Dragon Con 2011 Part 2

Meeting Jim Steranko.

Jim was at the Vangaurd table which was in the front of artists alley. He always had a steady stream of people he talked to. I would stand around wanting to buy something but he would be busy in a conversation with somebody. I decided to wait until the next day to attempt to talk to him.

I came back the next day accompanied with my collected trade of Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.E.I.L.D. released in 2001. My chance came when I got a little one on one time with him. I whipped out the trade and he would not sign that particular book. He said he offered Marvel his services to help make the book as good as it could be and they declined. Marvel also found a loophole where if they printed it in Europe they wouldn't have to pay Jim any royalties. After he told me this I just wanted to throw the book in the trash. I didn't since it's great reference for me because I love Jim's work. But he did offer me the Captain America print he did for a 911 charity pre-signed and shrink wrapped over some heavy duty cardboard for half price so I gobbled it up. 

I mentioned how I love his Kirby influence and he lit up like a Christmas tree. He said that when you met Jack he treated you like family. He told me a story of when he first met Jack at Jack's house in long island. As soon as Jim walked in Jack asked what he was having for lunch. Jim said they had grilled cheese and chicken soup. Then he went done in Jacks studio. Jack worked in his basement. Jack was working on a western piece a tow page spread of a bar fight. He told me the name of the book but I can't remember. Boy's Ranch or Western Ranch, I should have wrote it down. He said it was a really wonderful piece. While Jim was looking at the piece, Jack come behind smoking a cigar and said something like "Just a little something I worked on before lunch."  He got a little emotional too. Looking into the distance as if Jack's spirit was standing there. 

He also used to hang out with Frazetta and Frazetta was a fan of Jack's work. By then there was a group of people around us. He asked us what was Jack's best work? I told him Fantastic Four #1. Jim said his romance comics. he could take ordinary situations of people standing around talking and make them dynamic.

Talking with Jim I got to really really like him. He is a very sharp dressed man and dapper as hell. I hope to look half as good as him at his age. He wouldn't let anyone take his picture. If you had something for him to sign he would sign it for free. If he sensed you trying to make a buck off him he would charge you five bucks.

I wanted to got to his panel that afternoon but I was so tired I went home to take a nap. I went back the next day and he had left. 

One thing I gathered from talking with Jim and Berni is when these masterpieces they created came out they only made a flat page rate. Which made me realize it's not about the buck but about the legacy.

Dragoncon 2011 Part 1

In went to the 25th dragon con this past weekend. I had a really good time. It was the best one I've been to so far. I met a lot of great artists along with the seasoned pros. It was a very exciting experience. I know for sure that a lot of other people had a great time also.

Meeting Berni Wrightson.

I walked up to his table and to my happy surprise I didn't have to wait in line. He was very gracious. I asked him if he would look at some of my art in particular Motorsyko. It was the first 7 pages. He flipped though each one and nodded his head.

 "I like it.", he said. For which made me very happy. I'm not sure if that's how he replies to every artist but I sure as hell wasn't going to complain.

We shook hands, in of itself is a thing of awesomeness. I was very proud to meet him. His work is very important in american art. For one thing he's up there with Frazetta and Williamson and Jack Davis. I would like to think Jack has been a very strong influence on my work for the past couple of years.

Later that afternoon I went to the his Q and A panel. I sat to the side on the second row.  It was fascinating. To sit there and watch a legend talk about his career and take you right there with him. I can't stress enough what an an amazing experience it was. My mind was soaking it all in. Anything I could soak up from this seasoned master I would value every drop. I haven't drawn anything yet but I know something will come out of it.




The stories he told about the prints he did for the re issuing of the restored " The Stand", his experiences with DC, WARREN, the "Heavy Metal" movie, Rich Corben, it was all just an amazing experience. The one cool thing he did announce was that he is making a sequel to Frankenstein and that it will be published by IDW. I can't wait! Oh, and Steve Nile is writing it. AWESOME.

The next day I went up to his table. He signed my Edgar Allen Poe portfolio he did back in 76'. He was pleased to see the prints. I told about about Dave Sims "Glamourpuss". It was in this comicbook that really had me take  closer look at Al Williamson, Alex Raymond and Milt Caniff. What Sims does is mix lucying models from glamour magazines and rendering them in the Al Williamson style. It really made me appreciate the artists he writes about.

Any way back to meeting Berni Wrightoson, I told that in "Glamourpuss" Dave Sims wrote a small vignette on him. In the article Dave claims to have heard from a third partying that that Berni gave a demonstration on how he inked "The Pepperlake Monster". Dave claims that this third party said that every time Berni would lay down a line he would dip his brush in ink, twirl the inked brush onto a scrap piece of paper so many times to get the brush into a fine point, and then lay down two or three lines, wash the brush, dry the brush, and repeat this over and over.

I told this to Berni and he said he doesn't work that way.  I was going to bring the issue ( Glamourpuss" Issue 4, Page 4) but didn't, thinking he had already seen it.  I told him I would go find it at a dealers room and he was like "Naa, don't worry about it."

I shook his hand and left going on a wild trek looking for the dealers room. Now Dragoncon has gotten so big that it is in 3 different hotels and I got totally lost and gave up.

NEXT: Meeting Jim Steranko.