Creator Encounters

[K.B.]

This thread is for discussing the creators you've met and how they went.

 

[Metallx]

While I was at the Toronto Comic-con I met Brian Pulido. Actually I rode with him to the airport. Talk about a nice stand-up guy. He was really cool to talk to, and knew a lot about the business, having created Lady Death and starting Chaos Comics. He also was filled with good advice. I only hope I did not talk his ear off too much.

 

[BLACKVULCAN]

okay true story( like i could make this stuff up anyways)

about 2 weeks ago they have this thing once a month thing called "drink and draw". You have some beers and draw stuff to win comic book related products. where a comic creator( usually somebody lame) hangs out with the masses. I never went I'm not you typical fanboy with ooh and ahhhs, but then my comic dealer/ friend said Mark Millar was showing up.So me and my boys (cause we all love the authority)and drinking was involved.We decided to show up at this local bar/ dive called "on the rocks".we then start to drink ourselves to oblivion and in walks Mark Millar,and this cat who draws his new book, "War Heroes" Tim Hodge( never heard of the dude). Millar's a totally cool ass guy.we all start drinking and talking, just a really cool guy. Like someone you could just hang out with and drink beer. He starts to tell us how with all the money he made at Marvel.He went on Ebay and bought one of the capes Christopher Reeve wore in the movie. That it's hanging up in his house soon as you come in the door.How The 1st Superman is the greatest Comic book movie ever and i agreed with him . So after more drinks and telling dude he would drink me under the table and pics ( My comic shop owner friend lives for that stuff. I'm on his blog page in a pic with Millar). I had to go to work the next day otherwise i would have taking that challenge. A really cool ass guy!

2nd story Bill willingham who writes fables.comes into my boy's shop all the time.He lives in Vegas. He's a totally *****e. My boy introduced me and he acted all like*&^%$# cause he thought i wanted his autograph and to ask him questions like a fanboy. I told that dude i didnt want his autograph.( hell i dont want anybody's autograph for that matter) hell! he should want mine cause i got a girlfriend which he look liked he never had in his life. HAHA. Vegas can be a riot. sometimes i hate this town ,but it can be amusing as hell

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

I had no idea that Gary Freidrich (co-creator of Ghost Rider) lived nearby me (Actually less than 10 miles away!). He came to a local comic shop around Halloween to sign autographs and showcase some Harley's and there was even a Ghost Rider there! He was at that time suing Marvel and Sony for not giving him anything for helping to create the character Johnny Blaze and the Ghost Rider.

He was a really nice guy and even offered to do an interview for us GR fans if needed be and he gave me his card and his agents number. I got a whole bunch of comics signed, he gave me a copy of a breakdown of a page of the 1st issue, signed, and he was nice enough to sign my Marvel Spotlight #5 (1st appearance of GR) and I got to take some pictures with him, Ghost Rider, and his relatives who came to the shop to help him out.

One of the nicest guys I've ever met, hands down! All these people came and nobody had a clue who he was, but when they saw his shirt with a giant flaming skull on it, they all nodded in appreciation when they figured it out and took pictures with him and bought some GR comics.

I just also became aware that Javiar Saltaires (artist for Moon Knight, and the 90s DK Ghost Rider) lives 3 hrs away from me, and I'm gonna try to meet up with him if he does any appearances at local comic shops!

I've also had a chance to meet some other comic creators including Sergio Aragones (creator of Groo The Wanderer) (got his autograph on some comics). He was very light-hearted, loved to sign anything you threw at him, and he was extremely funny (from what I remember). In the 90s I also met creator of Scud the Disposable Assassin, Rob Schrab (got his autograph on ish #1). He was very quiet guy but extremely nice.

 

[Comics N' Toons]

has anyone had the chance to meet the legend, DENNY ONIEL?

 

[K.B.]

While I have had many good encounters with comic creators theres a few that I would drop everything to meet again cuz they were THAT cool.

