MICHAEL KALUTA
At the last San Diego Con, I had told Michael Kaluta we would be out at the Big Apple Con, and he said he always goes, even if he doesn’t have a table. We spoke about seeing each other then, and maybe further discussing a giant monster pin-up.
The second day, I spotted him wandering about and visiting with artists. I kept my eye on him, as he slowly made his way down our hall, making long pauses at various artists’ tables. Then all of a sudden he began to cut away down a different alley. I shouted “Michael!” from across the hall. He turned and said, “Don’t worry, I’m planning to come down and see you.”
He visited with someone else for awhile, and then popped over to say hello. It was a quick How-do-you-do, and I introduced my wife, and he mentioned giant monsters in diapers, and walked off. It didn’t feel like much of a visit. He didn’t mention a pin-up at all. But it was nice that he took the time to say hello at least.
LARRY LIEBER
I think it was on the second day that I went to listen to Gilbert and Jaime in a panel. When I walked in, Gilbert made a crack about the “monster guy,” or something like that. It was flattering and embarrassing that he would call attention to me in front of an audience like that.
Halfway through the panel, Elizabeth poked her head in and whispered to me, “I’m sorry to leave the table and interrupt this panel, but I thought you’d want to know that LARRY LIEBER is upstairs waiting for you!”
Dumbfounded, I went up with her. Larry had been flattered by the letter I sent him. I had mentioned that I recently learned he had scripted many of the monster stories, and that they and his western comics were some of my favorites. I had also sent him copies of my books. He hadn’t been aware of the comic convention, and wanted to check it out. But he said he also came to answer some questions I had asked about his career in comics.
He said back in the early days at Marvel (which may have been Atlas or Timely at the time), his brother, Stan (that’s Stan Lee, folks!) was so busy trying to do so many books, he asked Larry to take over some of the scripting. Stan continued to give general plots to all the stories, and Larry wrote the dialogue. But according to Larry, Stan thought Larry did a terrible job, and actually fired him. Then a little later, Stan called Larry back. Stand told him he had hated his writing, and hired some other writers, but they were worse. So then Stan hired Larry back.
Larry said that the monster storyline he was most pleased with was when the giant monster was a computer, and no one could stop it, and it looked like it was going to enslave the planet. And then the janitor came in and unplugged the computer.
Larry said that he was very proud of some of the names he came up with for Marvel characters. He said he came up with the names Tony Stark, Henry Pym, and Donald Blake. I later read an introduction Stan wrote to the Iron Man Masterworks hardcover, where he ruminates about usually making sure his names have alliterations. He didn’t know why he chose not to alliterate for Tony Stark’s name. Hm, I thought. I think I know why now.
Larry said he can look at something and draw it all right, but he has trouble drawing things from his head. He said Jim Steranko gave him one of his favorite compliments: that Larry can out-Kirby Kirby.
Larry said he looked through my books, and was really impressed by my use of blacks to define shapes. I was flattered.
I of course asked if he might be willing to do a pin-up for me. He said he’s just too busy, since he’s been doing the Spider-Man newspaper strip for so long.
I introduced Larry to Gilbert and Jaime, and to the convention workers. While walking him around, Steranko spotted him, and shouted, “Larry!” They spoke for a while, and I left them alone.
We said goodbye to Larry and pointed him in the direction of the exit. Then, about twenty minutes later, he’s walking by our table again, and doesn’t even notice. He looks kind of puzzled, or bedazzled. “Larry!” we call him over. Oh, he seems relieved. He’s been trying to find his way out of this maze of a room all this time. He’s been completely confused and lost. So I walked him to the entrance.
I remember realizing at this con, now I sit behind the table. People are coming up to me and showing me their work, and asking what I think. They are giving me free copies of their comics. This is a strange phenomenon. I am no better or talented than them, and they haven’t seen and don’t know my work, but they see me as some kind of expert with knowledge and power or money. They see me as someone to give them work. They think their work is good, and I will be wowed into wanting to hire them to write stories for me, or to draw for me. What a strange industry.
I disappeared from my table for a while, and when I got back, I saw Elizabeth was experiencing the joys of being bothered by what we learn just pops up at conventions every now and then. Namely, the comic book freaks.
I missed all the action, but supposedly this person came up to her and just started doing all these high-pitched annoying cartoon voice impressions, without explanation. Never explained why he was doing them, or what he was doing. She’d smile politely and try to start a conversation, and he’d break into a new impression, and then stare at her, and do another. He’d try and hold conversations with her using these voices.
Finally someone came up to the table, so she focused on the new person and did her best to ignore the freak until he went away. What he wanted, and why he thought using these voices would get it for him, we may never know.
STERANKO
Now it had been maybe six months since Steranko had given me his email, and we had discussed doing a pin-up. I had not written him during that time, because I was so intimidated by our meeting, but also because I knew I couldn’t afford to pay him what he was asking. Nervous, but not wanting to avoid him, I asked Elizabeth to go over to him with me. I introduced myself as the guy wearing the ugly ties from Wondercon, who had asked about a commission of a giant monster. He jabbed, “I can see you’re still wearing it” (the ugly tie). “No, this is a different ugly tie,” I told him. “I’ve got a closet-full.”
He mentioned I hadn’t contacted him about the commission, and I apologized. I introduced Elizabeth as the “girl of my dreams,” and he said, “Oh yeah, well you sleep on a lumpy mattress.” Elizabeth and I both thought, “What does that mean? Is it some kind of crack about being poor or something?” The reason we thought it was a “poor” crack is that he had made a number of these throughout the conversation, about my ties and general clothing appearance. We finally decided, after a week or so, it must mean my sleep is uncomfortable as a result of my lumpy mattress, and I have bad dreams, and she’s the product of these nightmare visions I have in my unsettled sleep. Why would someone say those kinds of things to people? It’s like being a caricature of a jerk. He’s not a jerk like an actual person would be a jerk. He’s like J. Jonah Jameson. He’s like the kind of guy that’s just putting on an outrageous act of being a jerk, just because it’s so over-the-top that it’s actually funny. What a personality! What a persona! I have to admit, as much as I’m intimidated and just plain afraid of him, I really enjoy him. He makes me laugh.
So he continued to make humorously insulting and derogatory comments, and I told him I sure do admire him, and hope we can work out something so that I can get a pin-up from him.