Comix Fair was a

comic convention A comic book convention or comic-con is an event with a primary focus on comic books and comic book culture, in which comic book fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other. Commonly, comic conventions are multi-day events hosted at co ...

that was held annually between

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...

and 1996 in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

. It was produced by the Houston-based company Utopia Entertainment. Comix Fairs usually took place over two days in the summer, from Saturday to Sunday. The convention featured a large range of pop culture elements, primarily comic books and toys,"Comix Fair has toys for all ages," ''Houston Chronicle'' (17 June 1989), p. 1. but also television serials,

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

/fantasy, film/television, animation, and horror. Along with panels, seminars, and workshops with comic book professionals, the convention featured a large floorspace for exhibitors, including comic book dealers and

collectibles A collectable (collectible or collector's item) is any object regarded as being of value or interest to a collector. Collectable items are not necessarily monetarily valuable or uncommon. There are numerous types of collectables and terms t ...

merchants. The show included an autograph area, as well as an Artists' Alley where comics artists signed autographs and drew sketches. ''

Tank McNamara ''Tank McNamara'' is a daily syndicated comic strip written and illustrated by Bill Hinds. The strip debuted on August 5, 1974, with Jeff Millar as writer and Hinds as illustrator. Hinds took over writing after the death of Millar in late Novem ...

'' creators

Jeff Millar Jeffery Lynn Millar (July 10, 1942 – November 30, 2012) was an American comic strip writer and film critic Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium. In general, film criticism can be divided into two categ ...

and

Bill Hinds Bill Hinds (born April 21, 1950, in Houston, Texas) is an American sports cartoonist, whose work includes the sports cartoon feature ''Buzz Beamer'', and the syndicated comic strips ''Cleats'' and ''Tank McNamara''.Parks, Louis B"The man behind ...

, both based in the Houston area, were occasional guests of the show.

History

Comix Fair followed but was unaffiliated with

Houstoncon Houstoncon was an annual multi-genre fan convention which was held between 1967 and 1982 in Houston, Texas. The founders of Houstoncon were Roy Bonario and Marc Schooley; Houston area entrepreneur Ed Blair, Jr. was also a key member of the organi ...

, a large multi-genre convention which took place annually in Houston from 1967–1982. The final Houstoncon, billed as "Ultimate Fantasy," was a fiasco;Rouner, Jef
"Comicpalooza: How Houston's Comics Convention Came Back from the Dead to Become One of the Best in the Country,"
''Houston Press'' (June 12, 2014.) Comix Fair was much smaller in scale and, unlike Houstoncon, returned its focus primarily to comic books. The first Comix Fair was held in the summer of 1983, from July 29 to 31, at the Ramada Hotel West, following Utopia's Planetcon at the Marriott Brookhollow in October 1982. An impressive guest lineup included media personalities Terrence Dicks and

Bill Mumy Charles William Mumy Jr. (; born February 1, 1954) is an American actor, writer, and musician and a figure in the science-fiction community/comic book fandom. He came to prominence in the 1960s as a child actor, which included television appeara ...

, and comics creators

Jim Shooter James Shooter (born September 27, 1951) is an American writer, editor and publisher for various comic books. He started professionally in the medium at the age of 14, and he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comic ...

Steve Englehart Steve Englehart (; born April 22, 1947) is an American writer of comic books and novels. He is best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s and 1980s. His pseudonyms have included John Harkness and Cliff Garnett. Early lif ...

, Chris Claremont, Paul Smith,

Kerry Gammill Kerry Gammill (born April 26, 1954) is an American artist who has worked in the fields of comic books, special effects, storyboards, and character designs. As a comic book artist, he is best known for his work on ''Power Man and Iron Fist'' ...

, Ernie Chan,

Josef Rubinstein Josef "Joe" Rubinstein (born 4 June 1958) is a comic book artist and inker, most associated with inking Marvel Comics' '' The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe'' and the 1982 four-issue ''Wolverine'' miniseries by Chris Claremont and Frank ...

, Sam De La Rosa,

Dick Giordano Richard Joseph Giordano (; July 20, 1932 – March 27, 2010) was an American comics artist and editor whose career included introducing Charlton Comics' "Action Heroes" stable of superheroes and serving as executive editor of DC Comics. Early ...