George Perez
Kevin Eastman
Paul Jenkins
Tim Sale
Ian Churchill
Jeph Loeb
Ethan Van Sciver
Frank Quietly

Over the course of the next few days I'll explain why these encounters were just so damn good. Lets start with...hmmm...Frank Quietly.

I have met Frank twice. The first time was when he came to Toronto for the big con we have here and I brought up the Kingdom Offspring book and issue 1 of Flex Metallo (which I had been looking for for years and LONG before wizard made it a "hot" book all the nerds needed, yet could only find that one issue and got it for a buck). He was surprised I had a copy of Offspring, he said no one ever brings those but was even more shocked I had a copy of Flex as fans RARELY bring them to shows for him to sign.

I explained how I had been looking for literally YEARS for issues 2-4 yet always came up empty handed. He said he had boxes of them back home in Scotland and if I wrote down my address he'd ship them out to me sometime. I was floored and promptly gave him my info. I saw him all 3 days of the show to get stuff signed and we chatted a bit each time he knew I wanted a sketch bad but he couldn't do them (thoguh on the sunday, I was waitng beside his table because I had done Ian Chruchill a favor and he was going to do something to show his appreciation) and Frank started doing sketches for fans, looked over at me and gave me a "I'm really, REALLY sorry look".

The year had came and went and my comics never came, "No biggie, he's a slow artist and as long as he keeps putting out All Star, I'm happy. They wil lget here one day", I thought.

Soon it was time for another big convention in Toronto and I had had a VERY horrble 5 months so I was excited that Frank was coming again. Before his signing he would be doing a sketch duel with Steve Mcniven (basically, the audience suggests a character and 2 artists have an hour to draw and field question. Then the art is raffeled off to 2 lucky audience members). I didnt win lol. Quickly me and my ex got first in line to get a comic signed and maybe possibly get that sketch I had been dying for. She got my copy of the WANTED dossier signed and then I asked if I could get a sketch. He gave me the 'no' and some apologies (he was runing late and the line was long) and then we started talking. I told him I didnt want to be a jerk fan and that I wasn't sure how to ask him but that he was supposed to send me some comics. Suddenly he yells out "Oh my god!RIght!Yes!" then asks my name. "Ken..." I start "BAUMGARTNER!" he finishes while pulling out a big manilla envolpe.

He had brought that comics straight to me! We laughed and he mentioned he had 3 other people he had to bring stuff to and I told him how this totally made my summer as it had been a pretty bad few months and he was very happy to have given me a feel good moment.

The next day I was walking back from getting something from the car while my ex waited in line and Frank saw me while he was standing around talking to some relatives and called me over. I thanked him for the comics once again and we chatted about the city and sight seeing and stuff. I asked if there was any chance I could get a sketch and he gave me a wink and said t ocome see him the next day and he'd see what he could do.

The next day I get in line and while the guy ahead is chatting he looks over, gives a big smile and a wink. When I approch he makes a bit of a show and pulls out a small hotel note pad and says "Oh here is that website you wanted..yadda yadda" then says i na low voice "please don't open it here because Im always nervous when people see my art right away." I thanked him profusly for the awesome weekend and as soon as I got around the corner I opened up the notepad to find an AMAZING Batman sketch.

(This pic dosent do it justice)

 

[Dread]

I want to my second Big Apple Con in 2003 more or less. It was either just before or just after X2: X-MEN UNITED hit theaters and naturally everyone was buzzing about Nightcrawler on the big screen. There at the signing was Dave Cockrum himself. He was wearing a Green Lantern T-Shirt and had a smattering of artwork for browsing or sale. There were about 3-6 fans around his table and he would be doodling sketches while discussing pretty much whatever struck their fancy. He was charging $30 for sketches. I recall at the time I had a finite amount of funds and wanted to save for some bootlegs. I, of course, would end up regretting that decision forever-after.

His artwork naturally consisted of a lot of X-Stuff but also some Legion of Superheroes stuff. I think I recalled one drawing of the Creature from the Black Lagoon as a Green Lantern.

