23754


When anime and manga first came over to English-speaking areas, I presume it
was treated more like traditional national comics were, and that manga fans
were still primarily comic fans - rather than there being a distinction like
today.

What was the first public group that had an _anime/manga_ fandom that was
**distinct** from western comic fandom?


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2015-08-02T11:39:05.620
23753
2015-08-09T19:31:10.670
2015-08-09T19:31:10.670
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question
anime-history
What was the first English-speaking anime fangroup?


According to [interviews with co-founder Fred
Patten](http://otakuinabottle.blogspot.ie/2012/03/fred-patten-interview.html),
the _Cartoon/Fantasy Organization_ (C/FO) was the first anime/manga fanclub
set up in 1977. Based in Los Angeles, the group started expanding into several
spin-off groups in the 80s, including another major group in New York:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZMW3x.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZMW3x.jpg)

> 1980s C/FO New York meeting.

Most ways of accessing anime & manga were limited back then. You either had to
know someone over in Japan, or visit one of very few Japanese bookshops.
Nearly none of which having English translations.

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/HrUA6.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/HrUA6.jpg)
[(src)](http://www.fanboy.com/2011/02/what-was-it-like-to-be-an-80s-anime-fan-
in-nyc.html)

Whilst there may have been some small gatherings of friends before the C/FO,
it was the first group to be open to the general public.

Many of the early members of the C/FO became prominent figures in the
emergence of furry fandom.

Unfortunately, due to political in-fighting the splinter groups gradually
ceased to exist, leaving only the original L.A. branch active. Their [current
website](http://c_fo.tripod.com/) was last updated in 2013.

Even today, Los Angeles is one of the most important places in english-
speaking territory for anime, hosting one of the largest conventions - [Anime
Expo](http://www.anime-expo.org/)


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2015-08-02T11:39:05.620
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answer