Sal Amendola Sal Amendola (born 1948, in Italy) is an Italian American comics artist and teacher primarily known for his association with DC Comics. Career Sal Amendola graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 1969 with the school’s then offered 3-year ...

Marv Wolfman Marvin Arthur Wolfman (born May 13, 1946) is an American comic book and novelization writer. He worked on Marvel Comics's '' The Tomb of Dracula'', for which he and artist Gene Colan created the vampire-slayer Blade, and DC Comics's ''The New Te ...

, Len Wein, Mike W. Barr,

P. Craig Russell Philip Craig Russell (born October 30, 1951) is an American comics artist, writer, and illustrator. His work has won multiple Harvey and Eisner Awards. Russell was the first mainstream comic book creator to come out as openly gay. Biography ...

, Rick Obadiah,

Mike Grell Mike Grell (born September 13, 1947) is an American comic book writer and artist, known for his work on books such as '' Green Lantern/Green Arrow'', '' The Warlord'', and '' Jon Sable Freelance''. Early life Grell studied at the University of ...

, Mark Wheatley &

Marc Hempel Marc Hempel (born May 25, 1957) is an American cartoonist/comics artist best known for his work on '' The Sandman'' with Neil Gaiman. Biography Writer and artist Marc Hempel grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and now lives in Baltimo ...

Dave Dave may refer to: Film, television, and theater * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film * Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...

& Deni Sim,

Cat Yronwode Catherine Anna Yronwode ( née Manfredi; May 12, 1947) is an American writer, editor, graphic designer, typesetter, and publisher with an extensive career in the comic book industry. She is also a practitioner of folk magic. Early life Catherine ...

, Dean Mullaney,

Max Allan Collins Max Allan Collins (born March 3, 1948) is an American mystery writer, noted for his graphic novels. His work has been published in several formats and his '' Road to Perdition'' series was the basis for a film of the same name. He wrote the ''Di ...

Terry Beatty Terry Beatty (born January 11, 1958''Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; Page 107) is an artist who has worked as a penciler and inker in the American comic book industry, where he is perhaps best known for his co-creation of the fema ...

John Carbonaro JC Comics (also known as JC Productions) was a comic book company primarily involved with the post- Silver Age iteration of the characters the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. JC Comics was owned by John Carbonaro (Sept. 30, 1951 – Feb. 25, 2009). Hist ...

Jaxon Jaxon may refer to: *Jaxon (name), given name and surname (including a list of people with the name) *Jaxon (cartoonist), American cartoonist, illustrator, historian, and writer *Jaxon (musician) (David Jackson, born 1947), English progressive ro ...

, and Jerry Bittle. The convention program featured the

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents ''T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents'' is a fictional team of superheroes that appeared in comic books originally published by Tower Comics in the 1960s. They were an arm of the United Nations and were notable for their depiction of the heroes as everyday pe ...

characters NoMan and

Dynamo "Dynamo Electric Machine" (end view, partly section, ) A dynamo is an electrical generator that creates direct current using a commutator. Dynamos were the first electrical generators capable of delivering power for industry, and the foundati ...

(the most recent appearance of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents had been published by Texas Comics).

Dave Stevens Dave Lee Stevens (July 29, 1955 – March 11, 2008) was an American illustrator and comics artist. He was most famous for creating ''Rocketeer, The Rocketeer'' comic book and film character, and for his pin-up style "glamour art" illustrations, ...

was a guest of the 1984 edition of the Comix Fair. The fourth annual Comix Fair was held August 22–23, 1986, at the Brookhollow Marriott. Official guests included

Gary Groth Gary Groth (born September 18, 1954) is an American comic book editor, publisher and critic. He is editor-in-chief of ''The Comics Journal'', a co-founder of Fantagraphics Books, and founder of the Harvey Awards. Early life Groth is the son of ...

Gil Kane Gil Kane (; born Eli Katz ; April 6, 1926 – January 31, 2000) was a Latvian-born American comics artist whose career spanned the 1940s to the 1990s and virtually every major comics company and character. Kane co-created the modern-day versio ...

