with a Star Trek convention. Guests included Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and actress Majel Barrett, plus comic artist Neal Adams. "Films till dawn" included classic horror movies like The Invisible Man and Dracula. They also showed many Star Trek episodes. Admission was $4 each day.
One of Theakston's first actions as owner was to hold two shows in 1973. One was in May, and the other in October. The May show featured "films all night," including seven Marx Brothers movies. Chuck Rozanski, who later became a big comic book seller, hitchhiked to Detroit for the May DTFF. He slept at Jerry Bails' home and sold comics at the show. He turned 50 valuable comics into over 2,000 comics and made more than $400.
The October 1973 show featured artists like Barry Windsor-Smith and Michael Kaluta. It also had a contest for amateur films and an annual costume party with a $100 prize. "Films till dawn" included Warner Bros. cartoons and Amos 'n' Andy episodes.
In 1974, the DTFF was considered the biggest fan convention in the Midwest. The 1974 event had an art exhibit, an amateur film contest, and a costume party with a $150 prize. Artist Michael Netzer met Neal Adams at this show. Adams was impressed and invited Netzer to join his art studio.
By the mid-to-late 1970s, many Detroit creators who helped with the show had moved to New York City. They went to work for big comic companies like Marvel and DC. The DTFF continued off and on through the 1970s. There was no show in 1975. The final Triple Fan Fair was in 1977 at the Hilton in Troy, Michigan. This last event was called the "Detroit Triple Fan Fair (in Exile)." Guests included Chuck Jones (a famous cartoonist) and special effects legend Ray Harryhausen. They screened Harryhausen's movies like It Came from Beneath the Sea.
Legacy
The Detroit Triple Fan Fair left a lasting impact on comic conventions. From 1984 to 1986, a local student named Gary Reed ran a convention called King Kon. Then, in 1989, comic book seller Michael Goldman started the Motor City Comic Con. This convention still happens every year today.
Another event, the Detroit Fanfare, started in 2010. It openly said it was inspired by the Detroit Triple Fan Fair. They said:
- Detroit has a strong connection with comic conventions.
- The Detroit Triple Fan Fair was the first of its kind.
- Detroit Fanfare was proud to bring back people who helped the comic industry grow.
- They would have talks where these pioneers could share memories and rare pictures.
The Detroit Fanfare also gave out "Shel Dorf Awards," honoring one of the DTFF's founders. The Detroit Fanfare stopped after its 2012 convention.
Dates and locations
| # | Dates | Venue | Organizer | Official guests | "Films till dawn" | Notes |
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| 0 | May 24, 1964 | Hotel Tuller | Robert Brosch with Dave Szurek | None | '"Detroit Science Fiction Comic Book Convention"'; this was before the official DTFF; about 80 people attended | |
| 1 | July 24–25, 1965 | Embassy Hotel | Jerry Bails, Shel Dorf, Carl Lundgren | None | Phantom of the Opera (1925 movie) | First "official" DTFF; more than a dozen comic sellers; 150 people attended; $2 at the door |
| 2 | June 17–18, 1967 | Park Shelton Hotel | Marvin S. Giles, with Robert Brosch | Roger Zelazny (Guest of Honor), Robert Taylor | Second official DTFF; the first Nova Award was given out | |
| 3 | June 15–16, 1968 | Pick-Fort Shelby Hotel | Shel Dorf | Harlan Ellison (Guest of Honor) | About 175 people attended | |
| 4 | June 7–8, 1969 | Howard Johnson's Downtown Motor Inn | Hal Shapiro with George Young and Rich Buckler | Al Williamson (Guest of Honor), Leigh Brackett, Edmond Hamilton, Stan Lee, and; other guests: Jim Steranko and Howard Chaykin | The Mummy (1932 film), Frankenstein (1931 film), The Bells (1931 film), The Big Sleep (1946 film) | Young Ken Bruzenak and Tom Orzechowski attended |
| 5 | September 3–7, 1970 | Howard Johnson's New Center Motor Lodge | Rich Buckler and Robert Brosch | Jim Steranko (Guest of Honor) and Philip José Farmer (Dum-Dum Guest of Honor), Algis Budrys | Shared event with Dum-Dum '70 (for Edgar Rice Burroughs fans); 225 people registered | |
| 6 | May 1972 | Robert Brosch with Greg Theakston | Russ Heath (Guest of Honor) | |||
| 7 | October 19–22, 1972 | Pick-Fort Shelby Hotel | Robert Brosch with Greg Theakston and Lawrence Gibson Jr. | Neal Adams, Jim Steranko, Vaughn Bodé, Jeff Jones (all four are Comic Book Guests of Honor); Star Trek guests Gene Roddenberry, Majel Barrett, James Doohan and D.C. Fontana; Bud Plant, Dale Manesis, Jerry Bails, Phil Seuling, | The Adventures of Robin Hood, Forbidden Planet, The Invisible Man, Dracula, Frankenstein (1931 film), Bride of Frankenstein, Five Million Years to Earth Horror of Dracula, The Brides of Dracula, The Devil's Bride, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Planet of the Apes (1968 film), Night of the Living Dead ("all choice cuts"), Duck Soup, A Day at the Races, At the Circus, Horsefeathers, Island of Lost Souls, First Men in the Moon (1964 film), Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, The Maltese Falcon (1941 film), 12 Star Trek Original Series episodes | Shared event with Al Schuster's Star Trek Convention |
