Every year of Comic-Con in one giant timeline

In his apartment on March 17, 1970, Shel Dorf displays some posters to be shown at a convention in the U.S. Grant Hotel. The first gathering -- called San Diego's Golden State Comic-Minicon -- was put together by a group of comics, movie and science fiction fans including Shel Dorf, Ken Krueger and Richard Alf. This one-day convention was staged to raise funds and interests for a larger convention. Author Ray Bradbury bought a few items from the dealers at the San Diego Golden State Comics Convention in the U.S. Grant Hotel on Aug. 1, 1970. "I got a few issues of Mad magazine," he said. Called San Diego's Golden State Comic-Con, this was the first full-fledged convention in San Diego with a focus on comic art, film and science fiction. The event included 25 booths and three speakers: comic artist Jack Kirby and authors Ray Bradbury and A.E. van Vogt. Kirk Alyn, left, who portrayed Superman in film serials, signs an autograph for Forrest J Ackerman, editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine.