I’d been to a few Wondercons in Oakland, but always just to go buy comics. I remember thinking at previous years, seeing some big names I might have liked to have met, but never taking the time to actually try and meet people. I think the first year I went (looking at the catalog), Mike Mignola and Will Eisner must have been there, but it never would have crossed my mind to find them or try to meet them. Maybe a year or so later, I learned Garth Ennis would be there. I planned to go listen to his talk, but started going through old comics bins earlier in the day, and finally decided I had way too many boxes to go through, and I’d rather look for old comics than hear Garth Ennis speak.
When I had just gotten out of college, I got my hands on some little pamphlet listing a bunch of comics that were “hot” at that time. It listed Hellboy and Madman, which I thought looked intriguing, Sin City, which I was already interested in, and a bunch of other more mainstream (mostly Image) junk that didn’t catch my eye. So I had noticed Mike Allred at a con. I kind of quickly glimpsed at some of his art he had out, and it looked nice. He didn’t really seem to have anyone at his table, and I was so tempted to go up and meet him, but I hadn’t read any of his work, so I shied away.
I did stumble onto Berni Wrightson one year, who I thought was really friendly. I was with a friend, who actually got a sketch from him. He visited with us for some time about his fan club he was starting, where he would send out little promotions and updates, and if you signed up, you’d be a lifetime member.
Brent Anderson had done a signing at A-1 Comics not long before. When there were signings at A-1, I would always be there, because there would also be a sale on back-issues, but I never went to meet artists. I was still at this sale when Brent was getting ready to go, and he initiated a conversation with me, because he saw what a big stack of junk I was buying. Soon after, he made an appearance at the local Sacramento Sac Con, and I visited with him more then. So now, when I saw him at Wondercon, I went over to say hello. He was always very friendly and talkative.
Once I accidentally found Dave Stevens. I got up the gumption to approach him, and my opening line was that I’d seen him on a Betty Page documentary. But he just kind of scoffed that the documentary was a few years old, and he got up and left, as if I’d said something he’d heard too much of. Who knows, maybe he had to get to a panel or use the restroom or something. You never know.
I had seen Tim Sale, usually drawing and looking pretty busy. I had seen Matt Wagner just walking around, and I went, Wow! Guys are just wandering around everywhere! Once I saw Tim Sale showing Matt Wagner color copies of his Superman book, which wouldn’t be out for a few months. That was really fun for me, to watch an artist look at another artist’s art.
I don’t remember going to many panels during these early years of my convention-goings. However, I did sit in on a 1970’s DC War panel. For some reason, the only person I remember being on the panel was Russ Heath. Did it have Robert Kaningher? Was Kubert there? I honestly don’t remember. In fact, the only thing I remember was them talking about “the big four.” I ascertained through the repeated reference that these were four comics DC published, of which, I assume, “Our Army at War/Sgt Rock” was included.
Another early Wondercon memory I have is of sitting in on a Battlestar Galactica panel. I don’t think I would have done it, but a friend wanted to see it. It was Richard Hatch talking about how he’d basically been trying to pitch Battlestar Galactica to filmmakers and television ever since it had been taken off the air, and he was finally getting close to making it happen.
It seems like this was probably five years before it actually did manage to get back on the air, and I don’t know how it did or how long it lasted once it made its return. Looking back, I realize how everyone is just struggling to make it in their market, and it’s just so difficult to follow your dreams, but we all try…
I also sat in on a Len Wein and Roy Thomas “horror comics” panel. They discussed various 1970s Marvel books, which I thoroughly enjoy. They mentioned the Frankenstein and Dracula novels.
By chance, afterward, I was coming out of the bathroom, and they were both going in. My friends and I were visiting in this area when Len came out. I told Len how great I thought it was that they came to the Bay for this con. Len said he’d be happy to do it more, if we’d only invite him. That never occurred to me that big-name comics folks would be more than happy to come out to our neck of the woods if only we readers demanded it. What I didn’t realize back then is that “invite” means pay for the flight and hotel, and maybe the dinners and wine, things like that. At the time, I thought he was just saying, if a fan like me says, “Len, we’d sure like you to come to this convention next year,” he’d pack his bags.
I had recently read some critical analyses of the Dracula and Frankenstein stories. So I tried to sound scholarly and interesting and talk with Len about how both stories are about man’s desire to reproduce. Dracula is about sexual and reproductive fears, with the sexualized vampires reproducing through the act of drinking blood (thereby bringing into mind sexually transmitted diseases as well), and Frankenstein is about a male trying to create life without a female in the mix. Both stories are about monstrous, horrific creations of life.
Somehow, instead of sounding smart and beginning a fun and engaging discussion, I managed to start off my conversation with, “You guys got it all wrong,” or something like that, which put him on the defensive for no good reason, and made me out to be a real unexpectedly jarring asshole. Len was polite, and quickly answered my claim, and then Roy came out of the restroom, and the two left.
That night, after a long day at the con, a friend and I went to dinner, and I was sharing my story about vampires and Frankenstein, and I believe blabbing how Len and Roy had gotten it all wrong, and then my friend said, Wait a minute, isn’t that Roy right behind us?
And I looked, and sure enough, there was that whole gang, sitting at a table clearly close enough to hear me still eager to not let up on being such an asshole.
2001 is the Wondercon I made the big move and tried to go up to Tim Sale while he sat at his artist alley table. I had really enjoyed his art in Batman’s Long Halloween. He had just started doing Daredevil. He was doing sketches for everyone, and I stupidly made some comment about how he was doing all the Frank Miller characters. What I meant was that Frank is so great with his noir sensibility, and now Tim was following this great history, first with Batman, and then with Daredevil. But I assume, now, that he thought I was implying he’s some bad Frank Miller hack wannabe, because he was really cold and untalkative toward me from then on, like he couldn’t wait for me to beat it. I asked for a sketch, and he did a quick two line little scribble and sent me on my way. I felt so ashamed. I was afraid to face him again.
I talked to John Van Fleet, who I thought had some nice original art.
While looking at the art of George Pratt, some moronic comic-book geek there said, (now, in retrospect, I imagine him as an ugly, braces-wearing moron with a nerd lisp) “You should say excuse me if you cut someone off.”
“Excuse me?” I asked. He was upset because he was shyly gawking from a distance, and I walked up to the table in front of him. I apologized profusely and left, and was disappointed that I didn’t have more time to talk with George Pratt, embarrassed that such a stupid confrontation would happen in front of a cool artist, and a little upset that no one came to my defense, including myself, and told this moron to settle down because he’s a moron.
So these were my few, early, first experiences trying to meet comics artists. Nothing particularly exciting, and it was often stressful and unfulfilling or even humiliating for me in the end. I didn’t know how to say things to these people, so I mostly just kept quiet and looked at them from afar. But I was learning to be careful, or at least try to be aware, not to say stupid-ass things that will piss them off and make them think I’m an annoying moron. Because who wants their idols to think they’re an annoying moron?