I was 21 years old and a shy person to begin with, but I barely could fathom how to get into the conversation. I piggy backed onto a discussion and Cockrum commented how he liked my jacket. It was a double breasted leather thing that probably looked like a rejected 80's hair band outfit. The topic of Nightcrawler was in the air and Cockrum naturally commented how Kurt was the character he felt represented "him" in the book. I asked him how he liked current depictions of Nightcrawler and he seemed a little critical of the priest motif that came to the character in later years. He liked the swashbuckler stuff and if I recall one line correctly, "the point of having a sword, is that once in a while you stick someone with it" (or words to that effect). He also commented how in the beginning of the "new" X-Men era, "Thunderbird and Wolverine were the same guy" and that he mused that they kept Wolverine because "someone was Canadian".

He was very humble and polite, and sometimes to this day I feel he doesn't get enough rep (over Claremont and Byrne) for the glory days of the X-Men. I haven't actually met or chatted with too many other creators, but this is one of my favorite experiences as a fan.

I got to meet Dan Slott once, too. More on that another night.

 

[K.B.]

Your SOOOO lucky to have gotton to meet Cockrum ( wish I had gotton the chance) and your right that he dosent get nearly enough credit as he deserves.

 

[Dark Victory]

I met Garth Ennis at Wizard World Chicago awhile back.

 

[BlackSymbiote]

Robert Kirkman called me Captain Sissy when I told him Walking Dead gave me nightmares.

 

[Comics N' Toons]

There is a guy @ my college (community college, not university) that claims to be related to F. Miller... I know he's from NY & so I asked him, where h was originally from... He said that he lived w/ UNCLE FRANK when he was a baby for a short time.

I told im he was full of it &

He pulls out a polaroid and what look like family pictures of him & a guy who might possibly be frank.

i dunno

 

[K.B.]

Scan some pics and lets see

 

[Comics N' Toons]

the only way I could get a hold of those pics, is if I steal his wallet!

 

[Moviefan2k4]

I first met James O'Barr at a Dallas convention in 2004, and was completely shocked. I'd first seen the original "Crow" film at age 15 in 1995, and the emotional story just resonated with me. I'd (later) seen his video interview on the DVD, and had wanted to meet him for years. I remember being stunned by the fact that he wasn't as depressed as I'd imagined, which was cool. Last year, I saw him for the fifth time at another Dallas convention, and he sketched this custom piece for me. He's one guest I always look forward to on the convention circuit.

 

[PaleRider]

I met Garth Ennis at Wizard World Chicago awhile back.

was he cool or was he an ass? I've always wondered that. The only person I've met was Tony Moore. It was a free comic day thing at a comic shop here. He was cool, had him sign my walking dead trade and my Battle Pope #1. It was the funk o tron one and he said he didn't see those that often and gave me the first 4 issues of the reprints that image put out. He recommended the show deadwood to me because we were talking about westerns. Cool story after that is I work at Half Price Books and one day my manager came to me and asked if I knew who Tony Moore was, I said yeah I love his artwork. Well his aunt was in the store and I talked to her for awhile. Then in one of the books she was selling to us was a napkin with a picture of Wolverine and on the other side a picture of wolverine fighting a ninja. It was a pic he drew when he was like 12 or 13 and she said she has tons of his stuff and she gave it to me. Pretty cool.

 

[MattBearPig]

Met Kevin Smith twice at some signings and I find him to be a rather upstanding, talkative and friendly gent.

Met Stan Lee when I was having lunch at the Marriott in San Diego. I told the waitress to sit me and my friends next to him and before we all left, I went over to him to say hi.

Me-Hey, Stan, what goes through your head when you see all of your creations on the bigscreen?

Stan-You wanna know the truth?

Me-Yah.

Stan-Damn, I'm good!

I hope I'm as cool as him when I get old.

Met Mark Millar and Tony Harris during the War Heroes tour they did. Both were very nice guys and I'm shocked they had as much energy as they did considering the extreme lack of sleep they had.