A friend of mine had driven down to the big con with us this year and was helping watch the booth. He was invited to go play pool with a friend of his who was also down at the con, and we went along. His friend is Haden Blackman, who is very high up on the ladder making Star Wars games for LucasArts, but he also wrote “The Field Guide to North American Monsters” and a number of (especially Star Wars) comics. He’s friends with JH Williams III, and sure enough, when we went to the bar, in walks JH Williams, who asked me to call him Jim.
We had the chance to speak a little. He was so friendly, and I was nervous and didn’t want him to think I was some punk fanboy who wouldn’t go away. But Jim just seemed to be enjoying visiting and hanging out. His career is really moving up, in my opinion. He told me he had projects in the works with Grant Morrison, and Warren Ellis, and Neil Gaiman. Jesus Christ! And after working with the King of Kings, Alan Moore! After this batch, there’s no one else to work for! He’ll have collaborated with all the greats, it seems like! Amazing!
He by now knew who I was, since I had asked him about doing a pin-up, and we had set it all up. He told me he had actually ordered and picked up my first issue at his comics shop. I was really flattered. We spoke a little about the difficulty of getting into the industry. He shared his story of indebtedness to Howard Chaykin, who looked at his portfolio at a con. Jim said a lot of artists at portfolio reviews get defensive or upset, and he just tried to listen and get good advice, and he was discussing his art with Howard Chaykin, who became so convinced Jim was doing all the right things, that Howard stormed around DC’s booth demanding that someone give Jim work. But even with that endorsement, and Jim getting contact info from editors, and making regular check-ins, it still took him months before he finally got wok. It’s a hell of a tough industry to break into.
Jim and his wife Wendy were so sweet. It was great to be able to spend some time with them.
Of course I’ve heard the stories about how important it is to go out nights, and hang out in the bars, or try to find the parties everyone is at. I’ve been told that you never know who you’ll wind up meeting and talking with. You’ll make some small talk, and find you enjoy someone’s company, and next thing you know you realize they’re a head editor or know editors, or it’s a famous artist. I’ve heard the story of people who take their portfolios in elevators and meet editors that way, or stalk them and go to their hotels. But I’ve never really enjoyed or felt comfortable doing the schmoozing party-going thing. So tonight, my wife pointed out that there is a value to being places like pool halls, and meeting people like Jim Williams. It did feel really amazing to just be sitting at a bar, playing pool, and visiting with JH Williams III.
Before the con, Jim had said he would have my pin-up finished, and now he told me it was waiting at his booth, so I went and picked it up from him the next day. He was sitting with Arthur Adams, and supposedly Walter Simonson would be there, who I really wanted to meet. Every time I stopped by, they would tell me, still no sign of Walter, but he’s supposed to be here any minute.
Finally, his wife, Louise, showed up. She had no idea where Walter was, and had been waiting for him too. He was supposed to have been there long ago. He was AWOL. But that was his MO at conventions. Losing track of time, bumping into people.
He was fun to meet. He was doing a nice sketch of X-Men’s Storm when I finally found him. He signed a couple books I brought and was friendly and funny. As for a pin-up, he said his schedule was very busy. He had way too much on his plate. He didn’t bother to give me contact info, and I didn’t ask.