A Thursday afternoon with Creig Flessel 3 3

[FFB]

As some of you know, Kris Moore (thecollector) set up a lunch with Creig Flessel on Thursday. After making arrangements and a reservation at a local restaurant, I picked up Kris from the Oakland Airport and drove out to Mill Valley. We pulled up into the parking lot at the retirement community where Creig lives, went to the reception desk, and announced ourselves. The woman at the desk called Creig, who said he would be right down. As Kris and I waited for him, we had a chance to look around a bit. It was a lot more lively and full of energy than I would have expected a retirement home to be. There were quite a few planned activities going on and many of the residents were meeting up with each other to go to one event or another.

 

A few minutes later, we see Creig making his way down the long hallway. He is 95 years old as of last month, and even though he walks with the aid of a walker, he does not look his age. We all introduced ourselves and went to get lunch.

 

While in the car, Creig suggested that we go to Grilly's, a local Mexican food restaurant. We sat outside and while waiting for our food, Creig talked about getting his start in the comic book industry. He told us that he was working as a janitor, and then decided to get into illustration to make ends meet. He spent a few bucks on a drawing board, and "cut his teeth" on pulps like Doc Savage and the Shadow. He also did some newspaper and advertising work. Then, he began working for Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson drawing comics.

 

While working for Wheeler-Nicholson, he was paid $5 per page of art. He got paid about $10 for covers, so he had to draw fast. He estimated that the cover to Detective Comics #5 took him about an hour. Other, more detail-intensive covers took a bit longer, maybe a couple of hours.

 

We finished up our lunch and he invited us back to his studio, where he had a couple of preliminary drawings done for a commission that Kris had requested. We drove back to the retirement community and walked down the long public hallway leading to the residences. Along the hallway, Creig pointed out a row of pen and ink drawings, painted with watercolor. They were all his, and were all done within the last year. (Creig mentioned that he sells his paintings in silent auctions and other places around Marin County, and that some of his recent paintings have won prizes at local art shows.) One of the paintings was of a kid trying to catch a fish with a net as the fish jumped out of the water, as a bear leaned over the kid's back to try to catch the fish for itself. The painting was very reminiscent in style and quality to the cover of More Fun #35, although the scene was obviously different. The hallway looked like a mini-gallery of unpublished, early More Fun covers.

 

One of the residents walked by as we admired the row of paintings and referred to Creig as their "resident genius." Creig introduced us to another resident who was sitting down on a bench in the hallway, and told us that he was Creig's "editor." As it turns out, Creig draws a monthly cartoon, "Creig's Corner," in the retirement community's newsletter. Here is the most recent installment:

 

 

I am still amazed at how strong his line is, and also his attention to fine details, at 95 years of age.

 

We walked down the hallway to the elevator, then up the elevator to Creig's floor. Outside his room, there is a corner sunroom with a nice view of the San Francisco Bay. Creig mentioned that he and Marie (his wife of 70 years) got lucky when they moved in because they got an apartment right next to the sunroom and had a great view. We walked to Creig's door, and as we walked in, I felt like I was walking into Norman Rockwell's apartment.

 

Creig and Marie's apartment is divided into two rooms -- a bedroom/art studio, and a living area. The walls of both rooms are covered with dozens of Creig's drawings and paintings, some watercolors, some comic strip drawings, some caricatures, and several drawings that appear to be hand-drawn birthday cards and anniversary cards. Tucked into a corner of the bedroom is Creig's drawing table. He has a draftsman's table and several side tables with jars brimming over with colored pencils, brushes, etc. On the walls above the table are several beautiful Sandman paintings, a box frame with a small Sandman statue, and several other non-superhero drawings and paintings. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me, but I did find a picture on the internet of Creig in his apartment studio (the art on the walls is different, but the setup of the drawing area is essentially the same).

 

 

Creig pulled out two preliminaries that he had done in marker pen on paper for Kris' commission. They were gorgeous, fluid drawings of the Sandman leaping over the hood of a car while a surprised looking woman looked on. He and Kris talked price for a moment, and Creig gave him one of the preliminaries to take with him.

