Comic Con Leipzig ()
Dating back to 1964, the first one-day comic convention (comic con) to celebrate the world of comics took place in New York City and drew around 100 attendees. The event was organized by Jerry Bails, the “father of comic fandom” and creator of The Academy of Comic-Book Fans and Collectors (ACBFC). The following year he helped with the Detroit Triple Fan Fair, a multi-genre con that included fans of film and science fiction, which continued yearly until 1978. After that, numerous other small pop culture gatherings began to pop up around the country.
In Europe, the Italian Lucca Comics & Games held its first gathering in 1965. This classic comic con is still going strong and is the second largest in the world following Japan’s Comiket which started a decade later. Held yearly around Nov. 1, Lucca is a must for die-hard comic book and role-playing game fans.
The U.K. held its first ComicCon in 1968, and the size and number of British conventions has grown ever since. Many of the first British Comic Art Conventions (as they were officially titled) were organized by Bram Stokes the “godfather of British fandom.” Stokes owned the iconic “Dark They Were and Golden Eyed” bookshop in London, the hub of underground comics, fanzines, science fiction, and all things dark and otherworldly. It was the largest shop of its kind in Europe until its closure in 1981.
Even with all these events, attendance at comic cons remained small and local. It wasn’t until July 1, 1970, when the Golden State Comic Book Convention opened its doors to a whopping 300 comic and science fiction enthusiasts that the world of fandom hit the mainstream. In 1973 it became the iconic San Diego Comic-Con.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, comic cons grew into massive pop culture events around the world. With the incorporation of comic book plotlines into mainstream media, film and TV, their popularity has swelled.
There is much variety in the world of comic cons, but the most popular and widely-known events are commercial shows. Organizers hire well-known actors and other celebrities for discussion panels, photo booths and autograph sessions with fans. In addition, cosplay actors, pop culture vendors and other artists are invited to set up displays in the convention center.
Visit our monthly Con Together list for conventions to attend across Europe.
Some of the biggest European cons:
Lucca Comics & Games. Lucca, Italy. Held around Nov. 1 .
Angouleme International Comics Festival. Angouleme, France. Held in January.
Though Bubble Festival. Yorkshire, England. Held in November.
MCM Comic Con. London, England. Held twice yearly in May and November.
GamesCom. Cologne, Germany. Held in August.
German Film & Comic Con. Various locations (largest in Dortmund), Germany. Held throughout the year, the two largest cons are in May and Dec.
Zurich Pop Con & Game Show. Zurich, Switzerland. Held in September or October.
Comic Con Stuttgart. Stuttgart, Germany. Held in November or December.
Comic Con Brussels. Brussels, Belgium. Held twice yearly in spring and fall.
