The Detroit Triple Fan Fair (DTFF) was a multigenre convention generally held annually in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

from 1965 to 1977. It is credited for being one of the first

comic book 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 ...

s in the United States. The Triple Fan Fair also gave balanced coverage to historic film showings and science fiction literature, in a manner that provided a template for many future convention organizers — most of which have yet to attain the same level of equal service to this sort of linked fan base. In addition to the typical convention features like a dealer room and panel-led discussions, the Detroit Triple Fan Fair featured a costume contest, and "films till dawn" (often running all night long for the convention's duration). From 1967 to at least 1969, the show presented the Nova Award to that year's guest of honor. In later years, the DTFF also sponsored an amateur film contest.

History

On May 24, 1964, at the Hotel Tuller,Duncan, Randy; and Smith, Matthew J. ''The Power of Comics: History, Form and Culture'' (Continuum International Publishing Group, 2009), p. 183. teenagers Robert Brosch and Dave Szurek organized a Detroit-based convention for about 80 fans of the comic book medium.

Jerry Bails Jerry Gwin Bails (June 26, 1933 – November 23, 2006) was an American popular culturist. Known as the "Father of Comic Book Fandom," he was one of the first to approach the comic book field as a subject worthy of academic study, and was a primar ...

, the "father of comics fandom," was on the organizing committee,Schelly, Bill. "Jerry Bails' Ten Building Blocks of Fandom," ''Alter Ego'' Vol. 3, Issue #25 (June 2003), pp. 5-8. along with members of the Michigan Science Fiction Society (the so-called "Misfits.")Cooke, Jon B. "Rich Buckler Breaks Out! The Artist on Deathlok, T'Challa, and Other Marvel Tales," ''Comic Book Artist Collection'', Volume 3 (TwoMorrows Publishing, 2005). The

next year "Next Year" is a song released as the last single from the third Foo Fighters (band), Foo Fighters' album ''There Is Nothing Left to Lose''. History A shorter version (running at just 3:21 compared to the original's 4:36) was released as a s ...

Bails and local comics enthusiast

Shel Dorf Sheldon "Shel" Dorf (July 5, 1933 – November 3, 2009) was an American comic book enthusiast and the founder of San Diego Comic-Con International.Spurgeon, Tom.Shel Dorf, 1933-2009, ''The Comics Reporter'' (self-published), 4 November 2009. Acc ...

took over the event, christening it the Detroit Triple Fan Fair (referring to fantasy literature, fantasy films, and comic art) and organizing it as an annual event (although no show was held in 1966). The board of the initial official Detroit Triple Fan Fair consisted of Bails,

Carl Lundgren Carl Leonard "Lundy" Lundgren (February 16, 1880 – August 21, 1934) was an American baseball and football player and coach. Lundgren played football and baseball for the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign and played eight seasons of ...

, Tom Altschuler, Ed Aprill, Noel Cooper, Gary Crowdus, Howard Devore, Marvin Giles, Dennis Kowicki, Larry Larson, and Eugene Seeger. Robert Brosch, an authority on horror films, also stayed involved with the DTFF in various capacities at least through 1970. The first official DTFF took place July 24–25, 1965, at the Embassy Hotel in Detroit. Film showings included

Lon Chaney Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and affli ...

's ''

Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pier ...

'' and admission charge was $2.00 for both days. In what soon became a trend, aspiring local comic book creators flocked to the early events, and often became involved with organizing the show each year. For instance, the then-18-year-old

was co-chairman of the 1965 DTFF, and

Rich Buckler Rich may refer to: Common uses * Rich, an entity possessing wealth * Rich, an intense flavor, color, sound, texture, or feeling ** Rich (wine), a descriptor in wine tasting Places United States * Rich, Mississippi, an unincorporated comm ...

also attended the initial shows as a teenager, eventually "running things."Callwood, Brett
"Dark stars: How Detroit more than matches Gotham City and Metropolis, all from the minds of comic genius,"
''Metro Times'' (January 5, 2011).

Arvell Jones Arvell Jones (whose earliest work is billed Arvell Malcolm Jones) is an American comics artist best known for his work for Marvel Comics and for DC Comics and its imprint Milestone Media. Biography Jones and his brother, Desmond, were raised i ...

recalls many members of the so-called "Detroit Mob" making appearances at various shows, including Buckler,

Greg Theakston Greg Allen Theakston (November 21, 1953 – April 22, 2019) was an American comics artist and illustrator who worked for numerous publishers. He is known for his independent publications as a comics historian under his Pure Imagination imp ...

