Pop culture, and especially what might be referred to as geek culture, has taken over the mainstream over the last few decades. This is due in no small part to the growth of San Diego Comic-Con into an entertainment juggernaut. Multi-hyphenate author Matt Klickstein’s recently released book, See You At San Diego: An Oral History of Comic-Con, Fandom, and the Triumph of Geek Culture delivers the definitive accounting of how this came to pass.
The narrative is basically structured as a series of quotes from many of the folks that were instrumental to the creation of the con, those that helped shape it into the gigantic event it has since become, and some well-placed detours involving celebrities and beloved creators (like Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller, and Kevin Smith). Essentially it reads as if we’re a fly on the wall observing a conversation between a group of old friends recounting endless fascinating tales of how the con was birthed, what was going on behind the scenes including some juicy disagreements, hazy recollections of parties, and how the con has shaped the current zeitgeist. Hence, “oral history” figuring in the title.
Accounts don’t always line up, and that makes for an engaging read, as we are left to make up our own minds about what’s being said. It makes for a page-turner as you are compelled to read and see what the next person has to say that might embellish or even contradict what someone else just stated. There are plenty of facts presented, but this is a book that’s more concerned with the truth if you know what I mean.
Perhaps my favorite bits concern how the old guard of creators influenced and shaped the con’s early days. Jack Kirby, Forry Ackerman, and Ray Bradbury loom large in the early parts of the book. Of course, Ackerman and Bradbury aren’t strictly comics folks, and the intersectionality of various related fandoms plays a large role in the book’s discussion of how the con went from being thought of as catering mostly to those typically thought of as being outsiders to capturing the imaginations of people from all walks of life. So yes, the book is a history of the con, but it’s also a history of how our collective nerdy obsessions came out of the closet and had a massive impact on the world in general.
It’s not all just words, though. See You At San Diego contains a bounty of pics and illustrations. From candid shots of Sergio Aragones and Harlan Ellison to early hand-drawn flyers for the con to various strips drawn by fan-favorite Scott Shaw!, the nearly 500-page tome is a beauty to pore over. I also enjoyed how it’s sectioned out to look like a series of file folders. It’s as if you’ve been given the keys to some meticulously researched documents that contain the secret history of fandom.
Unfortunately, I’ve never been to Comic-Con International: San Diego, but after reading Matt Klickstein’s See You At San Diego, in some ways I feel like I have. I would call this book a must read not just for fans of things like Star Trek, Spider-Man, and Godzilla, but also for people interested in the history of our culture in general. This is truly a wonderful read and receives my highest possible recommendation. It’s available now at comic shops, traditional bookstores, and online retailers.
Michael Cavender