Did You Meet Your Comic Book Heroes? 1 1

[jdandns]

Yup.

Stan Lee, Garth Ennis, Jim Steranko, Dave Stevens, Bernie Wrightson, Matt Wagner, Kyle Baker, Mike Mignola, Geof Darrow, Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams, George Perez, Brian Bolland, Barry Windsor Smith, P. Craig Russell, Jill Thompson, Michael Kaluta, Bill Sienkiewicz, Arthur Adams, Mike Mignola, Nelson DeCastro, Sergio Aragones, Alex Ross, Mark Millar, Grant Morrison, Dave Gibbons, Garry Leach, Charles Vess, David Lloyd, Eddie Campbell, Kevin O'Neill, Steve Dillon, Walt Simonson, Peter David, Steve Rude, Glenn Fabry, Chris Weston, John McCrea, Los Bros Hernandez, plus Matt Groening, Ron English, and Stephen King,  All of them were kind enough to sign autographs for me, a few did sketches. Most of them seemed like pretty nice people. Some didn't talk much, but only Grant Morrison seemed a little annoyed by the whole business. 

I guess Alan Moore, the King of them All, is the main one who got away.

I'd also like to shake hands with Gilbert Shelton, Neil Gaiman, Chris Ware, Frank Miller, Tim Truman, Brian K. Vaughan, and John Bolton at some point, maybe Jim Lee and the Toddfather, too.

[jdandns]

On 5/3/2023 at 5:42 PM, Domo Arigato said:

One of the best stories I've heard about meeting a comic book artist wasn't from a comic fan......but from another comic artist.  

It happened when Jim Steranko met Bob Kane for the very first time.  For those who aren't aware of it, here's what happened in Steranko's own words.  Keep in mind....when growing up, Steranko was a small child and became a target for bullies and young gang-members, so he studied self-defense and took up boxing to defend himself.

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"I hadn't encountered Kane in my travels, but at one rockin' SDCC, an associate asked me if I wanted to meet him, and walked me into a hallway.  There he was, in a small group of people, wearing patent-leather shoes--and an ASCOT, like he was Vitamin f***ing Flintheart in a Dick Tracy cartoon.  

For years, I'd heard how he'd taken credit for Bill Finger's contributions (in addition to half his pay) and other despicable tales from his associates.  But nothing aces an in-person encounter.  We were introduced and Kane began talking about my Batman chapter in the HISTORY OF COMICS, which treated him--and everyone else--very respectfully.  He felt I credited Robinson and Finger (both of whom I knew intimately) too much.  Kane (aka Kahn) was beyond pretentious, an intolerable ass as pompous as they come.  I bit my tongue while he regaled us with his many achievements.

The group was waiting for an elevator, which they stepped into when the door opened.  Our conversation ended, but not before he said: "See you later, Jim, baby", and cuffed me across the face--like some rat-pack street gesture he'd seen in some cheap flick.  The doors closed...

I was stunned by the sheer audacity of a stranger--like him--to lay a hand on me, and boiling with anger.  That night, I couldn't sleep, and the next morning began combing the halls for his Bat Majesty.  Around noon, I found him in another group, which I walked into.  "Good to see you, Bob, baby!" I said, then b**ch-slapped him across the face.  But this time, there was no elevator door closing between us.  I stood there for about 15 seconds, waiting.  He did nothing.

I turned and left.  But I regret it now.  I regret that he didn't do anything about it, even though he was at least a head taller than me.  I wouldn't have minded bleeding at all for one more opportunity to give Kane the kind of Bat Lesson that Finger, Robinson, Sprang and others only dreamed of."

 

I dig Steranko, but he has a very, very vivid imagination. 

[The lips]

Only ever met one, and thankfully it was Stan Lee here in the UK. 

I was 13 years old and he was friendly, charming and charismatic. I’d never met an American before never mind the co-creator of all my favourite characters. 
He signed my Silver Surfer #1 and the 30 years of Marvel book by Les Daniels. 
 

an experience I’ll never forget. 