| 8 | May 25–28, 1973 | Pick-Fort Shelby Hotel | Robert Brosch with Greg Theakston | Jerry Bails | Friday: Go West, The Big Store, Duck Soup (1933 film), Horror of Dracula, Night of the Living Dead, Mad Love, Mystery of the Wax Museum. Saturday: Animal Crackers (1930 film), Monkey Business (1931 film), The Cocoanuts. Sunday: Planet of the Apes (1968 film), On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Silent Running, The Day the Earth Stood Still, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Andromeda Strain. | Memorial Day weekend; $4 at the door |
| 9 | October 18–21, 1973 | Detroit Hilton | Robert Brosch with Greg Theakston and Carl Friedlander | Barry Windsor-Smith, Michael Kaluta, George A. Romero, and Russ Heath | Thursday: Play Misty for Me The Loved One, Casablanca, Play It Again, Sam, Animal Crackers (1930 film), A Night at the Opera, The Graduate. Friday: 10 Warner Bros. cartoons, 6 Amos 'n' Andy episodes, Goldfinger, From Russia with Love, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Night of the Living Dead, The Wild Bunch. Saturday: 10 Warner Bros. cartoons, This Island Earth, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Forbidden Planet, The Time Machine (1960 film), The War of the Worlds (1953 film). | Second show of 1973; 17-year-old Canadian comics fan Dave Sim attended |
| 10 | October 10–13, 1974 | Detroit Hilton | Robert Brosch with Greg Theakston and Carl Friedlander | Carmine Infantino, Stan Lee, James Warren (all three are Guests of Honor) and Jim Steranko ("Master of Ceremonies"); other guests include Alan Ormsby, Rich Buckler, Keith Pollard, Arvell Jones, Neal Adams, Jim Starlin, and Al Milgrom | Thursday: Island of Lost Souls, 3 Amos 'n' Andy episodes, Jack the Giant Killer, Forbidden Planet, Night of the Living Dead, Evil Brain from Outer Space. Friday: 3 Amos 'n' Andy episodes, For a Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Where Eagles Dare, Plan 9 from Outer Space. Saturday: Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things, Deranged, Count Dracula, The Wizard of Oz, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Journey to the Center of the Earth. | Known as "DTFF 10"; $1.50 per day admission at the door |
| 11 | October 1976 | Book-Cadillac Hotel, Detroit | Greg Theakston with Carl Lundgren | Joe Kubert (Guest of Honor), Jerry Bails (Fan Guest of Honor) | The program included "a history of the Detroit Triple Fan Fair" | |
| 12 | May 28–30, 1977 | Troy Hilton | Greg Theakston | Ray Harryhausen (Guest of Honor), Charles H. Schneer | It Came from Beneath the Sea, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger | |
| 13 | October, 1977 | Troy Hilton | Greg Theakston | Chuck Jones (Guest of Honor) | Called itself the "Detroit Triple Fan Fair (in Exile)" |
Nova Awards
The Nova Award was created by Jack Promo and Marvin S. Giles. It was first given out in 1967 to honor people who made great contributions to science fiction and fantasy.
- 1967 Roger Zelazny
- 1968 Harlan Ellison
- 1969 Al Williamson
Program booklets
The DTFF created special program booklets for each convention. These often featured amazing art by famous artists.
- 1965 DTFF #1 program cover designed by Shel Dorf
- 1967 DTFF #2 program cover used Jack Kirby art from Fantastic Four Annual #3
- 1968 DTFF #3 program cover by Rich Buckler showing Flash Gordon
- 1969 DTFF #4 program cover by Jack Kirby showing Loki
- 1970 DTFF #5 program cover by Jim Steranko, with art inside by Neal Adams and Bernie Wrightson. This booklet was dedicated to Jack Kirby.
- 1972 May DTFF #6 program cover by Russ Heath
- 1972 October DTFF #7 program cover by Neal Adams, featuring Batman, Deadman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and the Starship Enterprise
- 1973 May DTFF #8
- 1973 October DTFF #9 program cover illustration of Conan by Barry Windsor-Smith
- 1974 DTFF #10 program cover illustration of The Spirit by Will Eisner
- 1976 DTFF #11 program cover by Joe Kubert of Tarzan
- 1977 May DTFF #12 program cover with artwork of a Troglodyte from Ray Harryhausen's Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger
- 1977 October DTFF #13 program cover by Chuck Jones
Progress reports
The DTFF also published "progress reports" in some years (1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974). These reports gave updates about the upcoming conventions. They sometimes had cool cover illustrations by artists like Al Williamson, Frank Frazetta, and Neal Adams.