 

From there, we went into the living area to sit down and talk for a while. I brought my laptop computer and wireless broadband card with me so that I could show him the Creig Flessel tribute thread here on the boards. I read aloud the initial post by Peter and Creig smiled broadly at what Peter had to say about him. I told him a bit about Peter's collection and how much Peter likes his work, and he seemed to appreciate that quite a bit, asking questions about where he lived and what he collected.

 

We spent about an hour looking at the covers people had posted in the thread and got a different story for each of them. For Detective Comics #14, Creig said that when he first showed the cover to Jack Liebowitz, Liebowitz complained about it and said, "No one will ever believe that cover! That guy could just stomp on the fuse and put out that bomb before it explodes!"

 

Liebowitz wanted him to re-do the cover, but Creig replied, "Jack, you're thinking about the cover like a grandfather. No kid is going to look at the cover and think of that!" Liebowitz thought about it a while longer and agreed, and accepted the cover as it was.

 

At this point, I pulled out my Detective Comics #10 to show it to him. He asked whether there was a Johnson Smith & Co. ad on the back cover, and I took it out and confirmed that there was. Creig said that he was doing advertising illustration for Johnson Smith & Co. at the time, and many of the DC comics from that era "have Creig Flessel art on the front and on the back, and no one knows it!"

 

A fellow forumite had some questions about who had drawn the covers to Detective Comics #18 (sometimes attributed to Leo O'Mealia), New Adventure Comics #16 (sometimes attributed to Shuster), and Adventure Comics #37/Double Action #2 (attributed to Flessel and others). Creig confirmed that Detective Comics #18 and New Adventure Comics #16 were his work, but that Adventure Comics #37 was done by "an Irishman" named Flanagan (determined on these boards to be John Richard Flanagan).

 

Creig also had some interesting things to say about the covers to Detective Comics #18 and New Adventure Comics #24. The intricate design work on Fu Manchu's robes was not on the original art that Creig drew. Rather, the engraver added that detail at Creig's request. Likewise, the birchbark coloring pattern on the canoe on the cover of New Adventure Comics #24 was also not on the original art that Creig drew -- it was added by the engraver, who Creig said "was a bit of an artist himself, and really worked hard to make the finished product look good."

 

On down the Flessel tribute thread we went, and Creig told more and more stories. He noted that the Detective Comics #9 cover had been copied by another artist later on (as Peter himself noted). He had spent time working with boats, so he loved to draw covers with boats and rafts on them. When I showed him Peter's copy of New Adventure Comics #15, he said, "I was like a poor man's Norman Rockwell on some of that stuff."

 

When I showed him Peter's copy of Detective Comics #15,

 

 

Creig said, "When I turned in that cover, everyone said 'Wow, the way you are showing the policemen in the mirror is innovative!' " To which Creig replied, "Innovative? What the heck do you think a mirror is for???"

 

When we looked at the cover to Adventure Comics #32, Kris mentioned that it was one of his favorite covers. Creig said that he had always liked the idea of two people stranded on a raft at sea, fighting for their lives. That's what prompted him to draw this cover.

 

On the early Detective Comics covers (2-5), he mentioned that those were very simple covers that took him almost no time to do.

 

When he saw the New Adventure Comics #18, he mentioned that he drew that cover because surfing was beginning to become popularized on the US mainland due to Johnny Weissmuller and Duke Kahanamoku. He drew the cover without any reference handy, and years later, a collector who was also a surfing fanatic commended him on getting the surfing pose accurate. Creig just kind of laughed as if to say, "Just lucky, I guess."

 

When we looked at More Fun Comics #36, Creig said, "I've always been a bit more of a cartoonist than just an illustrator. You can see that in this cover, where people have the exaggerated facial expressions and body language."

 

When he saw New Adventure Comics #30, he said "I had just finished reading Moby when I did that cover, and I wanted to do one with a whale attacking a boat."