[KingOfRulers]

My worst experience was Frank Brunner, which sucked, because I really love his work. I 100% admit that I made a serious mistake, but Frank was a jerk nonetheless.

We had Frank coming to town for Tampa Bay Comic Con in February 2011. This was the second convention I'd ever run, following the November 2010 Tampa Bay Comic Con debut. I was young and inexperienced. Frank was flying into town with his wife, and we were set to pick him up from the airport. Me being a middle-class 23 year old with no concept of silver spoon hospitality, was completely ignorant of what was expected by guests with regard to their accommodations for convention appearances. Frank was expecting some guy in a suit holding a "Welcome to Florida Mr. Brunner!" sign, waiting from him in baggage claim. I'd never experienced anything like that before, so it never even crossed my mind that such service is what was expected of me. Whenever I flew into a city, as soon as I landed, I'd power-up the cell phone, call my ride and say, "I'm here! Please come and get me." That's all I'd ever known. I was waiting for this call from Frank. Unbeknownst to me at the time, Frank didn't even own a cell phone. I'm sitting at the hotel which is less than 10 minutes away from the airport thinking to myself, "Where the heck is Frank? The plane landed. I wonder if he missed his flight." Eventually, I got a call from Frank. It was probably 45 minutes-1 hour after he landed. Not owning a cell phone, he called from a pay phone at the airport and was in a rage. Just yelling at the top of his lungs. He was trying to strangle me through the phone, I think. 

@MCMiles sped over to the airport to pick-up Frank. MCMiles was gracious enough to do the pick-up, so as to be the "good cop" barrier before Frank reached me. We didn't even know what Frank looked like. Google images had one picture of him (the one with him wearing sunglasses, which is now his wikipedia picture), and it wasn't a great picture to identify him with. Thankfully, Frank was found and picked up. MCMiles is a straight-edge guy; doesn't smoke or drink at all. As soon as Frank got in the vehicle, he proceeds to smoke like a chimney. What a jerk. What kind of person starts smoking away in a stranger's car? I called MCMiles while they were in route to see if he successfully picked up Frank, and I could tell by his tone and one-word responses to my questions that things weren't going well on the drive.

I met Frank and did everything I could to apologize. I let him know that it was my mistake. I paid for his dinner. Outside of that, and continuing to apologize, I don't know what else I could've done for him. Apparently, it wasn't enough. Frank smoked in the hotel room all weekend, which was obviously a non-smoking room. I don't remember how much the cleaning fee was. Probably $200, or something like that. For us, at the time, it was a major blow. Our total convention budget was probably only $7,500. Frank smoking in his room because he was an angry a-hole was roughly 2.5% of our total operating budget . Frank's wife was the complete opposite of Frank. She was so nice. It was obvious that she was very embarrassed by Frank's behavior.

I continued to talk to Frank throughout the convention weekend, trying to smooth things over. He eventually calmed down, and became a less hostile a-hole for the remainder of the convention. Essentially, he was insulting me throughout the weekend, but not yelling anymore. Which is fine. At the time, my most cherished piece of original artwork in my collection was his Dr. Strange/Clea/Ancient One oversized pin-up from Marvel Treasury Edition #6. I told him that I owned it, and he did a double-take. He was very impressed and surprised. I don't remember his exact words, but it was something along the lines of, "Maybe you aren't a complete insufficiently_thoughtful_person after all." That's the nicest remark I could get out of the great Frank Brunner all weekend.

My final attempt at extending the olive branch was taking Frank and his wife to dinner at P.F. Changs on Sunday after the show ended. Another 2.5% of the show operating budget went into this dinner, but I was really trying my best to fix the situation. It seemed to get the job done. I feel like we ended on good terms.

Frank's fury ate up 5% of our show budget, but that's the way it goes sometimes. Frank returned to Tampa Bay Comic Con several years later. We were a much larger, polished operation by then. I didn't even speak to Frank at all during his second appearance with us. We had a dedicated hospitality team at that point, and I'd already had my Frank Brunner experience.

