Ken Krueger passed away on Saturday, November 21, 2009. He will be sorely missed by family and friends. As a teenager, Ken Krueger attended the first-ever science fiction convention, the 1939 Worldcon. As an adult, thirty years later, he helped create what has become the premier comics and pop-culture convention, Comic-Con International, for which he served as chairman of the first full convention in August, 1970. In the intervening and subsequent years, Ken was active as a mail-order book seller, book store owner, small-press publisher, periodical distributor and distributor’s rep, and all-around friend to fans and fandom, serving as mentor and life coach to many young fans and aspiring professionals.
Photographs
Artist Matt Lorentz remembers Shel Dorf as the great connector, bringing together artists and fostering careers. Matt accompanied Shel on many of his legendary field trips, including visits with Chuck Jones, Mel Lazarus, and Forry Ackerman. At Comic-Con 2009, Matt Lorentz took a poster-sized greeting card around for many artists to draw on for Shel.
Picture of Shel Dorf and his brother, Michael Dorf, with Chester Gould in 1949 taken outside the Gould family farmhouse. The picture is accompanied by an audio clip of Michael Dorf telling the story of the Dorf-family visit to see Chester Gould in Woodstock, Illinois. (A transcript of the recording is included.)
On Sunday, November 9, 1969, Shel Dorf led a group of San Diego comic fans on their first pilgrimage to the home of Jack Kirby, who had recently moved from New York to Irvine in Orange County, California. Travelling with Shel were the rest of the first Comic-Con committee – Richard Alf, Barry Alfonso, Dan Stewart, Bob Sourk, and Mike Towry – a young friend of Barry’s named Wayne Kincaid, and Barry’s mother, Sylvia Alfonso. We all piled into a rented station wagon and Shel drove us to our rendezvous with destiny.
Audio link to recording of Comic-Con 2009 Secret Origins panel with Comic-Con #1 committee members Richard Alf, Barry Alfonso, Greg Bear, Dave Clark, Roger Freedman, Ken Krueger, Bill Lund, Scott Shaw!, and Mike Towry. Includes transcript of Richard’s account of Shel Dorf’s early guidance as Comic-Con founder.
On April 11, 1988, Shel Dorf attended the 60th Anniversary Academy Awards (Oscars) ceremony in the company of Alan Light and friends. Their tickets originated with famed actress Bette Davis.
Jack Kirby (left) and Shel Dorf — Nov. 9, 1969