Tom Orzechowski Thomas Orzechowski (born March 1, 1953) Miller, John Jackson"Comics Industry Birthdays" ''Comics Buyer's Guide'', June 10, 2005. Accessed December 21, 2010WebCitation archive is a comic book letterer, primarily known for his work on ''Uncanny X-Me ...

Keith Pollard Keith Pollard (; born January 20, 1950) is an American comic book artist. Originally from the Detroit area, Pollard is best known for his simultaneous work on the Marvel Comics titles ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', ''Fantastic Four'', and '' Thor'' ...

Jim Starlin James P. Starlin (born October 9, 1949) is an American comics artist and writer. Beginning his career in the early 1970s, he is best known for space opera stories, for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock, an ...

Mike Vosburg Mike Vosburg (born July 23, 1947) is an American comic book artist primarily known for his work on the '' Tales from the Crypt'' TV series. Biography Mike Vosburg's comics career began in the 1960s, when as a 15-year-old teenager he started ''Ma ...

Al Milgrom Allen L. Milgrom (born March 6, 1950) is an American comic book writer, penciller, inker and editor, primarily for Marvel Comics. He is known for his 10-year run as editor of ''Marvel Fanfare''; his long involvement as writer, penciler, and inker ...

, Terry Austin, and Michael Netzer (Nasser). The reputation of the convention was such that a number of other industry professionals would appear at the event unbilled. Among the films screened at the 1969 show were the

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established h ...

films ''

The Mummy A mummy is an unusually well preserved corpse. Mummy or The Mummy may also refer to: Places * Mummy Range, a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States * Mummy Cave, a rock shelter and archeological site in P ...

'', ''

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific e ...

'', and '' The Bells''.Talbert, Bob. "Bob Talbert's Detroit," ''Detroit Free Press'' (June 4, 1969), p. 11. Letterer

Ken Bruzenak Ken Bruzenak (born August 30, 1952) is an American comic book letterer, primarily known for his work on Howard Chaykin’s ''American Flagg!'' Bruzenak's lettering and logowork was integral to the comic's futuristic, trademark-littered ambience. ...

attended the 1969 convention, where he met his hero

Jim Steranko James F. Steranko (; born November 5, 1938) is an American graphic artist, comic book writer/artist, comics historian, magician, publisher and film production illustrator. His most famous comic book work was with the 1960s superspy feature " ...

, and also crossed paths with future collaborator

Howard Chaykin Howard Victor Chaykin (; born October 7, 1950) is an American comic book artist and writer. Chaykin's influences include his one-time employer and mentor, Gil Kane, and the mid-20th century illustrators Robert Fawcett and Al Parker. Early life ...

for the first time. Co-founder Dorf left Detroit and the DTFF for Southern California in late 1969, where he shortly founded what became the

San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is co ...

. The 1970 show, organized by Buckler and DTFF originator Robert Brosch, expanded to a five-day affair that shared events with "Dum-Dum '70" (put on by Burroughs' Bibliophiles). Guests and attending professionals included

Philip José Farmer Philip José Farmer (January 26, 1918 – February 25, 2009) was an American author known for his science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories. Obituary. Farmer is best known for his sequences of novels, especially the '' World of Tier ...

(the Dum-Dum Guest of Honor),

Algis Budrys Algirdas Jonas "Algis" Budrys (January 9, 1931 – June 9, 2008) was a Lithuanian-American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He was also known under the pen names Frank Mason, Alger Rome (in collaboration with Jerome Bixby), John ...

, Don & Maggie Thompson,

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 ...

Len Wein Leonard Norman Wein (; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men ...

Bernie Wrightson Bernard Albert Wrightson (October 27, 1948 – March 18, 2017), sometimes credited as Bernie Wrightson, was an American artist, known for co-creating the Swamp Thing, his Bernie Wrightson's Frankenstein, adaptation of the novel ''Frankenstein'' ...

, Alan Weiss,

Mike Friedrich Mike Friedrich (; born March 27, 1949) is an American comic book writer and publisher best known for his work at Marvel and DC Comics, and for publishing the anthology series '' Star*Reach'', one of the first independent comics. He is also an ...

, and

John Jakes John William Jakes (born March 31, 1932) is an American writer, best known for American historical and speculative fiction. His Civil War trilogy, '' North and South'', has sold millions of copies worldwide. He is also the author of The Kent Fami ...

