Mike Towry was one of the primary organizers of the institution we now call the Comic-Con International. Back in the days he was chairguy, the con was small and mostly about comic books…something it can never be again. But Mike and some others are in the planning stages of a convention that would try to recapture the spirit (and the size) of the cons of the seventies, especially the memorable ones held at the old El Cortez Hotel in San Diego.
It's a great idea…and it's a shame they probably can't have it at the El Cortez, which has been in constant turmoil for years with remodellings, redevelopment, lawsuits and many changes of ownership. Around 2005, it was converted into condominiums but then they had all sorts of litigation about the contracts and the facilities, particularly with a faulty plumbing system. I know they have a big, swanky ballroom that hosts a lot of weddings and such now and that condos in the building go for under $250,000 after initially selling for twice that.
Back when we convened there, it was a great place for a comic convention — in large part because its operators really didn't seem to care what we did to their building as long as it was more-or-less standing when we left. It was kind of a dump and that was one of its good points. The one year it was not a good place for a con was the one time we were there after it had been acquired by a religious group and turned into a school for evangelism. They were grossly understaffed and unorganized and few of us had rooms with both air conditioning and a working toilet. It was like you could have one but not the other. When you went to the desk to complain, someone would mutter something about praising Jesus…and that's about all they'd do.
Anyway, I hope Mike and his crew can find a place as fun as the pre-evangelical El Cortez. You can read about their plans and hopes here.