Comic-Con is less than a week away and I’m betting that there’s already eager fans camped outside the center, anxiously waiting to get in. Waiting in long winding lines may dominate the Comic-Con scene today, but that wasn’t always the case.

Back before attendees needed the Toucan Tracker Wristband to tell us how long a line was, the convention came and went without much fanfare. Can’t believe it? Well, here’s proof!

Thanks to actor and photo journalist Pete Salisbury, we get a glimpse at Comic-Con circa 1983, when the convention was in its 13th year.

Here’s the line to get into San Diego ComicCon 1983 #SDCC #FlashbackFriday Plenty of time don’t rush. pic.twitter.com/LHofdGLROY

— Pete Salisbury (@Tuckerpete) July 12, 2014

As you can see, there’s not much going on other than sweet glorious hairdos. Heck, despite the notorious heat that San Diego is known for, folks still wore their best dungarees and relaxed in the midday sun, checking out, what I can only assume, the other nerds’ best shirts since cosplay was known only as playing dress-up and strictly discouraged in the public eye.

Thankfully, this year’s Comic-Con doesn’t look as bare. You can catch the Nerdist crew as we take part in the Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Laser Tag, film Nerdist Podcast and @Midnight live, host a slew of panels, and run around frantically at the con.

For a quick look at what to expect this year at Comic-Con, you can check out our overview of the Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday schedules.

But wait, there’s more, make sure you stay tuned to Nerdist.com for all things Comic-Con!

Have similar pics from Comic-Con before it became the titan it is today? Share with us in the comments below.

HT: Albotoss