. Panels were held on such topics as

Carl Barks Carl Barks (March 27, 1901 – August 25, 2000) was an American cartoonist, author, and painter. He is best known for his work in Disney comic books, as the writer and artist of the first Donald Duck stories and as the creator of Scrooge McDuc ...

Walt Kelly Walter Crawford Kelly Jr. (August 25, 1913 – October 18, 1973), commonly known as Walt Kelly, was an American animator and cartoonist, best known for the comic strip '' Pogo''. He began his animation career in 1936 at Walt Disney Studios, contr ...

, the future of comics, and a " sword & sorcery symposium." The

Academy of Comic Book Arts The Academy of Comic Book Arts (ACBA) was an American professional organization of the 1970s that was designed to be the comic book industry analog of such groups as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Composed of comic-book profession ...

provided an exhibit of original art. The dealer room was known as the "Huckster Room" and "movies till dawn" were shown every night from Sept. 3–6. A masquerade ball, with prizes for the best costume, was held Saturday night. In addition to co-organizer Buckler, other attendees at the 1970 DTFF who later became comics industry professionals included

, and

Tony Isabella Tony Isabella (born December 22, 1951) is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, artist and critic, known as the creator and writer of Marvel Comics' Black Goliath; DC Comics' first major African-American superhero, Black Lightning; and a ...

. No DTFF was held in 1971, and Detroit-area enthusiasts

, Terry Austin,

Martin Pasko Martin Joseph "Marty" Pasko (born Jean-Claude Rochefort; August 4, 1954– May 10, 2020) was a Canadian comic book writer and television screenwriter. Pasko worked for many comics publishers, but is best known for his superhero stories for DC Com ...

, and

feared it would fade away entirely. Accordingly, in August 1972 they organized the Detroit Tri-Con, held August 3–6 at the Pick-Fort Shelby Hotel. Official guests were

Gray Morrow Dwight Graydon "Gray" Morrow (March 7, 1934 – November 6, 2001).e., the Gilberton Company, publisher of the ''Classics Illustrated'' comic-book series of literary adaptations], and I was given a script. One thing led to another and I was soo ...

Lin Carter Linwood Vrooman Carter (June 9, 1930 – February 7, 1988) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor, poet and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft (for an H. P. L ...

, and Fan Guest of Honor

Rick Yager Rick may refer to: People *Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name *Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality *Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...

; other guests included

Edmond Hamilton Edmond Moore Hamilton (October 21, 1904 – February 1, 1977) was an American writer of science fiction during the mid-twentieth century. Early life Born in Youngstown, Ohio, he was raised there and in nearby New Castle, Pennsylvania. So ...

Leigh Brackett Leigh Douglass Brackett (December 7, 1915 – March 18, 1978) was an American science fiction writer known as "the Queen of Space Opera." She was also a screenwriter, known for ''The Big Sleep'' (1946), '' Rio Bravo'' (1959), and '' The Long Goo ...

Al Williamson Alfonso Williamson (March 21, 1931 – June 12, 2010) was an American cartoonist, comic book artist and illustrator specializing in adventure, Western, science fiction and fantasy. Born in New York City, he spent much of his early childhood in ...

, Russ Myers,

, T. Casey Brennan, and Robert Taylor; the program cover was by Gray Morrow. Films included

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. 6 ...

's ''

Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big ci ...

'',

Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including '' The Thi ...

' '' The Thief of Bagdad'',

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...

's ''

The Lost World The lost world is a subgenre of the fantasy or science fiction genres that involves the discovery of an unknown Earth civilization. It began as a subgenre of the late- Victorian adventure romance and remains popular into the 21st century. The ...

'', and

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Ins ...

's '' The Maltese Falcon''.

became a major player in the DTFF after Shel Dorf left,Morrow, John. "Greg Theakston Interview," ''Collected Jack Kirby Collector'' (TwoMorrows Publishing, 2004), p. 97. coming to own it from 1973 until its 1978 dissolution.Detroit Triple Fan Fair, registered as a Domestic Nonprofit Corporation on October 16, 1973, by Greg Allan Theakston (Agent) of Detroit, MI; dissolved on October 1, 1978
Accessed Feb. 15, 2016
In response to the Detroit Tri-Con, and asserting that the Triple Fan Fair was "alive and well," Theakston staged a DTFF from October 19–22, 1972. That year's show shared billing with Al Schuster's ''Star Trek'' Convention; guests included

Gene Roddenberry Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter, producer, and creator of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'', its sequel spin-off series ''Star Trek: The Animated Series,'' and '' St ...

and

Majel Barrett Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (; born Majel Leigh Hudec;
, ''

Neal Adams Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 – April 28, 2022) was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a Creator ownership, creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and re ...