Joe Pumilia Joe or JOE may refer to: Arts Film and television * Joe (1970 film), ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle * Joe (2013 film), ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage * Joe (TV series), ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from ...

, and Doug Potter. Comix Fair VI was held June 24–26, 1988, at the Ramada Hotel Southwest. Featured guests were

Sergio Aragonés Sergio Aragonés Domenech ( , ; born September 6, 1937) is a Spanish/Mexican cartoonist and writer best known for his contributions to '' Mad'' magazine and creating the comic book '' Groo the Wanderer''. Among his peers and fans, Aragonés is ...

, Kim DeMulder,

Mike Leeke Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...

, and

William Messner-Loebs William Francis Messner-Loebs (; born William Francis Loebs, Jr., February 19, 1949) is an American comics artist and writer from Michigan, also known as Bill Loebs and Bill Messner-Loebs. His hyphenated surname is a combination of his and his wif ...

. The seventh annual Comix Fair took place June 16–17, 1989, at the Ramada Hotel Southwest."Victoria Artist Due at Fair,"
''

The Victoria Advocate ''The Victoria Advocate'' is a daily newspaper independently published in Victoria, Texas. It is the second-oldest paper in Texas and the oldest west of the Colorado River, dating back to May 8, 1846, following the Battle of Palo Alto during the ...

'' (June 15, 1989). Guests included John Romita, Jr.,

Bob Layton Bob Layton (born 1953) is an American comic book artist, writer, and editor. He is best known for his work on Marvel Comics titles such as '' Iron Man'' and ''Hercules'', and for co-founding Valiant Comics with Jim Shooter. Early life Bob Layt ...

, Tim Vigil, and

Doug Hazlewood Doug Hazlewood (born September 20, 1954) is an American comic book artist, known primarily for inking. Hazlewood has primarily worked for DC Comics during his career, often partnering with pencilers Tom Grummett and Nicola Scott, and he occupies a ...

. Comix Fair VIII was held August 4–5, 1990, at the Holiday Inn—Medical Center; guests were

, and

. The 1991 Comix Fair expanded to three days, taking place June 21–23 at the Holiday Inn—Medical Center. Guests included

Russ Heath Russell Heath Jr. (September 29, 1926 – August 23, 2018), was an American artist best known for his comic book work, particularly his DC Comics war stories and his 1960s art for ''Playboy'' magazine's "Little Annie Fanny" feature. He also prod ...

Nestor Redondo Nestor P. Redondo (May 4, 1928 – December 30, 1995)Nestor P. Redondo
at the

, and

Rick Klaw Richard Ira "Rick" Klaw (born December 22, 1967 in Brooklyn, New York), is an American editor, essayist, and bookseller. Biography Rick Klaw is the paternal grandson of Irving Klaw, the photographer and film maker most noted for his bondage photo ...

. The fourteenth and final show, officially known as the "Houston Comix Fair & Toy Show," was held June 2, 1996, at the Medallion Hotel."Book events," ''Houston Chronicle'' (02 June 1996), p. 20. Guests included Mart Nodell and

Shannon Wheeler Shannon Wheeler is an American cartoonist, best known as a cartoonist for ''The New Yorker'' and for creating the satirical superhero Too Much Coffee Man. Early life Shannon Wheeler grew up in Berkeley, California, brought up by his mother. His ...

. LepreCon was used as the name for Utopia's annual March shows. By this time, Comix Fair promoter Utopia Entertainment was putting on one-day small-scale shows in the Houston area on a bimonthly basis. Guests at some of these shows included

, Kenneth Smith,

Jimmy Palmiotti James Palmiotti (born August 14, 1961) is an American writer and inker of comic books, who also does writing for games, television and film. Early life Palmiotti attended the High School of Art and Design in New York City. Career Palmiotti sta ...

Amanda Conner Amanda Conner is an American comics artist and commercial art illustrator. She began her career in the late 1980s for Archie Comics and Marvel Comics, before moving on to contribute work for Claypool Comics' '' Soulsearchers and Company'' and Har ...

