John Rogers, Comic-Con International's "low-profile but influential president" for more than 30 years, who was "credited with creating a solid financial base for the show and transforming it from an amateurish event with a small following to a world-renowned celebration of all things pop culture," died November 10, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. He was 57.
Expressing "profound sadness" at his passing, Comic-Con posted on its website: "As our longest serving president, first elected in 1986 and re-elected every year since, John's tenure saw Comic-Con grow from a select gathering of fans to the largest and most prestigious convention of its kind in the world."
"More than anyone else, he made Comic-Con durable, giving it a solid business foundation so it could grow," Mike Towry, part of the crew who founded this show in 1970, told the Union-Tribune. "In the late '70s and early '80s there were a lot of touch-and-go years, a lot of financial problems." After Rogers became president, however, "it wasn't long before Comic-Con started having such huge growth. I don't think that would have been possible without John."
Since 1982, the show has been based at the San Diego Convention Center. Gil Cabrera, president of the Convention Center Corporation board, said Rogers "knew just about everything about Comic-Con. He had just an encyclopedic knowledge of the event and its history, and he always knew what was going on."
San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer tweeted: "For 4 decades @Comic_Con President John Rogers poured his heart and soul into creating a San Diego institution that became a worldwide phenomenon. His deep love for the comics community created countless memories for so many, and made our city a better place. We mourn his passing."