."Steady Sketches," ''Detroit Free Press'' (October 23, 1972), p. 19. "Films till dawn" shown at the 1972 DTFF included such

Pre-Code Hollywood Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorshi ...

classics as ''

The Invisible Man ''The Invisible Man'' is a science fiction novel by H. G. Wells. Originally serialized in ''Pearson's Weekly'' in 1897, it was published as a novel the same year. The Invisible Man to whom the title refers is Griffin, a scientist who has devote ...

'',

Bela Lugosi Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in '' ...

's ''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...

'', and

's ''

'' and ''

Bride of Frankenstein ''Bride of Frankenstein'' is a 1935 American science fiction horror film, and the first sequel to Universal Pictures' 1931 film ''Frankenstein''. As with the first film, ''Bride of Frankenstein'' was directed by James Whale starring Boris Karlo ...

''; a selection of

Hammer Horror Hammer Film Productions Ltd. is a British film production company based in London. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic horror and fantasy films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Many of these involve clas ...

films; an uncut version of ''

Night of the Living Dead ''Night of the Living Dead'' is a 1968 American independent horror film directed, photographed, and edited by George A. Romero, with a screenplay by John Russo and Romero, and starring Duane Jones and Judith O'Dea. The story follows seven peo ...

''; four

Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act that was successful in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in motion pictures from 1905 to 1949. Five of the Marx Brothers' thirteen feature films were selected by the American Film Institute (AFI) ...

films; and 12 ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vario ...

'' episodes. In addition,

Vaughn Bodē Vaughn Bodē (; July 22, 1941 – July 18, 1975) was an American underground cartoonist and illustrator known for his character Cheech Wizard and his artwork depicting voluptuous women. A contemporary of Ralph Bakshi, Bodē has been credited as a ...

debuted his "Bodē Cartoon Concert" at the 1972 show, in front of a crowd of 80 people.Bob Levin. "I See My Light Come Shining," ''The Comics Journal'' vol. 5, (March 2005)
Archived at The Official Bodē website
Retrieved February 18, 2016. Admission each day to the 1972 DTFF was $4 at the door. (Illustrator Joe Barney — who later worked for

' Continuity Studios — claims to have met his idol

at the 1971 Detroit Triple Fan Fair, but there is no record of a DTFF being held in 1971. Barney remembers

, Jeff Jones,

, Michael Nasser, and

being at the same show,Daudt, Ron E
"Joe Barney Interview (Pt. 2),"
''The Silver Age Sage: A Tribute to the Silver Age of DC Comics''. Retrieved May 18, 2013. which means he was probably thinking of the 1972 edition of DTFF.) One of Theakston's first acts as official DTFF owner was to hold two shows in 1973, one over Memorial Day weekend, and one in October. "Films all night" from the May show included seven

movies and the

films '' Mad Love'' and ''

Mystery of the Wax Museum ''Mystery of the Wax Museum'' is a 1933 American pre-Code mystery- horror film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Glenda Farrell, and Frank McHugh. It was produced and released by Warner Bros. and filmed in two-color ...

''.

Chuck Rozanski Charles Rozanski (born March 11, 1955) is a German-American retailer and columnist, known as the President and CEO of the Denver, Colorado-based Mile High Comics Inc., and a columnist for the ''Comics Buyer's Guide''. Early life Rozanski was born ...

, later a major Denver-area comics retailer, hitchhiked to Detroit for the Memorial Day DTFF, slept in

' home, and set up as a dealer at the show. Rozanski converted 50 high-value comics he brought with him into an inventory of more than 2,000 comics. By the end of the show, he had made more than $400 and had over 1000 comics which he sent back to Denver for future sales. (Rozanski opened his first store in Denver the following year.) The October 1973 show, featuring Barry Smith,

Michael Kaluta Michael William Kaluta, sometimes credited as Mike Kaluta or Michael Wm. Kaluta (born August 25, 1947), is an American comics artist and writer best known for his acclaimed 1970s adaptation of the pulp magazine hero ''The Shadow'' with writer De ...

