Comic-Con co-founder Richard Alf dead

Richard Alf, who co-founded San Diego's landmark Comic-Con convention, died of cancer at the age of 59, the organizers of the event announced. Alf was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer only last month, KGTV-TV in San Diego said. He died Wednesday. Alf was the owner of a San Diego comic book store and made the fateful decision in 1970 to front his buddy Mike Towry a few thousand dollars to get the first Comic-Con off the ground in a downtown hotel. The event has since mushroomed into an extravaganza that every year draws 125,000 science-fiction aficionados and a growing number of Hollywood stars and entertainment moguls plugging new products and movies. "His achievement is even more remarkable when we consider that he was only 17 years old when he and a small group of friends undertook the great adventure that would become Comic-Con," said a written statement posted on the Comic-Con Web site Saturday. Comic-Con is known for attendees decked out in wild costumes of their favorite sci-fi characters, but it is also the largest annual convention held in San Diego and has spawned similar events around the United States.