 

On we went to the last page of the tribute thread, and when he saw Peter's copy of Detective Comics #15 re-quoted in another post, he said, "You know, I did a recreation of that cover. I think I still have it in the closet. Do you want to see it?"

 

 

That was my initial reaction. I said, "Sure!" Creig got up, pulled open the closet, and pulled it out.

 

 

I was absolutely floored. I asked him if it was for sale, and he said it was. I asked what he wanted for it, and the price he quoted was too low, so I offered him about 2.5X what he asked (which, as it turned out, is about what his recreations had sold for on the open market when one has popped up). After I wrote him the check, he said, "Do you want me to do a recreation for you?" I said, "Absolutely!" So we discussed having him do a recreation of my favorite Detective Comics cover, #18.

 

He also asked us if we had anything we wanted him to sign. I pulled out my Detective Comics #10, which he signed on the front cover. He also signed some nice color printouts of Detective Comics #5 and 18, Adventure Comics #40, and New Adventure #16. As this was going on, a reporter from the Marin Independent Journal showed up to interview Creig. We all chatted for a while, and since the reporter said that he knew nothing about comics, Kris and I filled him in. At one point, I was trying to put Creig's work into perspective for the reporter, so I said, "In the late 1930s, Creig was drawing covers like no one had ever seen before. He was like the Elvis Presley of the Golden Age of comics!" The reporter liked that bit, so he reached for his notepad to write it down. As he did so, Creig said with a laugh, "Well, I don't think anyone ever saw me shake my hips like Elvis did!"

 

Soon thereafter, Creig's wife, Marie, came in and said hello. I showed her some of the cover printouts that Creig had signed and when she saw the cover to Detective Comics #18, she said, "Oh, I remember that Fu Manchu cover! That was a great cover!" I asked Marie when she and Creig had been married, and she said "since 1937." It was really neat to meet the woman who had lived through this era with Creig and clearly remembered quite a bit about it.

 

At this point, Kris and I were about ready to go, since we had been there for several hours and didn't want to overstay our welcome. The reporter had a photographer coming to take pictures, and asked us to stay for a bit longer so that they could get pictures of Creig signing his work for some of his fans. A few minutes later, the photographer arrived and started taking pictures of Creig and of the art on the walls (including a brilliant self-portrait that looks very Norman Rockwell-esque). Creig mentioned that he had been approached by someone to make a book featuring his art. Kris said that any such book should have the self-portrait on the cover. You can see the bottom half of the self-portrait in the picture of Creig at his drawing table, above. Neither Kris nor I had a camera handy (mine was broken and he forgot to bring his), so we didn't get any pictures. I am going to try to get some of the pics that the photographer took and will post them here if I do.

 

The photographer then took some photos of Creig signing some more items with me and Kris kneeling next to him, and then we said our goodbyes. On the drive back to San Francisco, I felt like a giddy five-year-old who had just spent several hours in the world's largest candy store. It was truly an amazing afternoon, and one of the most gratifying moments of my almost 30 years reading and collecting comics.

[Sharkey]

Congrats Scott!!!

 

That cover recreation is even nicer looking in person!

 

When we went to dinner on Friday night, after Scott's day with Flessel, he was SO pumped up about it. That had to be just an incredible, incredible day!!!

[october]

Thanks for taking the time to write that out for those of us not lucky enough to meet a living comics legend (who looks damn good for 95 by the way). Some really interesting stuff, nice to finally know who did the cover to Adventure 37.

 

Congrats on the recreation, you couldn't have picked a cover better than 18. Can't wait to see the finished product.

[RareHighGrade]

Scott, what a great story! Thank you for taking the time to report it in such detail. Creig is truly one of the great legends of this hobby, and he sounds like a wonderful person as well. I am glad that he was able to see the tribute thread and realize how much people appreciate his amazing work. I only wish that I could have been there for what sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Congratulations on the cover recreations. Those two covers would have been my first choices too.

[Durden08]

Great write up FFB. Flessel truely is a legend and is work is just as incredible today as it was in the 40s. Sounds like a great guy too.