George A. Romero George Andrew Romero (; February 4, 1940 – July 16, 2017) was an American-Canadian filmmaker, writer, editor and actor. His ''Night of the Living Dead'' series of films about an imagined zombie apocalypse began with the 1968 film of the ...

, and

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 ...

, sponsored an amateur film contest and the annual "

masque The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment that flourished in 16th- and early 17th-century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio (a public version of the masque was the pageant). A mas ...

" (with a $100 first prize). "Films till dawn" included two

films, 20

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

cartoons, and six ''

Amos 'n' Andy ''Amos 'n' Andy'' is an American radio sitcom about black characters, initially set in Chicago and later in the Harlem section of New York City. While the show had a brief life on 1950s television with black actors, the 1928 to 1960 radio show ...

'' episodes. In 1974, DTFF was considered the largest fan convention, in terms of attendance, in the Midwest. The 1974 edition featured an

exhibit, an amateur film contest, and the annual "masque" with a $150 first prize. Thursday night's "films till dawn" and "fractured flickers" included six ''Amos 'n' Andy'' episodes. Artist

Michael Netzer Michael Netzer (born 9 October 1955) is an American-Israeli artist best known for his comic book work for DC Comics and Marvel Comics in the 1970s, as well as for his online presence. Early life Michael Nasser (later Netzer) was born in Detroi ...

(then known as Michael Nasser) remembers that Greg Theakston introduced him to

at the 1974 DTFF. Adams took interest in Netzer's art and invited him to join Continuity Studios.Netzer, Michael. ''Crazy About Comics: The Art of Michael Netzer'' (Detroit Fanfare, 2010). By the mid-to-late 1970s, many of the Detroit-area creators who had helped organize the show had relocated to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

to work for Marvel and DC. The DTFF would continue sporadically through the 1970s. There was no DTFF held in 1975. In 1977, there was a final Triple Fan Fair held at the now-defunct Hilton in

Troy, Michigan Troy is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, United States. Its population was 87,294 at the 2020 U.S. census, making Troy the most populous city in the county and the 13th most-populous municipality in the state. Troy is a northern suburb of Me ...

— that edition of the DTFF was known as the "Detroit Triple Fan Fair (in Exile)."Talbert, Bob. "Slow Going at RenCen, Speed at Indy," ''Detroit Free Press'' (May 26, 1977). Guests of honor at that event were Chuck Jones, Charles H. Schneer, and

Ray Harryhausen Raymond Frederick Harryhausen (June 29, 1920 – May 7, 2013) was an American-British animator and special effects creator who created a form of stop motion model animation known as "Dynamation". His works include the animation for '' Might ...

. Films screened at the 1977 DTFF included the Harryhausen movies ''

It Came from Beneath the Sea ''It Came from Beneath the Sea'' is a 1955 American science fiction monster film from Columbia Pictures, produced by Sam Katzman and Charles Schneer, directed by Robert Gordon, that stars Kenneth Tobey, Faith Domergue, and Donald Curtis. Th ...

'', ''

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad ''The 7th Voyage of Sinbad'' is a 1958 Technicolor heroic fantasy adventure film directed by Nathan H. Juran and starring Kerwin Mathews, Torin Thatcher, Kathryn Grant, Richard Eyer, and Alec Mango. It was distributed by Columbia Pictures and pr ...

'', and ''

Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger ''Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger'' is a 1977 fantasy film directed by Sam Wanamaker and featuring stop-motion effects by Ray Harryhausen. The film stars Patrick Wayne, Taryn Power, Jane Seymour and Patrick Troughton. The third and final ''Sinba ...

''. Comic book artist

claimed to have illustrated the 1978 DTFF program booklet, but there is no record of a show being held that year.

Legacy

From 1984 to 1986, local-area grad student Gary Reed (comics), Gary Reed (later publisher of

Caliber Press Caliber Comics or Caliber Press is an American comic book publisher founded in 1989 by Gary Reed. Featuring primarily creator-owned comics, Caliber published over 1,300 comics in the decade following its inception and is ranked as one of America ...

) ran a local convention known as King Kon. Starting in 1989, comics retailer Michael Goldman launched a for-profit endeavor called the

Motor City Comic Con The Motor City Comic Con is a fan convention held in Novi, Michigan, United States, at the Suburban Collection Showplace. It is traditionally a three-day event (Friday through Sunday), usually held in May of each year. The Motor City Comic Con was ...

; it continues as an annual show to the present day. The Detroit Fanfare, established in 2010, openly acknowledged its debt to the Detroit Triple Fan Fair: In another nod to the DTFF, the Detroit Fanfare also distributed the "Shel Dorf Awards". The Detroit Fanfare ceased operations after the 2012 convention.

Dates and locations

Nova Awards

The Nova Award was created by Jack Promo and Marvin S. Giles,"Fans of Fantasy Recall Their Idols," ''Detroit Free Press'' (June 19, 1967). and was first presented in 1967.Shapiro, Hal (chairman). 1969 DTFF program booklet. * 1967 Roger Zelazny — "in recognition of outstanding contribution to science fiction and fantasy" * 1968

Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'', ...

* 1969

— "in recognition of his achievements in illustrative art"Ringgenberg, Steve "S.C." ''50 Girls 50: And Other Stories: Al Williamson'' (Fantagraphics Books, 2013), p. 239.

Program booklets

* 1965 DTFF #1 program cover designed by

* 1967 DTFF #2 program cover used

Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gre ...

art from the cover of '' Fantastic Four Annual'' #3 arriage of Sue and Reed issue* 1968 DTFF #3 program cover by

depicting

Flash Gordon Flash Gordon is the protagonist of a space adventure comic strip created and originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by, and created to compete with, the already established ''Buck Rogers'' adve ...

as drawn by

Reed Crandall Reed Leonard Crandall (February 22, 1917 – September 13, 1982) Reed Crandall
at ...

* 1969 DTFF #4 program cover by

in pencil depicting

Loki Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...

and two other denizens of

Asgard In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr'' ; "enclosure of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in a multitude of Old Norse sagas and mythological texts. It is described as the fortified home of the Æsir ...

* 1970 DTFF #5 program cover by

, and interior art pages by

and

. The program booklet was dedicated to

. * 1972 May DTFF #6 program cover by

* 1972 October DTFF #7 program cover by

, featuring Batman, Deadman,

Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...

Green Arrow Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 in November 1941. His secret identity, real name is Olive ...

, and the

Starship Enterprise ''Enterprise'' or USS ''Enterprise'' (often referred to as the "starship ''Enterprise''") is the name of Spacecraft in Star Trek, several fictional spacecraft, some of which are the main craft and setting for various television series and fi ...

* 1973 May DTFF #8 * 1973 October DTFF #9 program cover illustration of Conan by

Barry Windsor-Smith Barry Windsor-Smith (born Barry Smith, 25 May 1949) is a British comic book illustrator and painter whose best known work has been produced in the United States. He attained note working on Marvel Comics' ''Conan the Barbarian'' from 1970 to 197 ...

* 1974 DTFF #10 program cover illustration of

The Spirit The Spirit is a fictional masked crimefighter created by cartoonist Will Eisner. He first appeared June 2, 1940, as the main feature of a 16-page, tabloid (paper size), tabloid-sized, newsprint comic book insert distributed in the Sunday editio ...

Will Eisner William Erwin Eisner (March 6, 1917 – January 3, 2005) was an American cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur. He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the American comic book industry, and his series ''The Spirit'' (1940–1952) was not ...

* 1976 DTFF #11 program cover by

Joe Kubert Joseph Kubert (; September 18, 1926 – August 12, 2012) was a Polish-born American comic book artist, art teacher, and founder of The Kubert School. He is best known for his work on the DC Comics characters Sgt. Rock and Hawkman. He is also ...

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...

* 1977 May DTFF #12 program cover by artwork depicting Troglodyte from

's ''

'' * 1977 October DTFF #13 program cover by Chuck Jones, billed as "Detroit Triple Fan Fair 13"

Progress reports

The DTFF published "progress reports" in 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, as many as three for some of their conventions. Contributors included Allen Park and Robert Brosch; cover illustrations were by

Frank Frazetta Frank Frazetta (born Frank Frazzetta ; February 9, 1928 – May 10, 2010) was an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers, and other media. He is o ...

, and

(Batman).

References

External links

Fan page dedicated to the show
{{Fandom Defunct comics conventions Defunct multigenre conventions Defunct fan conventions Recurring events established in 1965 Tourist attractions in Detroit Conventions in Michigan Culture of Detroit

History

Legacy

Dates and locations

Nova Awards

Program booklets

Progress reports

See also

References

External links