Loosely based on a theme, each year's event offered panels and workshops related to small press comics[1] along with the opportunity to buy and sell them.
In addition, it prioritized the social interaction of attendees by encouraging comics creators to place their publications on the CAPTION stall, managed by a rota of volunteers.
CAPTION was founded in 1992 by Adrian Cox, Damian Cugley, Jeremy Dennis, and Jenni Scott.
Ed Pinsent was an early star of CAPTION conventions, selling his Fast Fiction on his stall.
In 1993 Andy Roberts moved to Oxford, and was able to lend his considerable experience in art and design to the convention.