Comic Creator Signing at October Country in New Paltz, NY

[alxjhnsn]

I'm from Houston, TX, but I travel a lot and I'm currently on a trip that extended over the weekend. As of Thursday evening,I had nothing planned until I saw something on Facebook that caused me to go from Foxboro to Boston (Newton) to New Paltz, NY to Boston to Foxboro.

 

Why would I drive to New Paltz, NY?

 

Simple, Fred Hembeck told his FB followers that there was going to be a signing by an amazing number of Hudson River valley comic book folks. Here's the list of guests:

• Terry Austin-inker [on the best Batman run ever w/Rogers]
  
• Todd DeZago-writer [of Perhapnauts and other things]
  
• Ramona Fradon-artist [of Aquaman, Metamorpho, and much more]
  
• Dan Green-inker [of lots of stuff including a recent LSH]
  
• Fred Hembeck-writer/artist [of his own stuff and one of my commissions]
  
• Ron Marz-writer [who didn't make it, but wasn't announced]
  
• Louise Simonson-writer [and subject of a comic book cover HoS #92]
  
• Walt Simonson-writer/artist [of Thor, Manhunter, Orion, and lots more including a fun recent LSH story (#5) with Dan Green on inks]
  
• Joe Sinnott-inker [of the best Kirby FF work and lots, lots, lots more]
  
• Matthew Dow Smith-writer/artist [of Dr. Who comics]
  
• Joe Staton-artist [of Tracy currently and one of my favorites E-Man plus a host of other characters]
  
• Herb Trimpe-artist [of the Hulk and a commission of mine]
  
• Bob Wiacek-inker [of lots of stuff including recent LSH issues]
  

So, I picked up a Boston based comic loving friend, Steve M. Cohen, and we hit the road.

 

Four hours later we were at the store a few minutes early. As we were entering, I saw someone that I thought I recognized - Fred Hembeck - coming in the store. The funny thing was, he saw me and was trying to work out why he knew me. I bought a Sugar & Spike commission from him and we've corresponded a lot over the years.

 

While in the store, Steve and I realized that neither of us had anything for the guests to sign so I walked over to the Stop & Shop to pickup a spiral bound pad of index cards. Got back before the line had started. At that point though, we found out that Dan Green would be a little late and Herb Trimpe wasn't going to make it. The latter was sad, the former not so bad since we'd be back for a 2nd pass after we ate lunch.

 

We made a first pass. Went to lunch at a diner (I love diners). Made a second pass and took pictures. Sadly, I missed Terry Austin in my picture taking other than a small image of him in the big room shot.

 

After that, we went home.

 

It was a good day!

 

Here are the pictures:

 

Ramona Fradon is invisible behind the big guy, Joe Sinnott (ball cap) is next, Bob Wiacek is in the brown jacket, Todd Dezago (ball cap), Terry Austin (blue shirt), Fred Hembeck (head down signing), Joe Staton, Matthew Dow Smith.

 

The Simonsons are at the back wall hidden by the crowd.

 

 

Ramona Fradon, Joe Sinnott, and Bob Wiacek all working away. The flow into the room had just started and had not yet reached Ramona. She was lots busier later.

 

 

Walt and Louise Simonson - A ton of fun to talk to. If I'd known that I was going to make this trip, I'd have brought my Walter Simonson Thor Artist's Edition for him to sign and my House of Secrets 92 (she was the cover model) for her. Louise says that will be what is written about on her gravestone.

 

Very nice folks.

 

 

Dan Green - Dan got there late and I had only a minute to say hi. My loss. I wanted to ask him about inking Walt's LSH story and flat out forgot because we were near the end of the signing (our 2nd pass).

 

 

Joe Staton and Michael Dow Smith

 

Joe created (with N. Cuti) E-Man one of my favorites. He's also drawn and inked basically everything at one time or another. He "day job" is now the Tracy strip.

