LOOKING FOR ONE ARTIST, AND FINDING ANOTHER

A couple years before, I’d stumbled onto Alex Maleev, doing sketches at the booth of the art dealer who represents him.  Alex had told me to speak with his rep about a pin-up, and so I did at the convention, and then I emailed later, and never received a reply.  The following year, I found the art dealer again, and was told Alex would not be attending the con.  I poked over yet again this year, and his rep told me that Alex was supposed to come, but that his wife was pregnant, and he didn’t make it after all.  That will be a nice ice-breaker, if he comes back next year, because we’ll both have become dads within a few weeks of each other, and both our kids will be a year old.

So when I was getting this info from the rep, he said, “but Esad Ribic is doing sketches this week.”  I didn’t know who he was, but when he pointed at some of his work and said, “Marvel cover artist, and artist on Loki,” then I knew.  I thought he would be pretty expensive, but I came back looking for him.  He had just left for a cigarette break, so I waited.  When he came back, it turns out he hadn’t left for a cigarette break yet, and he had come back to get his cigarettes, so I asked if I could walk out with him.  We stood outside the convention, and I told him what I wanted, and he agreed to do it.  He said his schedule was full, until the last day of the con.  He said to check back at five pm on that day. 

The next day, when I realized that the convention closed at five, I went and told him.  He said, “Well…then come back at 4:30.  Since it was the last day, I was scrambling around and running late, and a little nervous about getting the pin-up.  But when I got there, he was still working, and had actually finished mine.  He charged me very reasonably for a convention-style sketch.  I thought he drew one of the most sinister monsters anyone has given me so far.  He was so friendly, too.  When I asked him to take a photo with me, I loved how he put his arm around my neck and stuck his chest out.

 

MORE ADVENTURES WITH THE TIE HATER

When Jim Steranko saw us, he mentioned to Elizabeth that I’m the guy who emails him every six months to ask about a commission.  He did his usual round of insults about my tie, but significantly toned down.  I felt like either I was growing on him, or else I was just getting used to his personality and better understood that he’s just kidding around.  I wasn’t nearly as stressed as I’ve been around him in the past.

I asked if I could take my picture with him, and he wouldn’t let me.  The next day, I saw him take a picture with some bombshell-looking woman in a fancy dress and high heels.  Elizabeth called him on it, and teased him, “Jim, what gives?  You said you don’t let anyone take pictures with you, but we saw you with that woman.”  He knew he was caught, but just kind of shrugged the comment aside.

That night, after the convention had closed, I was just walking by his booth on my way back to mine.  I waved hello, and he pulled me aside and asked if I had a cell phone.  He got on the phone with I assume his wife or girlfriend, talked for a few minutes, and finally handed my phone back, told me he was eternally grateful, and bustled on to his next engagement, of which was clearly not invited to participate.

I went over to bug him some more the next day, and I watched someone ask if Jim would sign his book.  Jim said, “Yeah, okay,” then realized he wanted to conditionalize it.  “Well,” he said, “it depends on the book.”  The kid showed him the book he’d brought, and I think it was some kind of compilation or listing of great artists, which I assume mentioned Jim.  Jim kind of looked at the book to figure out what it was, and then he just told the kid he wouldn’t sign it, and then he ignored the kid, who kind of stood there for a minute, confused.  Like, is this a joke?  And he finally wandered off.  I guess Jim didn’t want to sign that book!

Jim and Elizabeth and I spoke a fair amount, here and there.  I think he’s finally warming to us.  We talked about how we live on the West Coast, and he mentioned he flies into San Francisco quite a bit.  He talked about meeting with Francis every now and then.  I can only assume he’s talking about the esteemed Mr. Coppola.  We told him that if he were ever in San Francisco, it’s only an hour or so away, and we would make the drive if he would meet us for dinner.  At the end of the con, Elizabeth asked if he was serious about letting us have dinner with him next time he’s in San Francisco, and he leaned up close to her and said, Yes!  That would be a hell of a night to have dinner with Steranko some time!