2 quick days at Comic Con, that's all I did. Got there Thursday morning, left by Friday afternoon. But what a packed 2 days it was!
I wasn't exhibiting this year, but I wanted to check out the show. Well, actually, I just wanted to visit some friends I don't see very often. The first time I attended Comic Con was back in 1992! And the first time I exhibited at Comic Con was in 1998, the first year I started publishing my comic book, EL MUERTO. Since then, I've probably attended the Con about 6 or 7 times as an exhibitor, and the other years as an attendee, if even for just a few days. There's something about that place that draws me there. Could be the chance of finding some good books, either old comics or new ones I haven't discovered yet. This year was for meeting up with friends though....
My good friend Michael Aushenker!
I've shared plenty of tables with him at past conventions, and it's always a riot hanging out with Mikey. We met about 12 years ago, and it's been great to see both of us grow old together as cartoonists. Michael demanded me to get back into the 'game' next year and return to San Diego as an exhibitor. That's my plan, for sure! Michael's latest books are his new CARTOON FLOPHOUSE featuring GREENBLATT THE GREAT, and his except-for-the-last-10-pages kid's comic, SILLY GOOSE!
Another pair of friends who've been sharing a booth at Comic Con for some years now are James Baker and Rhode Montijo. James is a cartoonist who works primarily in animation, with Pixar's UP being his latest film. I usually also see Jamie every year at APE in San Francisco. He and Rhode for the last couple of years have been dressing up their booths, and themselves, with a theme. This year's was the most ambitious one of all!
Comic Bot! Robot from the future!
Apparently, in the future, robots will make the comics, all one has to do is type in the kind of comics you like and viola...There you go!
I could not believe this enormous robot-thing they built! It's so beautifully chintzy! People were really digging it. Man, these two artistes really raise the bar as far as dressing up their booths...without a major publisher or big-wig movie studio bankrolling em.
Rhode of course is an equally prolific artist. His Xeric Award-winning comic PABLO'S INFERNO was his first entry into DIY comics. Afterwards, he would co-create the wildly successful HAPPY TREE FRIENDS cartoon. Following his dreams, he would eventually work in children's book industry, illustrating the popular MELVIN BEEDERMAN chapter books as well as getting his own illustrated picture book, CLOUD BOY, published by Simon & Shuster!
I not only get inspired by this man's creativity, but he's been so supportive and encouraging of everything I've done as an artist since we first met back in 1997. And even if neither of us were artists, he'd still be one of my closest friends on account of his extremely good nature and positive spirit.
Met up with several other friends and creators, but I didn't take the time to shoot any pics. Sometimes, sometimes I try not to turn every instance into a blog-worthy moment, believe it or not! I did run into this gentleman:
I was never into Transformers myself, but I liked this costume. It wasn't so perfect that it looked like it was bought by a licensed manufacturer, but it also took some effort to create. I can appreciate that type of creativity and fan enthusiasm. So many times you read about people making fun of folks in costumes (and yeah, sometimes they look terrible!) but I think this type of fandom is an important part of this whole wide comics biz. I'll tell you for a fact that when I once saw someone dressed up like my character EL MUERTO for Halloween I was jazzed.
There was of course the requisite dinner in Old Town San Diego on Thursday night at a secret Mexican restaurant I go to at least once every year for Con. The strawberry margaritas are part of the ritual, as is the filling up of the outdoor patio with all sorts of great cartoonists. This year, and I'm sorry I didn't take any photos, the list included Hector Cantu, the co-creator/writer of the BALDO newspaper strip, Richard Dominguez, the creator of the comic book EL GATO NEGRO (and one of my early influences to publish my own comic book), Jason Martin, creator of SUPER REAL whose turned out to be a real good friend since we sat exhibited next door to each other at Con 4 years ago, Rhode Montijo, James Baker, Sam Hiti of the Xeric Award winning TIEMPOS FINALES (which is currently under development as a film), and several other artist I met for the first time during dinner. Quite the talented bunch of creators!
Here's a pic of Jason Martin, one the very far left in the black t-shirt, with me and Mort Todd in the foreground:
I hung out with Mort for most of the two days I was there. In fact, I picked him up from the airport Thursday morning as I got into town. I met Mort a few years ago and we've worked together on several projects. He actually hosted the first EL MUERTO film panel we had, back during Comic Con 2005. Mort moderated the panel with me, producer Larry Rattner, stars Tony Plana, Joel David Moore and Wilmer Valderrama. Mort also worked with me on the mini-comic that was included with the DVD release of EL MUERTO, me handling the script and layouts, and Mort providing the finished art, inking and grey tones. He's also contributed a spectacular pin-up to my upcoming MANGA MUERTO comic book.