 

He's a commission target for me. I want a "cover" of a team-up between E-Man and Rog-2000 (by John Byrne) who shared a comic years ago. Joe would do the layouts and "his" stuff and John would finish. We'll see...

 

Matthew Dow Smith is doing a Dr. Who comic. Sadly, I've never read it or seen a Dr. Who show. Really nice guy though and he has a sister that works at Houston TV station.

 

 

Fred Hembeck and Joe Staton

 

Fred has done a little bit of everything, but I knew is work from Fantaco press and his Hembeck strips that ran in comics years ago.

 

He's the artist on one of my favorite commissions - a Sugar & Spike #100 "cover." Excellent work and a really fun guy to talk to.

 

Fred and I met as we were going into the store. I thought I'd recognized him (not too surprising) and he thought he recognized me (very surprising). I guess FB stalking does that.

 

Joe is covered above.

 

Todd Dezago

 

I have read much of Todd's work, but I hear Perhapanauts is really good. I didn't buy a book, probably should have, but more weight in the bag and cash only inhibited the sale.

 

Bob Wiacek behind him is one of several people behind the tables that I didn't meet.

 

Ramona and Joe hamming for the camera as the signing was closing.

[rsonenthal]

Wow!! What a line up!! Just seems like an awesome time. Thanks for sharing the photos.

 

Ron

[Bird]

My wife Bonnie and I also went. We drove up 2 hours from central NJ and made a day or it. I had Walt Simonson sign my Artists Edition as well, and Wednesday Comics too. Dan Green signed two painted pages from Dr Strange Into Shamballa that I own and Matt Smith delivered a wonderful commission of Hellboy and Dr Strange, with a cthulu-esque monster hint thrown in as well.. It was a tiny room for such a signing, and having one line for everyone made it slow going, but all in all a very nice day in a nice comic shop.

[alxjhnsn]

I saw you there. When Steve and I came back for the second pass, you and your wife were talking to Joe Sinnott (or maybe Bob Wiacek). You can't miss that Thor. You stepped back and - small room that it was - you, your wife, and I all tried to occupy roughly the same space.

 

 

[thethedew]

Was Walt sketching?

[alxjhnsn]

It was fun! I'm very glad Fred mentioned it and it was on one of the few weekends when I could make it.

[alxjhnsn]

Re: Walt

No sketching for me anyway.

 

I only had 3x5 index cards with a spiral binding. Maybe all that white space intimidated him.

 

Re: Sketches

I did get his autograph, but that's it. Matt Smith put the head of Dr. Who next to his signature. Joe Staton did a really nice bust of E-Man speaking to me next to his sig. Toon Fred appears next to "real" Fred's signature. Popeye is growling next to Terry Austin's. Man-Thing (not Giant-Sized) appears on the card signed by Bob Wiacek. Bob said he does Man-Thing as a default and he's not sure why. I thought that was funny.

 

The rest signed my book.

[alxjhnsn]

I forgot to mention that I sent Walt the picture of him and his bride through The Official Walter Simonson Page and he liked it so much that he's using it as his personal FB profile picture (suitably cropped of course). Nice to return the favor after so many years of enjoying his work.

 

PS. The pictures were taken on my brand new iPhone 4S; my iPhone 3GS was stolen from my car (yeah, I left it in the car) the day before this trip started. It definitely takes better pictures.

[alxjhnsn]

Louise Simonson posted her pictures in a Facebook Gallery.

 

She caught the two I missed (Terry Austin and Paul Abrams) and has other crowd shots. Check it out.

[Bird]

Oh, sorry Alex. I am sorry I missed seeing you and saying hello. You should have said hello. I can be a little spacey with tunnel vision at these times.

 

As far as sketching, Walt did the Thor sketch in his signature in my Artists Edition but the event was billed as a signing. I was surprised to seeing Ramona Fradon and Joe Sinnott sketching, but the place was set up as a line for signatures. No room to hang around.