Mike Wieringo Michael Lance Wieringo (June 24, 1963 – August 12, 2007), who sometimes signed his work under the name Ringo, was an Americans, American comics artist best known for his work on DC Comics' ''The Flash (comic book), The Flash'', Marvel Comics' '' ...

, Jeff Parker,

Brian Stelfreeze Brian Stelfreeze is an American comic book artist. Stelfreeze is a painter, penciller, inker and colorist and has worked for nearly every major American comic book publisher. He is one of the original members of Atlanta's Gaijin Studios. Career ...

Susie Owens Susie Diane Owens (born May 28, 1956) is an American model and businesswoman. She was featured as ''Playboy'' Playmate of the Month for March 1988. From 1988 to 2016, she worked in the perfume business, creating the fragrances Child for women an ...

Bjo Trimble Betty JoAnne Trimble (née Conway; born August 15, 1933), known as Bjo (, ), is an American science fiction fan and writer, initially entering fandom in the early 1950s. Introduction to fandom Trimble's introduction to science fiction fandom ...

Mark Allen Shepherd Mark Allen Shepherd (born January 7, 1961) is an actor, best known for his role as Morn on ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''. He also appeared as Morn (uncredited) in one episode each of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and '' Star Trek: Voyager' ...

, Len Wein,

Jerry Bingham Gerald Joseph Bingham Jr. (born June 25, 1953, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American artist who has worked in the fields of comic books, commercial illustration, and design. He is known for his artwork on ''Marvel Team-Up'' and the DC Comics gra ...

, Mark Schultz,

William Stout William Stout (born September 18, 1949) is an American fantasy artist and illustrator with a specialization in paleontological art. His paintings have been shown in over seventy exhibitions, including twelve one-man shows. He has worked on over ...

Sean Stewart Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; angliciz ...

Marilyn Burns Marilyn Burns (born Mary Lynn Ann Burns; May 7, 1949 – August 5, 2014) was an American actress. Burns was known for playing Sally Hardesty in '' The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'' (1974), which established her as a scream queen and a catalyst ...

, and

Edwin Neal Edwin Neal is an American actor and voice actor, perhaps best known for his role as the hitchhiker in ''The Texas Chain Saw Massacre''. He has been a voice talent and actor for years appearing on screen and off, including three voices in Wii's '' ...

. A 15th Comix Fair was planned for June 22, 1997, at the Holiday Inn Select,Comix Fair page at Utopia Entertainment
(June 17, 1997). Archived at the Wayback Machine. Accessed May 17, 2015. but the promoter (Larry Taylor), who was born with Marfan Syndrome, had to have a second, unexpected heart surgery as a result of that condition, and did not resume organizing conventions. After a subsequent writing career, he died in Seattle in 2014 of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Legacy

After many years of Comix Fair being the only comic convention in Houston, on August 7–8, 1993, the University of Houston hosted the "Houston Comic Book Festival," with official guests Chris Claremont,

Matt Wagner Matt Wagner (born October 9, 1961) is an American comics artist and writer who is best known as the creator of the series '' Mage'' and '' Grendel''. Career Matt Wagner's first published comic book work was '' Comico Primer'' #2 (1982), which w ...

Kelley Jones Kelley Jones (born July 23, 1962) is an American comics artist best known for his work on ''Batman'' with writer Doug Moench and on '' The Sandman'' with writer Neil Gaiman. Early life Kelley Jones was born in Sacramento, California and grew up ...

, Joe St. Pierre,

Evan Dorkin Evan Dorkin (born April 20, 1965) is an American comics artist and cartoonist. His best known works are the comic books ''Milk and Cheese'' and ''Dork''. His comics often poke fun at fandom, even while making it clear that Dorkin is a fan himsel ...

, and

. After Comix Fair's demise in 1996, Houston was devoid of comic conventions until the mid-2000s, when Comicpalooza entered the scene. Since then, the number of Houston-area conventions has exploded, with shows like the Houston Comic Con, Amazing Houston Comic Con, and Space City Comic Con all taking place in the city.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Comix Fair Defunct comics conventions Festivals in Houston Conventions in Texas Recurring events established in 1983 1983 establishments in Texas