Shel Dorf, who was 35 years old at the time, had conceived the idea for a comic convention, but lacked money and transportation to create the event.
The dorm idea proved less than successful, as the university placed attendees on the same floors as quiet study groups, such as the Montessori.
[6] Alf contributed to a special project by San Diego State University's library to document the early years and founders of Comic-Con with primary sources.
Alf was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December 2011 after collapsing at his home in Serra Mesa, San Diego.
He spent a short time at La Jolla Nursing and Rehabilitation Center before being transferred to the home of his friend, Earl Bookhammer, in Ramona, California.