Shel Dorf, the founder of San Diego's Comic-Con International, passed away this Tuesday reports Reuters. He was 76 years-old.
He had spent the past year being treated for diabetes.
The first Comic-Con International was held in 1970 and was attended by 300 or so people. This past year Comic-Con was attended by 125,000 and has come to encompass more than comic books.
"Shel had notable foresight in not only believing these people needed some public acknowledgment," says David Glanzer, a Comic-Con spokesperson, "but that this truly was an American art form that Americans knew very little about."
Dorf has not been directly involved in running Comic-Con for the past couple of decades.
Comic-Con founder Shel Dorf dies at age 76 [Reuters] [Pic]