Edited May 4, 2023 by KingOfRulers

[joeypost]

At that same show Frank wanted me to get in line 4-5 times because he didn’t want to sign 50 books at once. I said what if I bought you lunch. A pizza and a liter of soda later he signed all my books in one sitting. Very interest Man. 
 

Also met:

Steranko

Adams

Trimpe

Wrightson

Starlin

Cardy

Perez

 

[Ken Aldred]

Robert Kirkman was a really nice guy.

Said he liked my British accent and slang, had a really great chat about his books, especially Invincible, then when I started looking through his stack of trade paperbacks he suggested I pick a nice copy of Walking Dead Vol 1, signed it for me and said that I could take it for free. 

What else is there to say.

Edited May 4, 2023 by Ken Aldred

[realitytrip]

Been going to conventions since the early 90s - Met most of my comic book heroes over the years.  Most of them were extremely nice.  Couple tidbits of note:

• Chris Claremont - As you can probably guess by my avatar, he was a big one for me.  He was totally nice but he didn't bother to ask how to spell my name and used the less common variant.  So I have a personalized X-men 101 with my name misspelled.  Amusing story anyway.
• Paul Smith - Another biggie for me - Didn't realize he would be at the show I went to, so I had to dig through vendor boxes to find a book for him to sign. Couldn't find any of his X-men run, had to settle for a fill in Iron Man issue he did.  So I have a Iron Man with a little Lockheed drawing on it.

I would have loved to meet Byrne and Austin at some point, maybe one day....

 

 

[jjonahjameson11]

Paul Smith is one of the very few creators on my bucket list.  He was supposed to be at the Motorcity con in the early 2000’s, but couldn’t make it due to inclement weather.  
 

Marie Severin was supposed to be at that show, too, but likewise cancelled due to the weather.  I never had the opportunity to meet this talented lady, but I’ve heard about so many good experiences from others who met her.

[bentbryan]

I’m very fortunate to have a good friend (Jay) who started a smaller but rapidly growing con up here in NH. He’s done 7 shows the past 6 years and I’ve been the driver for the “feature” artist/ guest for most of these shows. The first year was Al Milgrom, who incidentally, has been in attendance for most of the shows now.  He’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet and I’m happy to say is also just like us, a fan of comics, movies and tv shows.  Super fun to talk to.  
 

The following year was Jim Steranko.   The show is on a Saturday and the night before Jay hosted a private “dinner with Steranko” at the hotel next to the convention.  I was to pick Jim up at Boston Logan airport and drive him to the dinner.  Thunder storms delayed his flight by 4 hours! Anyway, he finally arrives and I meet him in the baggage claim  I grab his box of prints (which was about 400lbs) and tell him I’ll be right back with the car and he says “then I need you to grab us a couple Go Go girls”   We then make the 2 hour drive to Concord which was super cool. He was very engaging and asked me a lot of questions about what artists I like, books I collect etc.  He also borrowed my cell phone to call his girlfriend . I also was able to help him at the show. The guy is an absolute pistol. Man, can he talk. 

I also got to drive Sam De La Rosa and Jim Shooter the next couple of years.  Both awesome guys and easy to talk to.  It was a treat to meet Mr Shooter as he presided over my introduction to comics and I must have asked him a million questions about making GI Joe.   
 
2 weeks ago was probably the highlight of them all.  I drove to NY and picked up Jim Starlin! That was cool! During the ride up he actually got his invite to the Guardians 3 premiere in LA.  We talked about Endgame and his cameo in it. (It took 8 takes, Chris Evans was more preoccupied with his phone between takes, the Russo bros are cool guys, and Josh Brolin is not only an awesome dude but a big hugger lol). We got to the hotel and he was hungry so we went and grabbed dinner.  The next day I helped him at the show and the following morning drove him to Boston for his flight to LA. On the way we talked about movies and such, who would win in a fight, Vader or Thanos (sans gauntlet).  He said Thanos, I disagree! He’s a pretty humble guy and very friendly to fans.  One guy came with the Hasbro Legendary series Infinity Gauntlet, I said “Jim, I need a pic of you wearing that!” He obliged…

 

 

[Browns81]

In the late 90s I emailed Tom Tomorrow and he responded with a very personal and thankful response.  Back then you could do that sort of thing because the internet wax much smaller and more intimate.

