If you want to know what it was like to have attended the 1971 New York Comic Art Convention, which was held that year over the 4th of July weekend at the Statler Hilton Hotel, I’ve got two recommendations for you:

Either track down this guy wearing a headband and listen to his long stories of what it was like—

—and yes, that’s me, age 16, at that very con—

—or else (and this will likely be far more possible for most of you) buy a copy of Ron Kasman’s wonderful graphic novel The Tower of the Comic Book Freaks.

Because then you’ll really know. (more…)