[FFB]

Scott, what a great story! Thank you for taking the time to report it in such detail. Creig is truly one of the great legends of this hobby, and he sounds like a wonderful person as well. I am glad that he was able to see the tribute thread and realize how much people appreciate his amazing work. I only wish that I could have been there for what sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Congratulations on the cover recreations. Those two covers would have been my first choices too.

 

I spoke to a couple of guys who are Flessel fans at the WonderCon forum dinner, and we kicked around the idea of having lunch with Creig as a small group of maybe four or five people. He really seemed to enjoy hanging out and talking about his work. Let me know if you're interested in coming up for something like that, and I'll see about setting it up. Win Murray, this goes for you too.

[*paull*]

Great story!

 

I'm glad that Kris was able to get some Flessel art after passing on the painting that was on eBay!

[RareHighGrade]

Scott, what a great story! Thank you for taking the time to report it in such detail. Creig is truly one of the great legends of this hobby, and he sounds like a wonderful person as well. I am glad that he was able to see the tribute thread and realize how much people appreciate his amazing work. I only wish that I could have been there for what sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Congratulations on the cover recreations. Those two covers would have been my first choices too.

 

I spoke to a couple of guys who are Flessel fans at the WonderCon forum dinner, and we kicked around the idea of having lunch with Creig as a small group of maybe four or five people. He really seemed to enjoy hanging out and talking about his work. Let me know if you're interested in coming up for something like that, and I'll see about setting it up. Win Murray, this goes for you too.

 

I'm in!! Just give me lots of advance notice.

[stagedoorjohnny]

Awesome recap, FFB. Thanks for sharing it with us. That day was truly one of those life experiences that will be etched in your memory banks. I'm very happy to see that you were able to share with him some of the great postings about him and his work from these very boards. I'm sure he got a big kick out of it. I hope he realizes his place in comic book history and the adoration his work merits in today's collecting community. Truly a legend. Thanks again.

[143ksk]

[ciorac]

Great job Scott! I am envious as heck, but your report makes me feel like I was there.

[The Black Hand ®]

Reports like this make these boards totally worth it!

[Flee-Marquette]

Excellent story!! I wish someone would go around and film golden age artists while there are some that are still with us. Let them tell stories and possibly film them doing a recreation of a classic cover. I definitely would pay to watch that.

[CentaurMan]

Wow!!!!!!

 

Thank you, Scott, for taking the time to write down your experience in such detail. It was awesome to read (twice!). I'm so happy to hear that Mr. Flessel seems to have had such a happy life, and that he's been able to share it with his wife of SEVENTY years. I'm also very happy to hear that the other residents of his community are aware of how great he is, and that he's physically still able to share his talents. I imagine most 95 year old men have failing eyesight or crippling arthirtis or are just plain dead.

 

I spoke to a couple of guys who are Flessel fans at the WonderCon forum dinner, and we kicked around the idea of having lunch with Creig as a small group of maybe four or five people. He really seemed to enjoy hanging out and talking about his work. Let me know if you're interested in coming up for something like that, and I'll see about setting it up. Win Murray, this goes for you too.

 

Keep me posted and I'll do whatever I can to make my schedule fit.

[RedFury]

Thanks for sharing, Scott. It was a real pleasure to read.

[tth2]

For Detective Comics #14, Creig said that when he first showed the cover to Jack Liebowitz, Liebowitz complained about it and said, "No one will ever believe that cover! That guy could just stomp on the fuse and put out that bomb before it explodes!"

 

Great report, Scott! Definitely one of the threads that proves the worth of these Boards!

[adamstrange]

One of the best posts I've read on these boards! Thanks for taking the time!

[sacentaur]

Superb report, Scott - I enjoyed it immensely!

 

STEVE

[Postal]

Absolutely Incredible!

 

Thanks FFB

[Forbush-Man]

Great report, Scott.

 

You must have been jazzed to meet Mr. Flessel in person. And you're right, he certainly doesn't look to be 95 (looks more like a man in his mid 70's).

 

Congratulations on the cover reproduction, a true treasure.