[MR SigS]

Twelve years ago, I discovered I live 10 minutes away from Mike Royer. We met and have been great friends since. His wife has grown tired of conventions, so from 2017 up until all the 2020 convention shutdowns, I assisted at a few west coast shows, allowing him to bring more inventory (here I am helping at his table while he posed with a new fan at SDCC 2019- No idea who took the photo).

Spoiler

 

At SDCC 2017 Mike was a special guest invite because of Kirby's 100th birthday celebration, and along with that year's other invites Ron Wilson, Keith Pollard, Joe Staton, and Jim Starlin (and their guests), we were seated at table 8 at the Will Eisner Awards Banquet. I felt like a kid allowed at the adult table many years too early. Because it was a private atmosphere, meaning they were on their time, I tried to be as respectful as I could, not getting fanboy on them. A very small part of me wishes I had, but I'm mostly glad I didn't bother them. I did discreetly (hopefully) take some quick flashless panoramic photos with my phone (I felt I should cover the faces of Staton's and Starlin's wives).

Naturally I kept my seating place card but didn't get it signed until the next day. Unfortunately, I was unable to locate Starlin and Staton, but I got the other sigs. Maybe someday I can catch up with them and get some retroactive sigs.

Spoiler

 

Others I've met through Mike and luckily conversed with more than I probably would have otherwise at a show were Jim Steranko- Those two are a lot of fun when they're together.

Marv Wolfman- Met at breakfast Thur. morning of SDCC 2017 and San Diego Comic Fest 2020.

Scott Shaw at SDCC '19 and again at breakfast (along with William Stout) at SDCFest '20- His and Mike's tables were also side by side on the convention floor.

Spoiler

 

Walt Simonson- Met at Mike's table closing night Sunday SDCC '19, irritating the good folks who were trying to clear the floor. Later that night there was a 'closing night' gathering at a nearby bar where we met up again with Walt as well as Louise (she isn't pictured), and there I met Sergio Aragones and Bud Plant (that's the back of his head).

Spoiler

 

Many others 'behind the scenes- Stan Sakai, Mike Thibedeaux, Mark Evanier, Storyboard artist Paul Power, Tom Kraft from the Kirby Museum, the Kirby family, comics historian Greg Koudulian, Disney artists Floyd Norman and Willie Ito, and RockMyAmadeaus 

Arthritis is making things difficult for me these days, but I hope to help him again someday since it can't be getting easier for him, though I have a hard time keeping up with him at shows  No joke .

I can tell you this with certainty- He loves talking with you guys at shows. Bring your cartoon and Disney books he worked on- You'll truly make his day 

[Dick Pontoon]

I'll second that. Mike is a great guy, very gregarious, entertaining and funny. He's no wallflower!

[mattn792]

As a huge Wolverine fan growing up, Larry Hama has always been one of my all-time favorites.  I've had the opportunity to meet him three times, in three separate years, at three different conventions...and each time he's been pissed off.  It makes me sad.  The guy just doesn't seem to want to be there, ever.  

Luckily, my positive con interactions far outweigh the very few negative ones that I have had.  If I had to name one creator I still want to meet (again, Wolverine-centric), it's Mark Texeira.  

[jimjum12]

So far, I've met and spoken to Stan, Neal, Roy, Herb, Steranko, Root, and Claremont. I've met others but basically in passing. I got to speak to Adams and Trimpe at length, both were very cool. GOD BLESS... 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[Ken Aldred]

Roy Thomas was a really nice, engaging guy.  We had a long chat about the Justice Society, how it had always been one of my favourite teams since childhood, reading the Golden Age reprints of the team members in the Bronze Age 100 pagers, then the Conway / Wood / Levitz All-Star Comics, the later Infinity Inc stories, and through into the 90s with Strazewski / Parobeck / Johns, and so on for absolutely ages.

