A Lethal Combination.

My number 8 book in my list was one of those massively produced 90's books that to this day can be found everywhere on eBay readily accessible and easily acquired. So much so, in doing a quick search on eBay a few minutes ago under the sold listings I found one had gone for as little as $26.10. So why would I even list a book on here under my Do Not Sell list that could go as low as that? Because of the story behind it and the friendship that came after it.

In the early 90's I had been newly introduced to comics by my cousin who was primarily looking for a cheap and easy way to pawn me off while he did more "Grown up" things. During this time I came across comics like Wolverine, Spider-man, X-Force and a host of others that held my attention. As a kid I never really understood that if kept in good condition they may be worth something someday. Instead I was more intent on reading, rereading, and attempting to recreate some of my favorite covers. For some reason I thought as a kid maybe I could be a comic book artist. I mean who doesn't want to get paid to draw things right???

So one day while checking out the comic rack at my local 7-11 in a bright red foiled cover I saw what I thought at the time was the most magnificent cover in my life. Venom: Lethal Protector #1. I looked at it and it looked back almost begging me to pick it up using the white glove treatment. I mean the cover was made from a harder stocked paper and shined in the sun from the open windows in the store as if angels were coming from that creaky metal rack. I immediately paid my $3 bucks and rushed home carefully. Instead of trying to read this one though it was the cover I was most impressed by. I attempted drawing it a multiple of times trying to do it with a semblance of justice until an art project came up and gave me the perfect opportunity to recreate the cover art.

In this project I was suppose to use some style of art where you draw or create something using nothing more than dots. No lines, no shading just dot's. Mind you this is 7th grade art so projects weren't exactly about drawing some gorgeous landscape or anything. Anyways, I finished, turned it in, and to my horror while I received an A for my art project this insufficiently_thoughtful_person for a teacher defaced my art with her red marker placing the A right inside the dotted M. I held onto it for some weird reason and when I got older threw the recreation into a copier paper box along with a large group of comics and there it sat for a few years.

Fast forward to about two years ago and I am now In my late 20's. I open this one of twenty box's and after removing all of the comics lay this same page of art that had a significant bend from the way the pressure of the books had sat on it. It was one of those eh!!! moments where you look at something and smile remembering its history and why you did what you did with it and simply went back into the box.

In gearing up for my second Convention in Dallas later in May of 2012 I took note of some of the board comments and began to prepare a little better for this one. In doing so I noticed inker and artist Sam De La Rosa was about to attend and happened to see he was a Texas native currently residing in San Antonio. I emailed him a quick hello letter to tell him I was looking forward to seeing him and hoped to have a good copy of the Lethal Enforcer Comic for him to sign. Not thinking much of it I simply asked if he would be willing to come up to my Local Comic Shop for a visit on his way up to the Con and just figured he at the most might reply with a decent enough reply of NO.

It wasn't even 10 minutes later that I received a reply back from Sam stating simply, "SURE give me a place, a time, and a day." Wait what??? I ask myself. This guy can't possibly be serious. So I go over to my LCS America's Heroes Comics and talk to Earl the owner about what had just transpired. He then asks if I would ask him to stop by for the Free Comic Book day in 2012 as this would help Sam in gaining a wider audience for him to cater to and also help with the stores FCBD activities. Again I pass the message and again he replies quickly "No problem see you there!!!" So at this point I'm still skeptical about this whole thing. I mean could he really be that genuinely a nice guy? Yep he was. Almost a month to the day I first contacted him he showed up wife, kids, and comics in hand bright and early.

It was here that I thanked him told him of the story I just told you and had him sign my recreation. "Never stop dreaming, never put down the ink" In the end it was this cover that helped me see that artists in the comic community are amazingly humble and gracious people. Since meeting Sam there, I have attended 4 additional Con's with him in attendance and every time has made it a point to say hello and talk to him for awhile. He's a great all around guy and his kindness, generosity, and all around demeanor is what causes me to place this one on the list at my number 8 spot. Oh and beside it is a photo of a four part sketch he drew for me as well.

Enjoy

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