I worked at FantaCo, a comic book store/mail order house/publisher for eight and a half years. But it was open 20 years from 1978 to 1998. For reasons I don’t quite understand, my friend Broome, who worked at FantaCo briefly in the 1980s, is in possession of a tractor-trailer, sitting on his property, filled with FantaCo publication.
Going through the truck one day, Broome came across a notebook. It was a journal that I started on September 20, 1984; the last entry was June 19, 1986. However, there were earlier entries, written with such detail that I must have transcribed them from the personal journals I was keeping at the time.
Some examples:
May 17, 1980- Wendy and Richard Pini do a store signing of Elfquest 7
September 19, 1980 – [Name of kid]’s younger brother came in, tried to sell comics stolen from the store a year ago.
December 19, 1981 – Phil Seuling’s house party [Phil ran Seagate, our comic distributor; he gave lavish affairs]
January 22, 1982 – we discover that our phone number in Comic Scene #2 is wrong and belongs to a psychologist who was perturbed at getting a “flood of calls”. [We weren’t happy, either; those misdirected calls meant lost revenue. And no, the psychologist wouldn’t give the callers the correct number.]
April 6, 1982 – Blizzard!
November 2, 1982 – Joe Sinnott comes up, buys 10 copies of Life of the Pope, John Paul II, which he inked. [I’m sure we gave him a discount.]
December 28, 1982 – Kris Adams called, indicated that Neal wishes to withdraw 4-page story for Gates of Eden 2 because he’s gotten a better offer from Pacific Comics to publish it in color.
And other random stuff, which took me right back.
FantaCo used to run conventions. They had them, if memory serves, in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1988, 1989 and, I believe, 1990. Well, FantaCon is BACK!
Here are the links to everything for need to know about the event being held Saturday and Sunday, September 14 and 15, 2013 at the Marriott, 189 Wolf Road, Colonie (near Albany), NY.
Official FantaCon Facebook Page, where people can “Like” the event
Official FantaCon Facebook Event Page (where people can indicate they are attending)
Official FantaCon Update Website
I’ve been wondering about the new FantaCon, Roger — what connection does is have to FantaCo or the original conventions?
Well, Tom Skulan is organizing it, and since he was the guy behind the original FantaCons, I’d say quite a lot. I know Fred Hembeck is coming, I believe Steve Bissette is, and a number of of others that have a relationship with the store/company/con.
What does FantaCo mean?
Irt’s just the name, although the initial thought behind it was FANTAsy COmpany.
Thanks for the info, Roger!
I am going to talk the wife into going to the Fantacon with me!
must be wonderful to find an old diary and read it now…it is like a time capsule….and I remember when comics where in every child room.
I used to shop at Fantaco all the time. This is the first I’ve heard of the upcoming con, thanks!
Looking forward to going to Fantacon with my husband.
Oh, the memories. I’ve bought comics at many places over the years, but none will ever mean as much to me as Fantaco, the comic store of my youth. I wrote an article for one of the early Fantaco books — X-Men Chronicles. I remember the outrageously talented (and much lamented) Raoul Vezina. And of course, I remember Roger, Tom and Mitch (I think that was his name; it’s been awhile). And I remember Fantacon.
Yes, Mitch Cohn.