Did you know that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the San Diego Comic-Con? Well, if I were there this Thursday, this is the panel that I would attend:

Secret Origins of Comic-Con Thursday, July 23rd, 11:00-12:30 — How did it all begin? Those who were there in 1969 (most of them teenagers at the time!) have the behind-the-scenes story of the very first meetings, the first mini-con, and the first Golden State Comic-Con at the U.S. Grant in 1970. Panelist include Richard Alf, Barry Alfonso, Greg Bear, Dave Clark, Roger Freedman, Ken Krueger, Scott Shaw!, and Mike Towry, with William R. Lund as moderator. Room 2 Convention began in 1969 exactly 40 years ago!

Since I couldn’t be there in person though, I’m grabbing a copy of this book:

Comic-Con: 40 Years of Artists, Writers, Fans, and Friends is a massive art and photo collection, showcasing over 620 images from the 40-year history of Comic-Con. Most of the art has not been seen since its initial publication in Comic-Con’s program and souvenir books, and the majority of the photos have never been seen outside of the Comic-Con archives.

In addition to the treasure trove of art and photos, this 208-page, 9 x 12 full-color hardbound pictorial history contains a decade-by-decade look at the show. Numerous special articles explore the Masquerade, the Comic Book Expo, WonderCon, the Alternative Press Expo, Comic-Con’s T-shirts, the Eisner Awards, and much more. Sprinkled throughout the book are quotes and observations from leading professionals in comics, movies, and television, commenting on their own experiences at the show.

The whole package is capped off with an amazing new full-color wraparound cover by one of Comic-Con’s favorite special guests: Sergio Aragonés. Masterfully colored by Tom Luth, the cover alone will provide hours of viewing pleasure!

I also wish that I could attend the Comic-Con debut of Richard Thompson.

Spotlight on Richard Thompson Thursday, July 23rd, 4:00-5:00 — Comic-Con special guest Richard Thompson (Cul de Sac, Richard’s Poor Almanac) has been doing the syndicated daily comic strip Cul de Sac for less than two years and it’s already gotten raves from Bill Watterson, Art Spiegelman, and comics fans just about everywhere. Join him as he shows his work, answers questions and proves he never sang with Fairport Convention. Room 2

Luckily, there are plenty of consolations for those of us who can’t be there. You can buy Richard’s books, visit his blog, read his daily comic strip, and enjoy his interview in the Winter 2009 issue of Comic-Con Magazine.

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