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Best of the Best Sketch: Ghost Rider Edition !!! Round 1 Poll on pg 7 !!!
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Started by Greedo,

242 posts in this topic

worldsbestcomics

worldsbestcomics

Posted
Posted

Thank you Mad-Dogz for your kind and gracious words. I do feel fortunate to have this book. I've never told the complete story before but here it is.

 

5 years ago at Emerald City ComiCon, they were auctioning off 10 of the HERO 100 Spider-Man sketch covers. This was the first HERO project and sketch covers were a new thing. There were some amazing covers as part of that project but the one I wanted was Clayton Crain's. Clayton is a local guy, super-talented, who had recently started a mind-blowing run as the artist for Ghost Rider. I knew that he was at the show along with the book's artist, Mark Bagley, and writer, Brian Bendis.

 

I thought his Spidey was really well done. Here it is.

 

UltimateSpider-Man100Craincover.jpg

 

I mentioned to Steve Borock that I was going to bid on the Crain book and he said, "Forget it. You see that guy over there standing next to the HERO booth? His name is John Dolmayan, he's the drummer for System Of A Down. He was at the New York show and bought all the HERO books there and he came to this show to buy all the HERO books here. So, unless you're a millionaire, you're out of luck."

 

Something clicked in my brain and instead of being disappointed and quitting, I walked over and stood right next to John. I kind of leaned into him and I said, "My son is six months old and he eats all the time. So do me a favor and let me win one of those books." John leaned back from me, gave me a look like I might be crazy and asked, "What did you just say?" So, I looked him right in the eye and repeated myself and he just smiled. We chatted for a while about my son and comics. He asked me which book I wanted and I said the Crain. John told me that he would lay off the Crain if I would lay off the book he wanted. Of course we both knew that he could get every book he wanted whether I bid or not. He didn't have to do a favor for someone he just met but John is a very cool guy.

 

I won the auction for Clayton's book and then got it signed by Bendis and Bagley. I asked Clayton if he would be willing to do a commission on the back cover. He agreed if I was willing to do another donation to HERO and if I could be patient about getting it done.

 

I actually did a survey on the boards about what I should get on the back cover and the winner was Ghost Rider riding off with Mary Jane leaving Spider-Man behind looking like, "What happened?"

 

I dropped the book off for Clayton at his local comic store and emailed him what I wanted done. We traded emails off and on over the rest of the year but he was busy and we eventually agreed that he would bring the book to the next ECCC and I would get it from him there.

 

Steve Borock was with me when we walked over to Clayton's table to pick up the book. Borock and I were both stunned when Clayton pulled it out and handed it to me. There had been some sketch covers colored before but nobody had painted anything like this.

 

UltimateSpider-Man100Crainvarian-1.jpg

 

Clayton smiled at my obvious shock and said, "Well I had it for a year so I thought I had better do something extra nice." Before that day, Todd McFarlane was my favorite artist but Clayton Crain has been my favorite ever since.

 

So, thank you, John Dolmayan if you read this and thank you, Clayton Crain. You earned the honor of the Best of the Best: Ghost Rider.

 

 

 

 

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