Mort came to the Con to screen a documentary on SADISTIK, a 1960s European photo novel/film property that he's acquired the rights to. Unfortunately, I missed the screening as I was gone before Saturday's showing, but it was great to catch up with this amazingly prolific and talented artist. Mort, in his early 20s, was the Editor-in-Chief of CRACKED Magazine, then in the 90s he worked for Marvel and launched several reprint comics using Marvel's vast library of 1950s/60s monster/horror comics. He's worked with Dan Clowes, Steve Ditko, John Severin, Gene Colan, John K, and many other legendary artists. He's published his own monster magazines, numerous books and comics, and is currently working on animation for PLAYBOY and otherprojects. He's always been a real stand-up type of guy and a total professional. In this biz you meet so many people who 'befriend' you then flake out in a spectacular fashion, but Mort has always been the Real Deal.
With all this excitement at Con this year, it's no wonder I didn't miss exhibiting! But, like I told Michael Aushenker, I do indeed wanna get back 'in the game' next year.
For a brief audio report, check out this episode of the ART & STORY EXTREME podcast, hosted by some friends of mine, cartoonists Jerzy Drozd and Mark Rudolph. They interviewed me Saturday and I was glad to share some Con stories with them, including the Golden Age panel I was lucky enough to attend.
I'll be returning as a guest to TALK OBJECTIVISM today at 5 pm (PST). Today I will be joined by author Blake Bell (Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko) and my friend Mort Todd, who hired Ditko when he was the Editor-in-Chief of CRACKED magazine, as well as an editor at Marvel!
I was actually on the show last week as well. I was only going to preview today's episode but I ended up talking about Ditko for over an hour!
TALK OBJECTIVISM is a show dedicated to the philosophy founded by Ayn Rand, of which Ditko has been a follower of for decades. I had emailed the host of the show, Jason Mosley, and told him about Steve Ditko. He invited me to come on his show and talk about Dikto's work (Ditko co-created Spider-Man with writer Stan Lee) and how he's incorporated Objectivism in his comics.
If you want to listen to today's episode, just click on the above link. You can even join the Chat Room with a quick registration and participate in the show.
And here's acclaimed comic book writer Alan Moore talking about a song he once performed based on Steve Ditko and his legendary creation, MR. A!
Blake Bell's new biography on Steve Ditko is a long-overdue retrospective on one of comic's most imaginative creators and true iconoclasts. "STRANGE AND STRANGER: THE WORLD OF STEVE DITKO" takes us on a 216 page odyssey covering Ditko's 50+ years in the comics business. And every step of the way we're following the path of an artist whose independent streak remains unfaltering year after year.
A few years ago Fantagraphics co-publisher Gary Groth approached Bell with the idea of producing a monograph on Ditko, immediately after Bell had conducted a successful panel on Ditko at the 2002 San Diego Comic Con. Blake soon began researching a subject who hasn't given any formal interviews, or made any appearances at comic conventions, since the late 1960s.
The end result is this exceptionally written book detailing the professional career of one very private individual. Beginning with Dikto's early life in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the book details young Steve's love of comic books (Will Eisner's THE SPIRIT, The Batman) and his development as the class artist. Comics were all Ditko really wanted to do, and by the early 1950s Ditko is working in New York as a professional comic book artist. Some 10 years later, in 1962, he and Stan Lee co-create create The Amazing Spider-Man for Marvel Comics.
The chapter dealing with Spider-Man is probably my favorite part of the book. If only because of Bell's analysis of all aspects of the creation of the strip, guided so strongly by Ditko himself, and for best portrait we have on how the partnership began to grow increasingly difficult to maintain. It's Ditko's steadfast belief in fighting for what he believes to be right that made him stand up to Stan Lee and demand he get the plotting credit on the book, in addition to the art credit. The 'Marvel Method' in which the early books were created would often involve no more than a suggestion of a storyline from Stan, at which point Steve would basically create a whole 28 page comic book from scratch. Stan would afterwards write the actual dialog and add the captions, endowing the book with much of it's success. The day came though when Ditko turned in his last pages and walked off the book, the reasons put forward by Bell.
The co-creation status of Ditko on Spider-Man has long been a point of contention between the two legends. Lee often claiming sole 'creator' status for coming up with the initial idea, Ditko maintaining that as the person who came up with all the visual elements (costumes, physical appearances, gimmicks, etc), co-creator credit is an indisputable fact. Regardless of whatever Stan Lee believes, his very own Marvel Method gives validation to Ditko's claims, (and Jack Kirby's, for that matter) of co-creating the characters he worked on with Stan Lee. As young kid in the 70s, when I read Stan Lee's ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS, I immediately realized that the Lee-Kirby-Ditko partnerships were responsible for creating the original Marvel universe. To dispute that is intellectual dishonesty.
After Spider-Man, Ditko continued to work in comics, creating characters such as The Creeper, Hawk & Dove and Shade the Changing Man for DC and working on Captain Atom, The Blue Beetle and The Question for Charlton (these three would later inspire Alan Moore's creation of the Watchman). For Ditko though, he would never work on as high-profile an assignment as Spider-Man. Bell's book chronicles Ditko's adherence to the Objectivist philosophy of Ayn Rand and how the decisions he made regarding work, and even the way in which he would tell his stories, have had a hand in taking Dikto further away from the comic book spotlight.