Then, noticing my accent, he changed the subject and started talking about how much he liked visiting England, including my home city, Manchester, as he’d done the Granada Studios tour and had visited the set of his favourite British soap opera, Coronation Street. Apparently at the time I met him, mid-2000s, he had a large collection of videotapes of the show, which started back in 1960. Quite a fan of it.

So, incredible conversation, which went in a completely surprising, unexpected direction. Very memorable.

Edited May 8, 2023 by Ken Aldred

[seanfingh]

On 5/8/2023 at 12:32 PM, Ken Aldred said:

Roy Thomas was a really nice, engaging guy.  We had a long chat about the Justice Society, how it had always been one of my favourite teams since childhood, reading the Golden Age reprints of the team members in the Bronze Age 100 pagers, then the Conway / Wood / Levitz All-Star Comics, the later Infinity Inc stories, and through into the 90s with Strazewski / Parobeck / Johns, and so on for absolutely ages.

Then, noticing my accent, he changed the subject and started talking about how much he liked visiting England, including my home city, Manchester, as he’d done the Granada Studios tour and had visited the set of his favourite British soap opera, Coronation Street. Apparently at the time I met him, mid-2000s, he had a large collection of videotapes of the show, which started back in 1960. Quite a fan of it.

So, incredible conversation, which went in a completely surprising, unexpected direction. Very memorable.

Man City or Man U, Ken?

[Ken Aldred]

On 5/8/2023 at 5:55 PM, seanfingh said:

Man City or Man U, Ken?

Always been a non-sporty nerd, sadly.

Edited May 8, 2023 by Ken Aldred

[seanfingh]

On 5/8/2023 at 1:06 PM, Ken Aldred said:

Always been a non-sporty nerd, sadly.

Man Who Cares, got it. 

[Dale Roberts]

On 5/3/2023 at 8:45 AM, TupennyConan said:

It was Megacon 1999 when I met Barry Windsor-Smith for the only time.

I was 29, flush with cash, & just re-entering the hobby after having been out since about age 17. It was my first show back & I took a really nice looking date with me for the weekend. She was a ballet instructor. Megacon was still a large hotel show in downtown Orlando then.

She & I stood in a long line to meet BWS. She didn't know who he was or anything about comics. When we arrived at his table, he ignored me and immediately began flirting with her, delivering a wide variety of rapid fire, charming remarks and compliments. Finally he asked if we were together. When she said yes, he told her to make me buy his OPUS I, which he was vending at the table. She did & so I did. Still have it. He continued to ignore me as he signed the book for me, and my first ever Conan 1 on the splash, which I had just purchased from Dale Roberts. The first time I'd met Dale. I still have the Conan. It's probably 9.4. 

As we were about to leave the table and allow the long line behind us to advance, he finally left my date alone & spoke to me.

He said: Why the hell would you wear that shirt on a date with her? 

I don't recall my reply. Here is about what the shirt looked like. He asked the correct question.    

 

The only reason I spoke to you was because of the girl too...

 

[xriddx]

On 5/2/2023 at 1:52 PM, KingOfRulers said:

Some of the nicest creators I've met were those pictured below: Pablo Marcos, Allen Bellman, and Ron Wilson. I wouldn't call any of them among my "hero creators", but I will say that Marvel 2-In-1 Annual #7 pencilled by Ron Wilson is among my favorite comic books.

Other creators that I always had great interactions with that come to mind are: Neal Adams, Bob Camp, Dave DeVries, Mike Perkins, Arvell Jones, Joe Giella, Carl Potts, Khoi Pham, Sean Chen, and Mike Mayhew.

 

 

Wow you got to meet Allen Bellman!  He recently passed.  One of the great artists of early timely. http://allenbellman.com/ 

He did a lot of captain america, bucky, young allies, human torch namor in the early days ... as in back in World War 2!!