An unexpected and welcome account in the book chronicles Frank Miller's contacts with Ditko to collaborate on a project. My friend Mort Todd, who in his capacity as Editor-in-Chief of CRACKED Magazine hired Ditko as an artist, and again at Marvel on a line of Marvel horror reprint books in the early 90s, also shows up in a chapter.
The majority of Ditko's career is formed by his Objectivist views, and Bell covers this in detail, providing the reader with an understanding, and critique, of Ditko's career choices. But also, the book spotlights the virtuosity of Steve Ditko the artist. With a rich variety of artwork covering everything from many rare pieces (Ditko's 1970s contributions to the San Diego Comic Con program) to the landmark iconic imagery of Spider-Man and Mr. A, this book also functions as an exquisite coffee table book. With virtually every page containing artwork from Ditko's entire career, the visual power of his inventive cartooning and design skills are really why Ditko is in the upper pantheon of comic book artists.
If you're interested in comic books, you owe it to yourself to read about this iconic practitioner of the art form. And if you consider yourself an independent artist, or thinker, then I would suggest to read about this man who steadfastly stood by his core values, regardless of the cost to him socially or professionally. A man who co-created on of the top three comic book characters of all time. And a man whose artwork is teaming with innovation and imagination.
FYI: I had the good fortune to interview Blake Bell on my radio show, PLANET COMIC BOOK RADIO, a few weeks ago. You can listen to it here.
Last week (Tuesday, Nov. 27) I had the pleasure of interviewing Mort Todd for my radio show, PLANET COMIC BOOK RADIO. This was what I called a 'career-spanning' interview, and a one-hour show could only scratch the surface! Listen to the interview here!
Mort Todd, while only in his early 20s, was the Editor-in-Chief of CRACKED Magazine. From there, it's been a very diversified career in comics including publishing his own mag, MONSTERS ATTACK, launching the MARVEL MUSIC line of comics over at the House of Ideas, working with such greats as Dan Clowes on various projects and with comics legend Steve Ditko on pitching Ditko's objectivist hero MR. A as a television series! Other things Mort has worked on include the comic strip versions of SPEED RACER and RAT FINK, independent filmmaking and rock & roll posters and album covers. Mort's creator-owned works include BAT LADY and MOLLY THE MODEL, the first interactive strip.
Among Mort's current works are SADISTIK, his adaptation of the European cult classic photo-comic, KILLING. Mort is a producer of the SADISTIK documentary, DIABOLIKAL SUPER CRIMINAL. The film had it's world premire last month in Italy and Mort is currently involved with the distribution phase of the film. All the while continuing to produce new comics and photonovels based on this phenom.
I met Mort through an interesting Ebay transaction. I had seen some copies of Marvel Comics' BOOK OF THE DEAD and CURSE OF THE WEIRD listed. These comics were edited by Mort in the 90s and featured rare, 1950s pre-Code horror comics from icons such as Wolverton, Ditko, Everett, Heath and Orlando. Well, one of the issues reprinted a very rare story. The first appearance of The Zombie, Simon Garth. Created by artist Bill Everett and writer Stan Lee! Well, I ordered the books and a few weeks later I received the package. Only problem was, the issue with the Zombie was missing! I wrote the seller, explaining that the book was missing from the package. Soon, I received the comic in the mail. I thanked the seller and explained that normally I wouldn't have fussed too much, but I had really wanted that issue! I went on about how much I loved the old Marvel artists and also shared that I was a publisher of my own book.
At that point Mort told me about his own love for the classic comics and that he was in fact a comic creator himself. We immediately hit if off and exchanged packages of our own comics. Eventually, we got along so good that back in 2005, when we hosted our first panel to show the teaser trailer for the EL MUERTO film, I asked Mort if he could moderate the panel!
And that led to me actually working with Mort on a project. When it was decided that we would be including an EL Muerto comic book with the DVD release of EL MUERTO, I knew I wanted to work with Mort on it. He had often told me about wanting to work with me on a project anyways, so this was ideal. I wrote the story and did rough layouts while Mort handled the finished art with his inking and digital coloring. He also lettered the book and handled production. With all his years of experience, and his much faster production speed, he really made the book happen. I learned some things from him that helped improve my writing and layout choices. Mort's mantra was too make the book a lot more contemporary-looking, and I really applaud the final choices that were made.
When it came time to plan my first episodes on PLANET COMIC BOOK RADIO, I knew Mort was one creator I definitely wanted to interview. I've heard the playback of the show and I think it came out really good. Certainly there is a lot of information on the man's interesting career. And I feel that I'm getting into the groove of this interview stuff! When I think too much about what I'm going to say, I feel that I tend to stumble around a bit. It's when I start talking in a more rapid rire, spontaneous manner that I'm satisfied I'm putting on a good show. But every step I take to get to that point is good. You only get better and something you do regularly, and everything anyone does always sounds/looks rougher in the beginning.
